First pick
Fergus Watershed Biodiversity Preserve
Park or garden
31 ha1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
2.3 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
13%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Douglas · parks, protected land & trails
Protected land around Douglas beats 9 in 10 Canadian towns
Within 10 km are 82 protected areas. A drive of 30 km reaches Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, the nearest national park. For a swim, White Rock Beach is the beach within 5 km.
Protected land
13%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
82
within 10 km, 82 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
30 km
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Peace Arch Park
Beaches
1
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
Where Douglas stands out outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Protected land all round13% of the land within 10 km, more than 91% of Canadian townsMany protected areas82 public areas within 10 kmA provincial park at the edgePeace Arch Park reaches the town
Douglas is strongest on protected land around it, with the number of public protected areas close by close behind.
Against other towns
Douglas against other Canadian towns
Each figure against the 2,611 Canadian towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500+ (not city hubs or reserves), with the town marked and the typical one’s line. Outdoors isn’t one of Canada’s graded subjects, so there’s no letter here: each figure is set against other Canadian towns instead.
Protected within 10 km13%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town3.2%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas82Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches1Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Among 40 towns its size, Douglas ranks 6th for protected land within 10 km
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (4,473 to 4,640 residents), by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected. Hover for each one’s figures; click for its page.
Protected within 10 km
Douglas13%
Towns its size3.3%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Douglas82
Towns its size4
Towns in British Columbia14
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Douglas0
Towns its size0
Towns in British Columbia1
Typical Canadian town0
Douglas beats most towns its size for public protected areas; only 1 of 39 does better.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jasper AB | 100% | 100% | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| 2 | Electoral Area D (Oyster Bay - Buttle Lake), Strathcona BC | 49% | 64% | 34 | 11 | 8 |
| 3 | Shelburne NS | 27% | 28% | 194 | 0 | 80 |
| 4 | Sparwood BC | 23% | 3.4% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Gaetz Brook NS | 15% | 4.2% | 55 | 2 | 19 |
| 6 | Douglas BC | 13% | 3.2% | 82 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Queenswood - Chatelaine ON | 12% | 0% | 40 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Electoral Area P (Rivers and the Peaks), Thompson-Nicola BC | 11% | 8.3% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Berthierville QC | 9.1% | 0% | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Gurnett ON | 7.3% | 0% | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| 11 | Bowen Island BC | 7.2% | 17% | 60 | 0 | 173 |
| 12 | Neuville QC | 7.1% | 1.3% | 30 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | Horning ON | 6.4% | 20% | 17 | 3 | 0 |
| 14 | Saint-Antonin QC | 6.1% | 0.5% | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Melville SK | 5.2% | 1% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu QC | 4.3% | 0% | 41 | 0 | 3 |
| 17 | Eastmount ON | 4.3% | 0% | 22 | 1 | 3 |
| 18 | Wainwright No. 61 AB | 3.7% | 3.1% | 41 | 0 | 5 |
| 19 | Crossroads ON | 3.5% | 0% | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Britannia Youngstown AB | 3.3% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Warner County No. 5 AB | 3.2% | 4.7% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 22 | Electoral Area E, Cowichan Valley BC | 2.8% | 3.6% | 42 | 3 | 2 |
| 23 | Country Hills ON | 2.6% | 0% | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| 24 | Red Hill ON | 2.1% | 0% | 17 | 3 | 5 |
| 25 | Caraquet NB | 1.8% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 11 |
| 26 | Fairfield Park MB | 1.7% | 0% | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| 27 | Felker ON | 1.5% | 0% | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| 28 | Centennial MB | 1.5% | 0% | 18 | 4 | 0 |
| 29 | Rockwood MB | 1.5% | 0% | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Carlisle AB | 1.5% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Casselman ON | 1.4% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Albion ON | 1.4% | 11% | 14 | 5 | 1 |
| 33 | Parkridge SK | 1.1% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| 34 | Iroquois Falls ON | 0.8% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Blue Quill AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Vanderhoof BC | 0.2% | 3.8% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 37 | Saint-Anselme QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Saint-Ambroise-de-Kildare QC | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Howick ON | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Raymond AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Douglas on the map: green space, protected land and paths
Green space, woods, protected areas and footpaths in and around the neighbourhood; tap a number for its park or wood.
Green: OpenStreetMap parks, gardens, playing fields and woods. Hatched: CPCAD protected areas.© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); CPCAD (OGL-Canada)
Places to walk
9 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Douglas
Largest first: Fergus Watershed Biodiversity Preserve leads with 31 ha. Numbers match the map.
