First pick
Signal Hill National Historic Site
Park or garden
104 ha6.5 km of path
1 h 25 minto walk all 6.5 km of path
4.8 km north-eastfrom the centre
North Head TrailBurma Road TrailLadie's Lookout Trail+1 path
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.02.2%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in St. John's · parks, protected land & trails
Beaches near St. John's: 41 within 5 km
For a provincial park, Butter Pot Provincial Park lies 2.7 km off. 6.4 km out lies the largest, Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, at 3,100 ha. OpenStreetMap shows one walking route nearby, the East Coast Trail.
Protected land
2.2%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
6
within 10 km, 3 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
2.7 km
Butter Pot Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
41
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
St. John's 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 km2.2%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town1.2%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas3Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes1Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches41Beaches 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, St. John's is 18th from the bottom for protected land
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (95,763 to 174,469 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
St. John's2.2%
Towns its size3.7%
Towns in Newfoundland and Labrador0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
St. John's3
Towns its size14
Towns in Newfoundland and Labrador1
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
St. John's1
Towns its size1
Towns in Newfoundland and Labrador0
Typical Canadian town0
For public protected areas, St. John's lags towns its size: 33 of 39 are ahead.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maple Ridge BC | 26% | 21% | 101 | 1 | 41 |
| 2 | Coquitlam BC | 25% | 28% | 130 | 5 | 69 |
| 3 | Delta BC | 24% | 17% | 181 | 9 | 19 |
| 4 | North Vancouver BC | 15% | 22% | 18 | 11 | 169 |
| 5 | Kamloops BC | 14% | 13% | 16 | 0 | 11 |
| 6 | Kelowna BC | 13% | 3.8% | 36 | 0 | 42 |
| 7 | Chilliwack BC | 11% | 7.7% | 36 | 4 | 26 |
| 8 | Saanich BC | 11% | 9.4% | 43 | 7 | 56 |
| 9 | Strathcona County AB | 9.4% | 1.4% | 38 | 7 | 6 |
| 10 | Trois-Rivières QC | 8.4% | 1.2% | 44 | 1 | 10 |
| 11 | Cape Breton NS | 8.2% | 8.6% | 176 | 1 | 74 |
| 12 | Victoria BC | 8% | 0.9% | 20 | 4 | 34 |
| 13 | Pickering ON | 7.6% | 11% | 46 | 1 | 11 |
| 14 | Saguenay QC | 6% | 6.1% | 29 | 0 | 11 |
| 15 | Brossard QC | 5.6% | 9.1% | 31 | 0 | 6 |
| 16 | Kingston ON | 5% | 6.2% | 54 | 2 | 5 |
| 17 | Ajax ON | 4.9% | 5.8% | 31 | 1 | 8 |
| 18 | Lévis QC | 4.1% | 0.6% | 62 | 1 | 8 |
| 19 | Whitby ON | 3.9% | 4.7% | 37 | 1 | 3 |
| 20 | Terrebonne QC | 3.8% | 3.6% | 60 | 0 | 3 |
| 21 | Langley BC | 3.5% | 2.9% | 144 | 8 | 10 |
| 22 | Barrie ON | 2.6% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 8 |
| 23 | St. John's NL | 2.2% | 1.2% | 6 | 1 | 41 |
| 24 | Moncton NB | 2.2% | 1.7% | 17 | 0 | 2 |
| 25 | Nanaimo BC | 1.9% | 6.7% | 42 | 2 | 33 |
| 26 | Cambridge ON | 1.7% | 0.4% | 33 | 10 | 2 |
| 27 | Bowmanville ON | 1.6% | 3% | 25 | 2 | 9 |
| 28 | Newmarket ON | 1.3% | 1.8% | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Milton ON | 1.3% | 0% | 38 | 15 | 3 |
| 30 | St. Catharines ON | 1.2% | 1.7% | 15 | 4 | 7 |
| 31 | Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu QC | 1.1% | 1.2% | 18 | 1 | 3 |
| 32 | Niagara Falls ON | 1.1% | 1.7% | 15 | 3 | 4 |
| 33 | Chatham ON | 1% | 1% | 21 | 0 | 8 |
| 34 | Guelph ON | 0.9% | 3.1% | 15 | 10 | 5 |
| 35 | Red Deer AB | 0.7% | 1.2% | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 36 | Peterborough ON | 0.6% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| 37 | Waterloo ON | 0.6% | 0% | 17 | 12 | 1 |
| 38 | Lethbridge AB | 0.4% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Brantford ON | 0.3% | 0% | 15 | 3 | 0 |
| 40 | Thunder Bay ON | 0.1% | 0.4% | 3 | 0 | 4 |
The map
The green map of St. John's
Green space, woods, protected areas and footpaths in and around the town; 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
Walk in St. John's: 30 named parks and woods
The biggest is Signal Hill National Historic Site, 104 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
30 named parks and woods, 444 ha in all
Parks & gardens 444 ha
No one place dominates; the largest has 23%.
