First pick
Ruth Johnson Park
Park or garden
13 ha2.6 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.6 km of path
1.2 km westfrom the centre
Duprez Trails
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.022%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in White Rock · parks, protected land & trails
Protected areas cover 22% of the country around White Rock
101 areas within 10 km are protected for nature. Peace Arch Park is the closest provincial park, at 1.9 km. For a national park, Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is 28 km away.
Protected land
22%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
101
within 10 km, 101 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
28 km
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
Nearest provincial park
1.9 km
Peace Arch Park
Walking routes
2
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
4
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What sets White Rock apart outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Protected land all round22% of the land within 10 km, more than 96% of Canadian townsMany protected areas101 public areas within 10 km
White Rock is strongest on protected land around it, with the number of public protected areas close by close behind.
Against other towns
Each figure for White Rock, 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. No letter: the outdoors is described for Canadian towns, not graded.
Protected within 10 km22%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0.2%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas101Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes2Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches4Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
White Rock comes 2nd of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (23,872 to 26,305 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
White Rock22%
Towns its size2.7%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
White Rock101
Towns its size5
Towns in British Columbia14
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
White Rock2
Towns its size0
Towns in British Columbia1
Typical Canadian town0
For public protected areas, White Rock tops all 39 other towns its size.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sept-Îles QC | 24% | 33% | 64 | 0 | 15 |
| 2 | White Rock BC | 22% | 0.2% | 101 | 2 | 4 |
| 3 | Box Grove ON | 10% | 18% | 15 | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | L'Assomption QC | 8.5% | 0.4% | 40 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Foothills County AB | 7.8% | 7.5% | 29 | 1 | 11 |
| 6 | Bridlewood - Emerald Meadows ON | 6.3% | 4.2% | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| 7 | Outremont QC | 5.9% | 0.1% | 24 | 1 | 1 |
| 8 | Candiac QC | 5.8% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Morningside Heights ON | 5.7% | 4.1% | 16 | 0 | 6 |
| 10 | Cartierville QC | 5.6% | 19% | 27 | 0 | 2 |
| 11 | Kingston NS | 4.8% | 3.1% | 30 | 1 | 5 |
| 12 | Mile End QC | 4.5% | 0% | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | Milliken ON | 4.4% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | Angus ON | 4.3% | 0.2% | 12 | 1 | 2 |
| 15 | Springwater ON | 3.8% | 6.9% | 14 | 1 | 17 |
| 16 | Beloeil QC | 3.6% | 0% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Agincourt South-Malvern West ON | 3.5% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Malvern East ON | 3.4% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Sheldon ON | 3.1% | 0.3% | 26 | 3 | 1 |
| 20 | Port Perry ON | 2.9% | 2% | 32 | 1 | 1 |
| 21 | Dorset Park ON | 2.5% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 1 |
| 22 | West London ON | 2.4% | 0% | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | Wellington Place ON | 2.2% | 0% | 12 | 7 | 34 |
| 24 | Huntsville ON | 1.8% | 2.2% | 7 | 2 | 13 |
| 25 | Newtonbrook West ON | 1.7% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Westminster-Branson ON | 1.7% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Fort St. John BC | 1.4% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Owen Sound ON | 1.3% | 0.2% | 33 | 2 | 12 |
| 29 | Sault-au-Récollet QC | 1.3% | 0% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Mount Pearl NL | 1.2% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 31 | Paradise NL | 0.8% | 0% | 2 | 2 | 20 |
| 32 | Oro-Medonte ON | 0.6% | 0.6% | 32 | 4 | 18 |
| 33 | Grande Prairie County No. 1 AB | 0.6% | 0.7% | 33 | 1 | 56 |
| 34 | Beltline AB | 0.5% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 35 | Stonegate-Queensway ON | 0.3% | 0.6% | 6 | 3 | 20 |
| 36 | Kingsville ON | 0.1% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 37 | Essex ON | 0.1% | 0.5% | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 38 | Tecumseh ON | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 39 | Beaumont AB | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 40 | Panorama Hills AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
White Rock on the map: green space, protected land and paths
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
Walk in White Rock: 22 named parks and woods
Largest first: Ruth Johnson Park leads with 13 ha. Numbers match the map.
