First pick
Trout Lake Recreation Reserve
Park or garden
33 ha
2.4 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center · Public domain15%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Welcome Beach · parks, protected land & trails
Protected land around Welcome Beach beats 9 in 10 Canadian towns
37 areas within 10 km are protected for nature. Swimmers have 60 beaches within 5 km, Backhouse Road Beach the nearest. 72 km separate the town from Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, its nearest national park.
Protected land
15%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
37
within 10 km, 29 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
72 km
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Porpoise Bay Park
Beaches
60
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
Where Welcome Beach stands out outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Protected land all round15% of the land within 10 km, more than 93% of Canadian townsBeaches60 beaches within 5 kmMany protected areas29 public areas within 10 kmA provincial park at the edgePorpoise Bay Park reaches the town
Out of doors, Welcome Beach leads with protected land around it, with its beaches close behind.
Against other towns
How Welcome Beach 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. There is no Outdoors grade for Canadian towns; the figures stand beside the country’s towns of 2,500+ without a letter.
Protected within 10 km15%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town8.8%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas29Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches60Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Welcome Beach has the 4th most protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (3,078 to 3,181 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
Welcome Beach15%
Towns its size2.9%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Welcome Beach29
Towns its size3
Towns in British Columbia14
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Welcome Beach0
Towns its size0
Towns in British Columbia1
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Welcome Beach does best for public protected areas: 1 of the other 39 has more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trois-Pistoles QC | 44% | 0.9% | 20 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | Cap-Pelé NB | 43% | 2.6% | 11 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Pincher Creek No. 9 AB | 32% | 30% | 74 | 11 | 43 |
| 4 | Welcome Beach BC | 15% | 8.8% | 37 | 0 | 60 |
| 5 | Percé QC | 15% | 2.2% | 39 | 2 | 20 |
| 6 | Queensway Terrace North ON | 12% | 0% | 26 | 4 | 6 |
| 7 | Sudbury, Unorganized, North Part ON | 11% | 9.8% | 92 | 2 | 15 |
| 8 | French River / Rivière des Français ON | 9.5% | 8.1% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré QC | 9.1% | 0.2% | 31 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Saint-David-de-Falardeau QC | 8.6% | 3.7% | 13 | 0 | 3 |
| 11 | Chalk River ON | 8.2% | 1% | 29 | 0 | 21 |
| 12 | Kingsclear NB | 7.4% | 7.7% | 31 | 1 | 14 |
| 13 | Greenbelt (east) ON | 7.4% | 45% | 53 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | Ainslie Wood East ON | 7.4% | 0% | 19 | 2 | 3 |
| 15 | Gilbert ON | 7.2% | 0% | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | Paspébiac QC | 6.5% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 17 | Clear Hills AB | 5.4% | 5.4% | 31 | 0 | 115 |
| 18 | Clermont QC | 4.1% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Blakeley ON | 4.1% | 0% | 22 | 1 | 3 |
| 20 | Athens ON | 3.9% | 2% | 16 | 0 | 2 |
| 21 | Garrison Woods AB | 1.9% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Lakeshore ON | 1.5% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 8 |
| 23 | Minburn County No. 27 AB | 1.2% | 0.9% | 120 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Thorhild County AB | 1.2% | 1.9% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Brooklands MB | 1.1% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Mont-Saint-Grégoire QC | 0.9% | 0.8% | 12 | 1 | 1 |
| 27 | Admaston/Bromley ON | 0.7% | 1% | 7 | 0 | 2 |
| 28 | Lower Mount Royal AB | 0.6% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 29 | Ange-Gardien QC | 0.3% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Westgate AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Brookside AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 32 | Saint-Gabriel QC | 0.2% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| 33 | Enniskillen ON | 0.2% | 0.3% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Valhalla MB | 0.2% | 0.6% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Bishop's Falls NL | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 36 | Saint-Liboire QC | 0% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 37 | La Loche SK | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Houston BC | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| 39 | Crystallina Nera West AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Glengarry AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Where the green is in Welcome Beach
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
4 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Welcome Beach
Trout Lake Recreation Reserve is the largest, at 33 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
4 named parks and woods, 41 ha in all
Parks & gardens 41 ha
Trout Lake Recreation Reserve plus Coopers Green Park account for 90% of the green.