Bowring Park
Park or garden
64 ha11.3 km of path
2 h 30 minto walk all 11.3 km of path
3.6 km southfrom the centre
South Brook TrailWaterford River Walk
Directionsto a point inside
Quidi Vidi Common Park
Park or garden
63 ha5.3 km of path
1 h 10 minto walk all 5.3 km of path
4.6 km north-eastfrom the centre
Quidi Vidi Lake TrailVirginia River Walk
Directionsto a point inside
Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site
Park or garden
53 ha3 km of path
40 minto walk all 3 km of path
9.4 km south-eastfrom the centre
Cape Spear PathBlackhead Path
Directionsto a point inside
Rotary Park
Park or garden
46 ha5.2 km of path
1 h 10 minto walk all 5.2 km of path
7.9 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Bidgood Park
Park or garden
18 ha3.6 km of path
50 minto walk all 3.6 km of path
12 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Wishingwell Park
Park or garden
9.4 ha1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
0.6 km northfrom the centre
Kelly's Brook SUP
Directionsto a point inside
Kenny's Pond Park
Park or garden
7.4 ha1.9 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.9 km of path
4.4 km north-eastfrom the centre
Kenny´s Pond Trail
Directionsto a point inside
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Signal Hill National Historic SitePark or garden · 104 ha · 6.5 km of path
DirectionsBowring ParkPark or garden · 64 ha · 11.3 km of path
DirectionsQuidi Vidi Common ParkPark or garden · 63 ha · 5.3 km of path
DirectionsCape Spear Lighthouse National Historic SitePark or garden · 53 ha · 3 km of path
DirectionsRotary ParkPark or garden · 46 ha · 5.2 km of path
DirectionsBidgood ParkPark or garden · 18 ha · 3.6 km of path
DirectionsWishingwell ParkPark or garden · 9.4 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsKenny's Pond ParkPark or garden · 7.4 ha · 1.9 km of path
DirectionsBannerman ParkPark or garden · 5.3 ha · 2.1 km of path
DirectionsGovernment House GroundsPark or garden · 8.7 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsKitty Gaul Brook ParkPark or garden · 5.5 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsCowan ParkPark or garden · 4.6 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsEastbourne Crescent ParkPark or garden · 5.4 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsSpruce Meadows ParkPark or garden · 4.9 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsRainbow Gully ParkPark or garden · 6.5 ha · just outside town
DirectionsPippy ParkPark or garden · 5.8 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsVictoria ParkPark or garden · 3.0 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsElk's Club ParkPark or garden · 3.3 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsKenmount Terrace ParkPark or garden · 2.8 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsTupper/St. Laurier Street ParkPark or garden · 2.6 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsJohnson GEO-VISTA PARKPark or garden · 2.0 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsChurchill Park PlaygroundPark or garden · 2.5 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsKelly's Brook ParkPark or garden · 2.6 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsDrake Crescent ParkPark or garden · 2.3 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsKilbride Lion's ParkPark or garden · 2.5 ha
DirectionsBill Rahal ParkPark or garden · 1.8 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsToronto Street/Edmonton Place ParkPark or garden · 1.8 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsBrother Eagan ParkPark or garden · 1.6 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsLarch ParkPark or garden · 1.6 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsStravanger Drive ParkPark or garden · 1.4 ha · 0.2 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
7 in 10 people in St. John's 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 (73%)Further (27%)
St. John's73%
Towns in Newfoundland and Labrador21%
Typical Canadian town83%
Most towns do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%. For about 35,000 people, the nearest park is over 400 m away.
Protected areas
Around St. John's, protected areas make up 2.2%
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside St. John's1.2%
Within 10 km2.2%
Towns in Newfoundland and Labrador0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public ownership covers 3 of the 6. The largest named one is Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, at 3,100 ha. 3 more areas within 10 km are private land, held by landowners or conservation groups: counted here, not named.
