First pick
sncəcmałqtn (BX Ranchlands)
Park or garden
65 ha3.2 km of path
40 minto walk all 3.2 km of path
3.7 km north-eastfrom the centre
BX Ranch Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Valentin8107 · CC BY-SA 4.08.4%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Vernon · parks, protected land & trails
Vernon has more protected land around it than 8 in 10 Canadian towns
Within 5 km are 27 beaches; Foster Road Beach is the nearest. Count 17 protected areas within 10 km of town. No national park lies within 100 km.
Protected land
8.4%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
17
within 10 km, 11 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Ellison Park
Beaches
27
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What Vernon has going for it outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Protected land all round8.4% of the land within 10 km, more than 82% of Canadian townsBeaches27 beaches within 5 kmA provincial park at the edgeEllison Park reaches the town
Vernon is strongest on protected land around it, with its beaches close behind.
Against other towns
How Vernon compares with 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. Canada’s grades don’t include the outdoors, so this page compares the figures rather than grading them.
Protected within 10 km8.4%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town1.9%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas11Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches27Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Vernon has the 14th most protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (42,989 to 56,897 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
Vernon8.4%
Towns its size3.6%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Vernon11
Towns its size9
Towns in British Columbia14
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Vernon0
Towns its size1
Towns in British Columbia1
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Vernon does best for protected land nearby: 13 of the other 39 have more. On walking routes it is behind: 20 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dollard-Des Ormeaux QC | 27% | 3.7% | 40 | 0 | 6 |
| 2 | Shawinigan QC | 24% | 61% | 40 | 16 | 10 |
| 3 | Vaudreuil-Dorion QC | 20% | 0.7% | 73 | 0 | 10 |
| 4 | Châteauguay QC | 19% | 0.8% | 34 | 0 | 3 |
| 5 | Mission BC | 19% | 3.5% | 28 | 3 | 33 |
| 6 | Newton BC | 15% | 7.3% | 174 | 6 | 1 |
| 7 | Sault-Saint-Louis QC | 11% | 10% | 24 | 0 | 4 |
| 8 | Rouyn-Noranda QC | 11% | 14% | 90 | 15 | 8 |
| 9 | Saint-Eustache QC | 9.9% | 0% | 42 | 0 | 7 |
| 10 | Pointe-aux-Trembles QC | 9.5% | 7.3% | 38 | 0 | 2 |
| 11 | Rimouski QC | 8.8% | 3.6% | 43 | 10 | 48 |
| 12 | Salaberry-de-Valleyfield QC | 8.8% | 1.9% | 27 | 0 | 2 |
| 13 | West Vancouver BC | 8.6% | 21% | 56 | 10 | 132 |
| 14 | Vernon BC | 8.4% | 1.9% | 17 | 0 | 27 |
| 15 | Whalley BC | 8.2% | 1% | 125 | 5 | 7 |
| 16 | Anjou QC | 6.5% | 2.4% | 28 | 0 | 1 |
| 17 | Hagerman's Corners ON | 6.4% | 0% | 26 | 1 | 1 |
| 18 | Fabreville QC | 5.8% | 3% | 39 | 0 | 4 |
| 19 | Mascouche QC | 4% | 0% | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Port-Maurice QC | 4% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Spruce Grove AB | 3.1% | 0% | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Timmins ON | 2.7% | 1.8% | 7 | 0 | 6 |
| 23 | Alliston ON | 2.1% | 0.4% | 36 | 2 | 3 |
| 24 | Charlottetown PE | 2% | 2% | 15 | 25 | 13 |
| 25 | Quinte West ON | 1.4% | 0.6% | 22 | 3 | 1 |
| 26 | Bradford ON | 1.1% | 1.3% | 28 | 5 | 1 |
| 27 | East Gwillimbury ON | 0.8% | 0.6% | 14 | 2 | 1 |
| 28 | Keswick ON | 0.7% | 0.9% | 13 | 1 | 14 |
| 29 | Roseborough ON | 0.7% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Hurontario ON | 0.7% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Rocky View County AB | 0.5% | 0.6% | 20 | 9 | 19 |
| 32 | Paris ON | 0.4% | 0.2% | 26 | 7 | 3 |
| 33 | Woodstock ON | 0.4% | 0% | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 34 | Lakeshore ON | 0.4% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 35 | Churchill Meadows ON | 0.4% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Innisfil ON | 0.3% | 0.1% | 6 | 1 | 17 |
| 37 | Victoriaville QC | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 38 | Caledonia ON | 0.2% | 0.4% | 17 | 4 | 7 |
| 39 | St. Thomas ON | 0.2% | 0% | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 40 | Cornwall ON | 0.1% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Vernon
The town’s parks, woods, protected land and paths, with its named places numbered.