Coopers Green Park
Park or garden
4.4 ha0.1 km of path
Centralin the middle of Welcome Beach
Directionsto a point inside
Connor Park
Park or garden
3.6 ha0.4 km of path
2.4 km south-eastfrom the centre
Pick It UpNova
Directionsto a point inside
Redrooffs Circle Trail
Park or garden
0.4 ha
1.2 km northfrom the centre
Redrooffs Circle Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Source: 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
About 2 in 10 of Welcome Beach’s residents are a short walk from 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 (20%)Further (80%)
Welcome Beach20%
Towns in British Columbia72%
Typical Canadian town83%
About 2,500 residents live further than 400 m from one. The typical Canadian town reaches 83%.
Protected areas
37 protected areas around Welcome Beach
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Welcome Beach8.8%
Within 10 km15%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Of the 37, 29 are public land; the others are privately held. Tantalus Park leads for size with 11,432 ha. Another 8 are privately owned conservation land; they count in the figures but aren’t named, as private land isn’t a place to visit.
Tantalus ParkProvincial park · 11,432 ha · reaches Welcome Beach
Tetrahedron ParkProvincial park · 6,000 ha · reaches Welcome Beach
Spipiyus ParkProvincial park · 2,979 ha · reaches Welcome Beach
Mount Richardson ParkProvincial park · 1,000 ha · reaches Welcome Beach
Simson ParkProvincial park · 461 ha · reaches Welcome Beach
Smuggler Cove Marine ParkProvincial park · 185 ha · reaches Welcome Beach
Sargeant Bay ParkProvincial park · 146 ha · reaches Welcome Beach
Sechelt Inlets Marine ParkProvincial park · 140 ha · reaches Welcome Beach
Porpoise Bay ParkProvincial park · 61 ha · reaches Welcome Beach
Buccaneer Bay ParkProvincial park · 45 ha · reaches Welcome Beach
16 more named areas within 10 km are in the figures.
3 areas recorded only by their type (provincial layers such as wildlife habitat areas) are counted, not listed.
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
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is 72 km away
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
Tantalus Park
At the edge114 km²since 1998
Provincial park
Tetrahedron Park
At the edge60 km²since 1995
Provincial park
Spipiyus Park
At the edge30 km²since 1999
Provincial park
Mount Richardson Park
At the edge10 km²since 1999
Provincial park
Simson Park
At the edge4.6 km²since 1986
Provincial park
Smuggler Cove Marine Park
At the edge1.9 km²since 1971
7 provincial parks lie 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
278 km of paths in and around Welcome Beach
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
278 km
in and around the town (1,634.2 km²)
Woodland
72%
about 1,179.4 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
Welcome BeachTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.2
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Welcome BeachTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Woodland72%
0%50%100%
Woods cover more of it than in 92% of Canadian towns. For path density, 79% of Canadian towns do better.