22 named parks and woods, 55 ha in all
Parks & gardens 55 ha
No one place dominates; the largest has 24%.
Centennial Park
Park or garden
6.5 ha0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
1.1 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Alderwood Park
Park or garden · 160 m outside town
3.6 ha1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
1.7 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
South Meridian Park
Park or garden · 320 m outside town
4.3 ha0.4 km of path
2.2 km eastfrom the centre
South Meridian Trail
Directionsto a point inside
White Rock Park
Park or garden
3.2 ha1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
Centralin the middle of White Rock
The Promenade
Directionsto a point inside
Southmere Village Park
Park or garden
3.3 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
1.0 km north-westfrom the centre
Semiahmoo Greenway
Directionsto a point inside
Bell Park
Park or garden · 200 m outside town
2.9 ha0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
3.1 km westfrom the centre
Bell Park Path
Directionsto a point inside
All 22 named parks and green spaces
Ruth Johnson ParkPark or garden · 13 ha · 2.6 km of path
DirectionsCentennial ParkPark or garden · 6.5 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsSemiahmoo ParkPark or garden · 7.5 ha
DirectionsAlderwood ParkPark or garden · 3.6 ha · 1.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsSouth Meridian ParkPark or garden · 4.3 ha · 0.4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsWhite Rock ParkPark or garden · 3.2 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsSouthmere Village ParkPark or garden · 3.3 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsBell ParkPark or garden · 2.9 ha · 0.6 km of path · just outside town
Directions131B - GreenbeltPark or garden · 1.6 ha · 0.5 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsColdicutt ParkPark or garden · 2.0 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsBay Ridge ParkPark or garden · 1.9 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsMacCaud ParkPark or garden · 1.7 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsDr. R.J. Allan Hogg Rotary ParkPark or garden · 1.0 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsBryant ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsCypress Street GreenbeltPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsDolphin Street GreenbeltPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsCentre Street GreenbeltPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsBalsam Street GreenbeltPark or garden · 0.2 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsJohnston Road GreenbeltPark or garden · 0.2 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsMemorial ParkPark or garden · 0.2 ha
DirectionsBayview ParkPark or garden · 0.3 ha
DirectionsEmerson ParkPark or garden · 0.2 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
In White Rock, nearly every home is close to 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 (97%)Further (3.2%)
White Rock97%
Towns in British Columbia72%
Typical Canadian town83%
About 1,000 residents live further than 400 m from one. The typical Canadian town manages 83%, so this is better.
Protected areas
101 protected areas around White Rock
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside White Rock0.2%
Within 10 km22%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
All 101 are public land. Biggest of the named areas: Boundary Bay Wildlife Management Area, 11,770 ha.
Boundary Bay Wildlife Management AreaWildlife area · 11,770 ha · reaches White Rock
Bell ParkMunicipal park · 2.6 ha · 0.2 km from the edge of town
Bay Ridge ParkMunicipal park · 1.5 ha · 0.3 km from the edge of town
131B - GreenbeltMunicipal park · 1.6 ha · 0.3 km from the edge of town
121U - GreenbeltMunicipal park · 1.1 ha · 0.4 km from the edge of town
135G - GreenbeltMunicipal park · 1.6 ha · 0.5 km from the edge of town
135F - GreenbeltMunicipal park · 1.0 ha · 0.5 km from the edge of town
Sunnyside Acres Urban Forest ParkMunicipal park · 143 ha · 0.5 km from the edge of town
121L - GreenbeltMunicipal park · 0.9 ha · 0.5 km from the edge of town
Jessie Lee ParkMunicipal park · 2.0 ha · 0.9 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
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, 28 km off
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
1.9 km south-east0.1 km²since 1939
National park reserve
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
28 km south-west67 km²since 2010
A provincial park is closer: Peace Arch Park, at 1.9 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
White Rock has 39 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
39 km
in and around the town (20.6 km²)
Woodland
6.3%
about 1.3 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
White RockTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths1.9
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
White RockTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Woodland6.3%
0%50%100%
It has more footpath per km² than 55% of Canadian towns. 57% of Canadian towns are more wooded.