Green: OpenStreetMap parks, gardens, playing fields and woods. Hatched: CPCAD protected areas.© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); CPCAD (OGL-Canada)
Places to walk
30 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Vernon
Largest first: sncəcmałqtn (BX Ranchlands) leads with 65 ha. Numbers match the map.
30 named parks and woods, 138 ha in all
Parks & gardens 138 ha
sncəcmałqtn (BX Ranchlands) plus Polson Park account for 60% of the green.
Polson Park
Park or garden
18 ha1.8 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.8 km of path
1.1 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
BX Dog Park
Park or garden · 70 m outside town
6.5 ha1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
4.2 km north-eastfrom the centre
BX Ranch dog park trail
Directionsto a point inside
Grahame Park
Park or garden
8.2 ha0.2 km of path
2.1 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Lakers Park
Park or garden
4.8 ha0.5 km of path
4.6 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Mutrie Dog Park
Park or garden
2.6 ha0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
3.3 km north-eastfrom the centre
Mutrie Dog Park
Directionsto a point inside
Heritage Dog Park
Park or garden
2.3 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
1.7 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 30 named parks and green spaces
sncəcmałqtn (BX Ranchlands)Park or garden · 65 ha · 3.2 km of path
DirectionsPolson ParkPark or garden · 18 ha · 1.8 km of path
DirectionsBX Dog ParkPark or garden · 6.5 ha · 1.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsGrahame ParkPark or garden · 8.2 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsLakers ParkPark or garden · 4.8 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsMutrie Dog ParkPark or garden · 2.6 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsHeritage Dog ParkPark or garden · 2.3 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsMission Hill ParkPark or garden · 3.1 ha
DirectionsN'Kwala ParkPark or garden · 3.1 ha · just outside town
DirectionsLinear ParkPark or garden · 1.2 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsMacdonald ParkPark or garden · 2.5 ha
DirectionsWhistler ParkPark or garden · 2.5 ha
DirectionsKin BeachPark or garden · 2.1 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsBX Creek Natural WetlandPark or garden · 1.9 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsCivic Memorial ParkPark or garden · 1.0 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsPaddlewheel ParkPark or garden · 2.1 ha
DirectionsLakeview ParkPark or garden · 1.9 ha
DirectionsCivic PlazaPark or garden · 0.7 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsGirouard ParkPark or garden · 1.5 ha
DirectionsDeer ParkPark or garden · 1.2 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsBX Creek WetlandsPark or garden · 1.0 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsHeritage ParkPark or garden · 1.1 ha
DirectionsLakeshore ParkPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsHitchcock Road ParkPark or garden · 1.0 ha
DirectionsJustice ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsArmoury ParkPark or garden · 0.7 ha
DirectionsCoutt's CommonPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsCenotaph ParkPark or garden · 0.2 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsEast Hill Community GardenPark or garden · 0.3 ha
DirectionsCoursier ParkPark or garden · 0.3 ha
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
A park is within a short walk for 7 in 10 in Vernon
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 (66%)Further (34%)
Vernon66%
Towns in British Columbia72%
Typical Canadian town83%
That leaves about 17,000 people more than a short walk away. The usual figure for a Canadian town is 83%, above this.
Protected areas
17 protected areas around Vernon
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Vernon1.9%
Within 10 km8.4%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Governments hold 11 of the 17, and private owners the rest. The largest named one is Silver Star Park, at 5,573 ha. Another 6 are privately owned conservation land; they count in the figures but aren’t named, as private land isn’t a place to visit.
Ellison ParkProvincial park · 220 ha · reaches Vernon
Swan Lake Wildlife Management AreaWildlife area · 472 ha · 0.2 km from the edge of town
Kekuli Bay ParkProvincial park · 57 ha · 0.4 km from the edge of town
Campbell Brown (Kalamalka Lake) Ecological ReserveNature reserve · 104 ha · 0.5 km from the edge of town
Kalamalka Lake ParkProvincial park · 3,218 ha · 0.9 km from the edge of town
Fintry Protected AreaNature reserve · 3,100 ha · 3.0 km from the edge of town
Fintry ParkProvincial park · 357 ha · 3.1 km from the edge of town
Cougar Canyon Ecological ReserveNature reserve · 553 ha · 3.2 km from the edge of town
Kopje Regional ParkMunicipal park · 0.1 ha · 5.0 km from the edge of town
Kaloya Regional ParkMunicipal park · 2.1 ha · 5.1 km from the edge of town
1 more named area within 10 km is in the comparison 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
Ellison Park starts at the edge of Vernon
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
Ellison Park
At the edge2.2 km²since 1962
Provincial park
Kekuli Bay Park
0.4 km south-west0.6 km²since 1990
Provincial park
Kalamalka Lake Park
0.9 km south-east32 km²since 1975
Provincial park
Fintry Park
3.1 km south-west3.6 km²since 1996
Provincial park
Silver Star Park
5.4 km north-east56 km²since 1989
There is no national park within 100 km; for big parks, Vernon has its province’s. There are 5 provincial parks within 10 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Vernon and its edge hold 193 km of footpath
