First pick
Thetis Lake Regional Park
Park or garden
926 ha78.2 km of path
17 h 25 minto walk all 78.2 km of path
4.3 km north-westfrom the centre
Bellamy TrailUpper Thetis Lake TrailMcKenzie Creek Trail+5 paths
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: John Newcomb · CC BY 3.021%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in View Royal · parks, protected land & trails
45% of the ground inside View Royal is protected
Out to 10 km from the town’s edge, 21% of the land is protected; 2.3% is typical for a Canadian town. The closest of Canada’s national parks is Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, at 14 km. For a swim, Fleming Beach is the nearest of 20 beaches within 5 km.
Protected land
21%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
35
within 10 km, 20 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
14 km
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
Nearest provincial park
2.6 km
Goldstream Park
Walking routes
3
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
20
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What sets View Royal apart outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Protected land in town45% of View Royal itself lies in protected areasProtected land all round21% of the land within 10 km, more than 96% of Canadian townsA national park nearbyGulf Islands National Park Reserve, 14 km awayMany protected areas20 public areas within 10 km
What View Royal has most to offer outdoors is protected land inside its own boundary, with protected land around it close behind.
Against other towns
Each figure for View Royal, set against 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 km21%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town45%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas20Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes3Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches20Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
View Royal has the most protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (12,522 to 13,051 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
View Royal21%
Towns its size2.4%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
View Royal20
Towns its size3
Towns in British Columbia14
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
View Royal3
Towns its size0
Towns in British Columbia1
Typical Canadian town0
None of the other 39 towns its size has more protected land nearby than View Royal.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | View Royal BC | 21% | 45% | 35 | 3 | 20 |
| 2 | Westboro ON | 13% | 5.5% | 32 | 3 | 8 |
| 3 | Centre-Ville QC | 11% | 22% | 40 | 4 | 5 |
| 4 | North Saanich BC | 9.2% | 5.1% | 37 | 0 | 24 |
| 5 | Bridlewood AB | 7.7% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | Windsor Park NS | 7.6% | 0% | 18 | 4 | 17 |
| 7 | Rothesay NB | 5.5% | 0% | 9 | 1 | 37 |
| 8 | Prince Rupert BC | 5.5% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| 9 | Saint-Hippolyte QC | 4.2% | 6.9% | 21 | 2 | 5 |
| 10 | Carrville Corners ON | 4.1% | 0.5% | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Peel Village ON | 3.8% | 0.9% | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 12 | Highland Creek ON | 3.5% | 0.6% | 14 | 0 | 5 |
| 13 | Chaparral AB | 3.2% | 9.8% | 1 | 0 | 13 |
| 14 | New Springbrook ON | 3.1% | 2.4% | 19 | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | Lakeview AB | 2.9% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 16 | New Brighton AB | 2.9% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 11 |
| 17 | Carignan QC | 2.7% | 2.1% | 35 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Albert Park SK | 2.7% | 0% | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 19 | Grenet QC | 2.5% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Ayr ON | 2.4% | 1.8% | 36 | 8 | 4 |
| 21 | Spring Valley ON | 2.4% | 8.4% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Regent Park ON | 2.3% | 0% | 10 | 8 | 40 |
| 23 | Yonge-Bay Corridor ON | 2.2% | 0% | 11 | 9 | 38 |
| 24 | Erin ON | 2.1% | 0.2% | 48 | 6 | 1 |
| 25 | Kings County, Subdivision B NS | 1.7% | 5.9% | 19 | 2 | 9 |
| 26 | Forest ON | 1.7% | 6.7% | 9 | 2 | 18 |
| 27 | Brighton ON | 1.3% | 4.2% | 14 | 2 | 2 |
| 28 | Winchester ON | 1.2% | 0.6% | 28 | 0 | 1 |
| 29 | Meaford ON | 1.1% | 2.1% | 70 | 4 | 21 |
| 30 | Dakota Crossing MB | 0.8% | 2.1% | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Windsor Park MB | 0.8% | 0.2% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Gander NL | 0.7% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 33 | Amos QC | 0.5% | 0.2% | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| 34 | Lac Ste. Anne County AB | 0.5% | 0.4% | 33 | 0 | 2 |
| 35 | Alderwood ON | 0.3% | 0% | 5 | 1 | 12 |
| 36 | Varsity AB | 0.3% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| 37 | Rutherford AB | 0.3% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 38 | Sainte-Julienne QC | 0.2% | 1.7% | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 39 | Downtown AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 40 | Thompson MB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Where the green is in View Royal
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 named parks and woods to walk in near View Royal
Largest first: Thetis Lake Regional Park leads with 926 ha. Numbers match the map.