9 named parks and woods, 65 ha in all
Parks & gardens 65 ha
The bulk, 59%, is Fergus Watershed Biodiversity Preserve and Peace Arch Historical State Park.
The Glades
Park or garden
5.9 ha2.4 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.4 km of path
Centralin the middle of Douglas
Directionsto a point inside
Peace Arch Historical State Park
Park or garden
7.8 ha0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
0.7 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
South Meridian Park
Park or garden · 190 m outside town
4.3 ha0.4 km of path
2.4 km north-westfrom the centre
South Meridian Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Dufferin Park
Park or garden
2.9 ha0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
Centralin the middle of Douglas
Douglas Greenway
Directionsto a point inside
Carlson Creek protected area park
Park or garden
4.1 ha
2.7 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
146A - Neighbourhood Park
Park or garden
2.2 ha
Centralin the middle of Douglas
Directionsto a point inside
All 9 named parks and green spaces
Fergus Watershed Biodiversity PreservePark or garden · 31 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsThe GladesPark or garden · 5.9 ha · 2.4 km of path
DirectionsPeace Arch Historical State ParkPark or garden · 7.8 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsSemiahmoo ParkPark or garden · 7.5 ha
DirectionsSouth Meridian ParkPark or garden · 4.3 ha · 0.4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsDufferin ParkPark or garden · 2.9 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsCarlson Creek protected area parkPark or garden · 4.1 ha
Directions146A - Neighbourhood ParkPark or garden · 2.2 ha
DirectionsEmerson ParkPark or garden · 0.2 ha · just outside town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap parks, gardens, commons and woods with a name, in the town or within 400 m, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Sizes are the mapped outline’s.
Close to home
In Douglas, a park is close to every home
Residents of each 2021 dissemination area, at a point inside it, within 400 m (about a 5-minute walk) of a park or playing field mapped on OpenStreetMap.
Within 400 m (100%)Further (0%)
Douglas100%
Towns in British Columbia72%
Typical Canadian town83%
For comparison, the median Canadian town has 83%.
Protected areas
82 protected areas around Douglas
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Douglas3.2%
Within 10 km13%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Every one of the 82 is on public land. At 11,770 ha, Boundary Bay Wildlife Management Area is the largest.
Boundary Bay Wildlife Management AreaWildlife area · 11,770 ha · reaches Douglas
Peace Arch ParkProvincial park · 9.0 ha · reaches Douglas
146A - Neighbourhood ParkMunicipal park · 2.2 ha · reaches Douglas
146C - Neighbourhood ParkMunicipal park · 1.0 ha · reaches Douglas
146E - GreenbeltMunicipal park · 0.8 ha · reaches Douglas
146F - GreenbeltMunicipal park · 0.7 ha · reaches Douglas
146D - GreenbeltMunicipal park · 0.4 ha · reaches Douglas
Fergus Watershed Biodiversity PreserveMunicipal park · 30 ha · reaches Douglas
135G - GreenbeltMunicipal park · 1.6 ha · 0.2 km from the edge of town
135F - GreenbeltMunicipal park · 1.0 ha · 0.3 km from the edge of town
30 more named areas within 10 km are in the figures.
Source: Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD) 2.9.0, Environment and Climate Change Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
National & provincial parks
30 km to Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
National parks (Parks Canada) and provincial or territorial parks by direction and distance from the town’s edge: every one within 10 km, and the nearest of each within 100 km.
National parkProvincial park
Provincial park
Peace Arch Park
At the edge0.1 km²since 1939
National park reserve
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
30 km south-west67 km²since 2010
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
25 km of paths in and around Douglas
OpenStreetMap footpaths, paths, bridleways and steps, and tracks open on foot, in the town and 1 km around it; woods as mapped (landuse=forest, natural=wood).
Footpaths
25 km
in and around the town (18.8 km²)
Woodland
9.7%
about 1.8 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
DouglasTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths1.3
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
DouglasTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Woodland9.7%
0%50%100%
It is more wooded than 52% of Canadian towns. Paths are thinner on the ground than in 54% of Canadian towns.
Source: OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Mapping varies by place: a dense figure can mean keen local mappers as much as many paths.