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 Welcome Beach
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
OpenStreetMap has no named walking route within 2 km of the town. Trails may exist without being mapped 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
The best months for walking in Welcome Beach: May to September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Vancouver (Harbour) (61 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) | 8.6 | 10.0 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.3 | 16.3 | 15.9 | 14.4 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.0 | 8.2 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 14 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 237 | 117 | 163 | 118 | 73 | 66 | 44 | 49 | 71 | 157 | 245 | 200 |
November is the wettest month (245 mm) and July the driest (44 mm). December brings highs of 7 °C, July highs of 23 °C. The climate in Welcome Beach →
Beaches
Welcome Beach has 60 beaches close by
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Backhouse Road Beachgravel · in town
DirectionsPebbly Beachgravel · in town
DirectionsWelcome Beachgravel · in town
DirectionsWest Shore Beachgravel · in town
DirectionsNine Mile Point Beachgravel · in town
DirectionsGill Beachgravel · 0.1 km from town
DirectionsOpenStreetMap shows 54 more, nameless. Within 5 km is 312 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
Welcome Beach has 27 viewpoints and 11 waterfalls nearby
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
27Viewpoints57Hills and peaks11Waterfalls18Nature reserves1Picnic sites18Playgrounds14Campsites1Slipways
The highest named peak nearby is Mount Tantalus, at 2,603 m. There are 57 hills and peaks, more than of anything else.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 27
Biff Cliffin town
DirectionsGood Viewin town
DirectionsSpyglass Hillin town
DirectionsLone Tree Point0.1 km from town
DirectionsPine Bluff0.2 km from town
DirectionsPlus 22 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 57
Alicia Peak1,589 m · in town
DirectionsBuck Mountain1,124 m · in town
DirectionsFalk Peak1,947 m · in town
DirectionsHalfmoon Peak594 m · in town
DirectionsHippo Peak1,550 m · in town
DirectionsIonia Mountain2,137 m · in town
DirectionsKeene Peak1,851 m · in town
DirectionsLydia Mountain2,105 m · in town
DirectionsPlus 49 hills and peaks without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 11
Burnett Fallsin town
DirectionsHomesite Creek Fallsin town
DirectionsMisery Fallsin town
DirectionsPhantom Fallsin town
DirectionsPlus 7 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 18
Big Tree Trail & Picnic Recreation Sitein town
DirectionsClowhom Campsite/Salmon Arm Inlet Recreation Sitein town
DirectionsHomesite Creek Falls Recreation Sitein town
DirectionsSargeant Bay Provincial Parkin town
DirectionsSechelt Inlets Marine Provincial Park - Piper Point Sitein town
DirectionsSechelt Inlets Marine Provincial Park - Skaiakos Point Sitein town
DirectionsSechelt Inlets Marine Provincial Park - Thornhill Sitein town
DirectionsSecret Cove Falls Trail Recreation Sitein town
DirectionsPlus 10 nature reserves more.
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 18
Covered Play Area1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 17 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 14
Buccaner Bay Provincial Parkin town
DirectionsFarm Bayin town
DirectionsHomesite Creek Campgroundin town
DirectionsNine Mile Pointin town
DirectionsPebbly Beachin town
DirectionsPiper Pointin town
DirectionsPorpoise Bay Campground0.5 km from town
DirectionsBayside Campgroud RV & Park0.7 km from town
DirectionsPlus 6 campsites without a name on the map.
Slipways 1
Plus 1 slipway without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Welcome Beach
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
SecheltElectoral Area A, Sunshine CoastWelcome Beach
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome Beach | 15% | 37 | 0 | 60 |
| Sechelt 11 km | 7.5% | 17 | 0 | 24 |
| Electoral Area A, Sunshine Coast 16 km | 16% | 27 | 0 | 37 |
None of its neighbours has twice the protected land around it that Welcome Beach has.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- 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.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
- Walking routes. The list is OpenStreetMap’s, so a missing trail may just be unmapped. The Trans Canada Trail appears where OSM maps it.
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
- 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.
Questions about the outdoors in Welcome Beach
Where can you swim near Welcome Beach?
Backhouse Road Beach, in town, is the nearest mapped beach.
Are there protected areas near Welcome Beach?
Yes: 15% of the land within 10 km is protected.
Is there a provincial park near Welcome Beach?
Porpoise Bay Park touches the town.
What is the largest protected area near Welcome Beach?
Tantalus Park, a provincial park of 11,432 ha.
How far is Welcome Beach from a national park?
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, 72 km from the edge of town.
When is the best time for walking in Welcome Beach?
May to September, on the 1991–2020 normals and the daylight: long days, highs of 15 °C or more, light rain for the place.
Sources
Where Welcome Beach’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).