30 named parks and woods, 1,172 ha in all
Parks & gardens 1,172 ha
Thetis Lake Regional Park plus Francis/King Regional Park account for 88% of the green.
Francis/King Regional Park
Park or garden · 230 m outside town
108 ha14.1 km of path
3 h 5 minto walk all 14.1 km of path
2.7 km northfrom the centre
Centennial TrailHigh Ridge Loop TrailShooting Star Trail+5 paths
Directionsto a point inside
Mill Hill Regional Park
Park or garden
81 ha4.3 km of path
55 minto walk all 4.3 km of path
2.4 km westfrom the centre
Calypso TrailAuburn TrailMillwoods Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Knockan Hill Park
Park or garden
11 ha2.4 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.4 km of path
2.3 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Portage Park
Park or garden
6.7 ha1.7 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.7 km of path
1.3 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
View Royal Park
Park or garden
6.4 ha1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
Centralin the middle of View Royal
Directionsto a point inside
Edwards Park
Park or garden
5.4 ha0.4 km of path
2.1 km westfrom the centre
Chilco Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Nursery Hill Park
Park or garden
4.3 ha0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
1.2 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Thetis Lake Regional ParkPark or garden · 926 ha · 78.2 km of path
DirectionsFrancis/King Regional ParkPark or garden · 108 ha · 14.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsMill Hill Regional ParkPark or garden · 81 ha · 4.3 km of path
DirectionsKnockan Hill ParkPark or garden · 11 ha · 2.4 km of path
DirectionsPortage ParkPark or garden · 6.7 ha · 1.7 km of path
DirectionsView Royal ParkPark or garden · 6.4 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsEdwards ParkPark or garden · 5.4 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsNursery Hill ParkPark or garden · 4.3 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsCrystalview ParkPark or garden · 3.2 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsRobin Hill ParkPark or garden · 2.5 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsEagle Creek ParkPark or garden · 2.2 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsHelmcken Centennial ParkPark or garden · 2.7 ha
DirectionsCraigflower ParkPark or garden · 1.3 ha · 0.5 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsPortage Inlet Linear ParkPark or garden · 1.0 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsBurnside Corner ParkPark or garden · 1.3 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsAldersmith ParkPark or garden · 0.8 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsGarry Oak MeadowsPark or garden · 0.7 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsCraigflower Farm Historic SitePark or garden · 1.0 ha
DirectionsGourman ParkPark or garden · 0.9 ha
DirectionsParsons Bridge ParkPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsKelvin Grove ParkPark or garden · 1.0 ha
DirectionsHansen ParkPark or garden · 0.5 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsChilco ParkPark or garden · 0.8 ha
DirectionsStoneridge Wetland ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsFrancis View ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha
DirectionsWelland Legacy ParkPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsBurchill ParkPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsMarler ParkPark or garden · 0.3 ha
DirectionsMellor ParkPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsDuffus Trail ParkPark or garden · 0.2 ha · 0.1 km of path
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
9 in 10 people in View Royal live near a park
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 (94%)Further (5.8%)
View Royal94%
Towns in British Columbia72%
Typical Canadian town83%
That leaves about 700 people more than a short walk away. It is above the typical Canadian town (83%).
Protected areas
Around View Royal, protected areas make up 21%
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside View Royal45%
Within 10 km21%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
20 of the 35 belong to a government or an Indigenous nation. At 20,620 ha, Greater Victoria Water Supply Area is the largest. Not named: 15 areas held privately or with no public owner on record.