Source: OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Mapping varies by place: a dense figure can mean keen local mappers as much as many paths.
Walking routes
White Rock has 2 named walking routes
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Local
Semiahmoo Greenway5.4 km
Pioneer Greenway2.2 km
The longest of the rest is the Semiahmoo Greenway, 5.4 km.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
White Rock is best on foot in May to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Pitt Meadows, 22 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 |
Precipitation runs from 36 mm in August to 252 mm in January. From 6 °C in December to 25 °C in August: that is the range of daytime highs. The yearly snowfall is near 56 cm. The climate in White Rock →
Beaches
4 beaches within 5 km of White Rock
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
White Rock Beachsand · 0.2 km from town
DirectionsCresent Rock Beachstone · 2.4 km from town
DirectionsCrescent Beachpebbles · 2.8 km from town
DirectionsBlackie Spit4.2 km from town
DirectionsThe shoreline runs 22 km within 5 km of town. 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
White Rock has 6 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.
6Viewpoints1Hills and peaks1Waterfalls3Nature reserves25Picnic sites56Playgrounds2Dog parks1Slipways
The most common are playgrounds: 56 on the map.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 6
13 Avenue Lookout1.0 km from town
DirectionsKwomais Point Viewpoint1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 4 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 1
Plus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 1
Artificial Waterfall1.9 km from town
DirectionsNature reserves 3
Sunnyside Acres Urban Wildlife Area1.2 km from town
DirectionsGrandview Green Infrastructure Network Corridor1.2 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve more.
Picnic sites 25
Plus 25 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 56
Cypress Street Playgroundin town
DirectionsGenerations Playgroundin town
DirectionsPlus 54 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Slipways 1
Firminger Boat Rampin town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
The garden near White Rock: Darts Hill Garden Park, 2.0 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 · 2.0 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 White Rock
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Semiahmoo Town CentreSunnysideSouth SurreyGrandviewOcean ParkDouglasWhite Rock
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Rock | 22% | 101 | 2 | 4 |
| Semiahmoo Town Centre 0.9 km | 21% | 103 | 2 | 4 |
| Sunnyside 2.6 km | 19% | 127 | 3 | 3 |
| South Surrey 3.5 km | 22% | 130 | 3 | 4 |
| Grandview 3.7 km | 10% | 170 | 7 | 1 |
| Ocean Park 3.9 km | 27% | 100 | 3 | 4 |
| Douglas 4.4 km | 13% | 82 | 0 | 1 |
Around White Rock, nobody nearby has double its protected land. Grandview has the most mapped walking routes nearby: 7.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- National and provincial parks. The nearest national park and the nearest provincial park are always shown when they are within 100 km.
- Private land. Private conservation land is in the totals, not the lists. Many such areas are easements on working farms or woodlots.
- Walking routes. Routes are what OpenStreetMap’s volunteers have mapped as named walking or hiking routes; many good trails aren’t mapped that way.
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
- 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.
Questions about the outdoors in White Rock
When should you visit White Rock for the outdoors?
On the normals, May to September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
Is there a provincial park near White Rock?
Peace Arch Park, 1.9 km from the edge of town.
What is the largest protected area near White Rock?
Boundary Bay Wildlife Management Area, a wildlife area of 11,770 ha.
What walking routes are near White Rock?
Try the Semiahmoo Greenway and Pioneer Greenway; more are on the map.
Where can you swim near White Rock?
Try White Rock Beach, 0.2 km from town, first of several.
Is there protected land near White Rock?
Within 10 km, 22% of the land lies in protected areas.
How far is White Rock from a national park?
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is closest, at 28 km.
Sources
Sources for this page on White Rock
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).