Walking routes
No named walking route passes Douglas on the map
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
No named route shows within 2 km of the neighbourhood; volunteers map trails unevenly from one region to the next.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Walking season in Douglas: May to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Pitt Meadows, 23 km away). Good months: long days, highs of 15–30 °C, light rain.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.7 | 10.1 | 11.7 | 13.6 | 15.3 | 16.2 | 15.8 | 14.4 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.1 | 8.2 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 9 | 11 | 15 | 19 | 21 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 15 | 10 | 6 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 252 | 134 | 173 | 105 | 95 | 69 | 48 | 36 | 94 | 180 | 249 | 214 |
Snow totals about 56 cm a year. Highs peak near 25 °C in August and fall to 6 °C in December. The wettest month, January, brings 252 mm, against 36 mm in August. The climate in Douglas →
Beaches
For a swim near Douglas: White Rock Beach, 1.3 km off
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
White Rock Beachsand · 1.3 km from town
DirectionsWithin 5 km is 11 km of coastline. Beach water tests aren’t published as open data across Canada, so swimming advisories come from the local health unit.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Viewpoints and waterfalls near Douglas: 4 and 1
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
23 playgrounds top the list.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 4
Plus 4 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 1
Artificial Waterfallin town
DirectionsNature reserves 2
Grandview Green Infrastructure Network Corridor1.6 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve more.
Picnic sites 21
Plus 21 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 23
Cypress Street Playground0.6 km from town
DirectionsPlus 22 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
The garden near Douglas: Darts Hill Garden Park, 1.2 km off
Gardens and arboretums within 15 km of the town’s edge, and the historic gardens, parks and estates in the town itself, nearest first.
Darts Hill Garden ParkGarden or park · 1.2 km from town
DirectionsSources: OpenStreetMap (leisure=garden), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL, and Wikidata (CC0), as gathered in TownRatings’ Canadian attractions set; historic places from Parks Canada’s Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, the Canadian Register of Historic Places and Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel.
Next door
Next to Douglas
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
GrandviewWhite RockSemiahmoo Town CentreSunnysideSouth SurreyMorgan CreekDouglas
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas | 13% | 82 | 0 | 1 |
| Grandview 4.2 km | 10% | 170 | 7 | 1 |
| White Rock 4.4 km | 22% | 101 | 2 | 4 |
| Semiahmoo Town Centre 4.5 km | 21% | 103 | 2 | 4 |
| Sunnyside 5.3 km | 19% | 127 | 3 | 3 |
| South Surrey 7.1 km | 22% | 130 | 3 | 4 |
| Morgan Creek 7.2 km | 17% | 157 | 4 | 1 |
Douglas is not outdone two to one on protected land by any neighbour. More routes are mapped around Grandview (7).
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Private land. Land owned by individuals, companies or conservation groups counts toward the figures but is never named: a person’s land isn’t a place to visit.
- Walking routes. Only named route relations count; a park’s own path network may not show unless it is mapped as a route.
- Protected land. Measured on CPCAD’s outlines: the part of a 10 km band around the town that lies in a protected or conserved area, water included.
- National and provincial parks. National parks are Parks Canada’s; provincial parks are the province’s or territory’s, Québec’s parcs nationaux among them.
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
Questions about the outdoors in Douglas
When should you visit Douglas for the outdoors?
May to September, on the 1991–2020 normals and the daylight: long days, highs of 15 °C or more, light rain for the place.
What is the nearest provincial park to Douglas?
Peace Arch Park begins at the town’s edge.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Douglas?
Boundary Bay Wildlife Management Area: 11,770 ha, a wildlife area.
How far is Douglas from a national park?
The nearest is Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, 30 km away.
How much land around Douglas is protected?
Yes: 13% of the land within 10 km is protected.
Where can you swim near Douglas?
Try White Rock Beach, 1.3 km from town.
Sources
Where Douglas’ outdoors figures come from
Protected areas: Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD) 2.9.0, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 2026: every area within 10 km and the nearest national and provincial parks, measured outline to outline.
Walking routes and beaches: OpenStreetMap, November 2026: named hiking, foot and walking route relations within 2 km and beaches within 5 km.
Towns: Statistics Canada 2021 Census boundaries and populations; the comparison is the Canadian towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500+, not city hubs or reserves.
When to go: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020, from the nearest station that publishes them.
Gardens: OpenStreetMap (leisure=garden) and Wikidata gardens within 15 km, as gathered in TownRatings’ Canadian attractions set; historic gardens and parks from Canada’s heritage registers (Parks Canada DFHD, the Canadian Register of Historic Places, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel).
Green space, paths, woods, things to do: OpenStreetMap (Geofabrik’s Canada extract), November 2026: parks, gardens, playing fields, woods, footpaths, the coastline and things to do in and around each town.
Residents: Statistics Canada 2021 Census dissemination areas (population, boundaries), each at a point inside it.
Walking routes and beaches © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database Licence (ODbL).
Not on this page: trailheads and trail grades, and beach water quality. No open Canadian dataset gives these for every town yet.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).