Thetis Lake Regional ParkMunicipal park · 923 ha · reaches View Royal
Mill Hill Regional ParkMunicipal park · 81 ha · reaches View Royal
Maltby LakeNature reserve · 77 ha · reaches View Royal
Francis/King Regional ParkMunicipal park · 107 ha · 0.2 km from the edge of town
Mount Work Regional ParkMunicipal park · 754 ha · 2.0 km from the edge of town
Mountain Road Forest Regional ParkMunicipal park · 20 ha · 2.2 km from the edge of town
Goldstream ParkProvincial park · 477 ha · 2.6 km from the edge of town
Gowlland Tod ParkProvincial park · 1,280 ha · 3.0 km from the edge of town
Lone Tree Hill Regional ParkMunicipal park · 31 ha · 3.0 km from the edge of town
Sooke Hills Wilderness Regional ParkMunicipal park · 4,120 ha · 4.1 km from the edge of town
10 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
14 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
Goldstream Park
2.6 km west4.8 km²since 1958
Provincial park
Gowlland Tod Park
3.0 km north-west13 km²since 1995
National park reserve
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
14 km north-east67 km²since 2010
Closer to home, Goldstream Park is 2.6 km away. Within 10 km are 2 provincial parks.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
View Royal has 159 km of footpaths in and around it
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
159 km
in and around the town (42.3 km²)
Woodland
32%
about 13.7 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
View RoyalTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths3.8
02.55 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
View RoyalTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Woodland32%
0%50%100%
For woods, it beats 75% of Canadian towns. It has more footpath per km² than 81% 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
View Royal is on the Trans-Canada Trail - Galloping Goose Regional Trail
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
NationalRegional
Trans-Canada Trail - Galloping Goose Regional Trail17.4 km
Vancouver Island Trail742.1 km
E&N Rail Trail - Humpback Connector13.9 km
The Trans-Canada Trail - Galloping Goose Regional Trail is 17 km long on the map, and 10.2 km of it lies within 2 km of town. The longest of the rest is the Vancouver Island Trail, 742.1 km.
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 View Royal: May to September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Victoria Gonzales (City) (10 km), and daylight at the town’s latitude. Good months: 12½+ hours of daylight, highs of 15–30 °C, little rain.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.7 | 10.1 | 11.7 | 13.6 | 15.2 | 16.1 | 15.7 | 14.3 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.1 | 8.3 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 111 | 61 | 62 | 36 | 28 | 19 | 13 | 16 | 28 | 85 | 129 | 87 |
A typical year sees 39 cm of snow. In August the typical high is 21 °C; in December, 8 °C. Most rain and snow falls in November, 129 mm; July sees 13 mm. The climate in View Royal →
Beaches
20 beaches within 5 km of View Royal
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Fleming Beach2.7 km from town
DirectionsGlen Lake South Beach4.1 km from town
DirectionsBeaver Beachsand · 4.9 km from town
DirectionsAdd 17 unnamed beaches to the count. The coast is close: 86 km of shoreline within 5 km. This page can’t show water quality: no open, Canada-wide record of beach testing exists. Check local advisories first.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Viewpoints and waterfalls near View Royal: 23 and 1
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Look up to Mount Stewart: 266 m. Count 92 playgrounds, the biggest group.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 9
Seymour Hill141 m · in town
DirectionsKnockan Hill61 m · 0.2 km from town
DirectionsMill Hill203 m · 0.2 km from town
DirectionsScafe Hill232 m · 0.4 km from town
DirectionsMount Stewart266 m · 0.8 km from town
DirectionsSignal Hill41 m · 1.2 km from town
DirectionsHighrock Cairn78 m · 1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 2 hills and peaks without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
W̱MÍYEŦEN Nature Sanctuary1.7 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 3
Plus 3 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 92
Portage Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsCraigflower-Kosapsom Park0.2 km from town
DirectionsRotary Playground0.4 km from town
DirectionsParkwood Playground0.6 km from town
DirectionsPlus 88 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to View Royal
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
New Songhees 1AEsquimaltColwoodLangfordSaanichVictoriaView Royal
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
More routes are mapped around Langford (7). View Royal is not outdone two to one on protected land by any neighbour.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- 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.
- Walking routes. A route counts when 300 m or more of it lies within 2 km of the town. Coverage of trails on OpenStreetMap varies by region.
- Private land. Areas held by land trusts or private owners stay unnamed here, though they count in the shares.
- 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 View Royal
How far is the nearest provincial park from View Royal?
Goldstream Park, 2.6 km from the edge of town.
Where can you swim near View Royal?
The nearest is Fleming Beach, 2.7 km from town.
Where can you walk near View Royal?
Try the Trans-Canada Trail - Galloping Goose Regional Trail, E&N Rail Trail - Humpback Connector and Vancouver Island Trail; more are on the map.
Is there protected land near View Royal?
Protected areas cover 21% of the land within 10 km.
Which is the biggest protected area near View Royal?
It is Greater Victoria Water Supply Area, a protected area covering 20,620 ha.
How far is View Royal from a national park?
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is closest, at 14 km.
When should you visit View Royal for the outdoors?
May to September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
Sources
The sources behind View Royal’s outdoors figures
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).