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
193 km
in and around the town (196.1 km²)
Woodland
25%
about 48.1 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
VernonTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths1
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
VernonTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Woodland25%
0%50%100%
Woods cover more of it than in 70% of Canadian towns. It has fewer paths per km² than 58% 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
OpenStreetMap shows no walking route near Vernon
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Nothing near the town is mapped as a named walking route, which often means the trails just haven’t been entered as routes.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Vernon is best on foot in April to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Vernon, 2.0 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) | 8.5 | 10.0 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.4 | 16.4 | 16.0 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.9 | 8.1 |
| High (°C) | -1 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 21 | 24 | 28 | 28 | 22 | 12 | 5 | 0 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 37 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 45 | 55 | 37 | 30 | 34 | 41 | 49 | 44 |
Daytime highs run from -1 °C in January up to 28 °C in July. Rain and snow peak in June (55 mm) and ease in March (25 mm). Snowfall averages 93 cm a year. The climate in Vernon →
Beaches
Vernon has 27 beaches close by
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Foster Road Beachin town
DirectionsLakeshore Beachin town
DirectionsLECA Beachin town
DirectionsPaddlewheel Beachin town
DirectionsSandy (Pet) Beachin town
DirectionsKal Beach0.8 km from town
DirectionsUnnamed on the map: 21 more. Water quality isn’t shown: there’s no open national record of beach tests. Local health authorities post advisories.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Vernon has 18 viewpoints and 1 waterfalls nearby
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
18Viewpoints3Hills and peaks1Waterfalls3Nature reserves2Picnic sites55Playgrounds4Dog parks7Campsites9Slipways
The map shows 55 playgrounds, ahead of the rest. The tallest named summit close by is Ellison Ridge (782 m).
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 18
Lover's Pointin town
DirectionsOkanagan Lake Viewpointin town
DirectionsBench1.1 km from town
DirectionsPlus 15 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 3
Ellison Ridge782 m · in town
DirectionsBlack Rock516 m · 0.2 km from town
DirectionsMount Middleton620 m · 0.4 km from town
DirectionsWaterfalls 1
B.X. Falls1.0 km from town
DirectionsNature reserves 3
Allan Brooks Nature Centre Lot Plan 25404in town
DirectionsBlue Heron bird sanctuaryin town
DirectionsClerke Nature Reserve and Hiking Trailsin town
DirectionsPicnic sites 2
Plus 2 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 55
Armoury Parkin town
DirectionsHillcrest Parkin town
DirectionsPlus 53 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 4
Heritage Dog Parkin town
DirectionsMutrie Dog Park0.0 km from town
DirectionsBX Dog Park0.2 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Campsites 7
Ellison Provincial Campgroundin town
DirectionsDutch's Campground0.3 km from town
DirectionsSilver Star Campground & RV Park0.5 km from town
DirectionsKekuli Bay0.7 km from town
DirectionsPrivate Campground1.4 km from town
DirectionsEvely Campground2.0 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 campsite without a name on the map.
Slipways 9
Paddlewheel Park Boat Launchin town
DirectionsKalavista Boat Launch1.1 km from town
DirectionsKinloch Boat Launch1.7 km from town
DirectionsPlus 6 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Vernon
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Electoral Area C, North OkanaganElectoral Area B, North OkanaganColdstreamOkanagan (Part) 1SpallumcheenVernon
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vernon | 8.4% | 17 | 0 | 27 |
| Electoral Area C, North Okanagan 5.2 km | 6.1% | 7 | 0 | 3 |
| Electoral Area B, North Okanagan 5.6 km | 3.7% | 17 | 0 | 30 |
| Coldstream 5.7 km | 6.2% | 10 | 0 | 7 |
| Okanagan (Part) 1 9.1 km | 2% | 9 | 0 | 15 |
| Spallumcheen 17 km | 6% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
None of its neighbours has twice the protected land around it that Vernon has.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Walking routes. Only named route relations count; a park’s own path network may not show unless it is mapped as a route.
- National and provincial parks. The nearest national park and the nearest provincial park are always shown when they are within 100 km.
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
- Protected land. Protected here means in CPCAD, Canada’s official list: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and other conserved land, measured within 10 km of the town’s edge.
Questions about the outdoors in Vernon
When should you visit Vernon for the outdoors?
April to September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
How far is Vernon from a national park?
The nearest national park is more than 100 km from Vernon.
Where can you swim near Vernon?
Try Foster Road Beach, in town, first of several.
Which is the biggest protected area near Vernon?
Silver Star Park: 5,573 ha, a provincial park.
Is there a provincial park near Vernon?
Ellison Park begins at the town’s edge.
How much land around Vernon is protected?
Protected areas cover 8.4% of the land within 10 km.
Sources
Where Vernon’s 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.
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).