Pippy Park Barren Lands ZoneNature reserve · 486 ha · reaches St. John's
Butter Pot Provincial ParkProvincial park · 2,833 ha · 2.7 km from the edge of town
Witless Bay Ecological ReserveNature reserve · 3,100 ha · 6.4 km from the edge of town
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
Butter Pot Provincial Park is 2.7 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
Butter Pot Provincial Park
2.7 km south-west28 km²
No national park lies within 100 km of St. John's; the provincial parks are the big protected land within reach.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
467 km of paths in and around St. John's
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
467 km
in and around the town (639.4 km²)
Woodland
15%
about 92.9 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
St. John'sTowns in Newfoundland and LabradorTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.7
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
St. John'sTowns in Newfoundland and LabradorTypical Canadian town
Woodland15%
0%50%100%
Paths are thinner on the ground than in 62% of Canadian towns. More of it is wooded than in 60% 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
St. John's has 1 named walking route
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Other waymarked
East Coast Trail318.0 km
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 St. John's: June to September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from ST. John's (West) (4.9 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) | 8.8 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.6 | 15.1 | 16.0 | 15.6 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.2 | 8.5 |
| High (°C) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 16 | 21 | 21 | 17 | 12 | 7 | 3 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 140 | 131 | 129 | 105 | 83 | 73 | 86 | 89 | 117 | 130 | 138 | 161 |
Expect around 363 cm of snow over a winter. July is the warmest month, with highs around 21 °C; February the coldest, at 0 °C. June is the driest month at 73 mm; December the wettest at 161 mm. The climate in St. John's →
Beaches
Beaches near St. John's
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Rotary Sunshine Park Beachsand · in town
DirectionsLance Cove Beach2.6 km from town
DirectionsMiddle Cove2.7 km from town
DirectionsTopsail Beach2.9 km from town
DirectionsOuter Cove Beachsand · 3.3 km from town
DirectionsTorbay Beach3.6 km from town
DirectionsTopsail Beach3.9 km from town
DirectionsChamberlains Beach4.0 km from town
DirectionsThe shoreline runs 171 km within 5 km of town. Sandy ones: 2. Another 33 have no name on the map. No national or provincial register of beach water quality is published as open data, so check the local health unit before swimming.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Near St. John's: 35 viewpoints, 2 waterfalls
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
214 playgrounds top the list. Kenmount Hill, 261 m, is the high point nearby.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 35
Fogarty's Wetlandin town
DirectionsFort Waldegravein town
DirectionsGibbet Hillin town
DirectionsHarbour Vista Deckin town
DirectionsLadies Lookoutin town
DirectionsMount Scio Lookoutin town
DirectionsShea Heights Lookoutin town
DirectionsSignal Hillin town
DirectionsPlus 27 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 23
Booms Headin town
DirectionsGibbett Hill145 m · in town
DirectionsGull Hillin town
DirectionsKenmount Hill261 m · in town
DirectionsLong Runin town
DirectionsLower Cove Headin town
DirectionsPurcells Ridgein town
DirectionsPynn Hillin town
DirectionsPlus 15 hills and peaks more.
Waterfalls 2
Plus 2 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 214
Ann-Jeanette Playgroundin town
Directionschildren's hospital playgroundin town
DirectionsCowan Heights Elementary Playgroundin town
DirectionsDoheney Place Parkin town
DirectionsFerryland Street West Playgroundin town
DirectionsFormer Playgroundin town
Directionsgreen acre playgroundin town
DirectionsJennmar Playgroundin town
DirectionsPlus 206 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 9
Kenmount Terrace Large Dog Parkin town
DirectionsKenmount Terrace Small Dog Parkin town
DirectionsMundy Pond Dog Parkin town
DirectionsMount Pearl Dog Park1.2 km from town
DirectionsPlus 5 dog parks without a name on the map.
Campsites 4
Little Bald Head Campsitein town
DirectionsMiner Point Campsitein town
DirectionsThe Pippy Park Campground and R.Vin town
DirectionsWaterford River Valley Campground1.0 km from town
DirectionsSlipways 3
Plus 3 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
One garden within reach of St. John's
Gardens and arboretums within 15 km of the town’s edge, and the historic gardens, parks and estates in the town itself, nearest first.
Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical GardenGarden or park · at the edge of 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 St. John's
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Mount PearlPetty Harbour-Maddox CovePortugal Cove-St. Philip'sParadiseLogy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer CoveTorbaySt. John's
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. John's | 2.2% | 6 | 1 | 41 |
| Mount Pearl 6.6 km | 1.2% | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove 9.4 km | 0.3% | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Portugal Cove-St. Philip's 9.7 km | 1.5% | 3 | 2 | 35 |
| Paradise 9.8 km | 0.8% | 2 | 2 | 20 |
| Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove 10 km | 1.1% | 3 | 1 | 20 |
| Torbay 11 km | 1.9% | 3 | 1 | 20 |
St. John's holds its own on protected land: no neighbour has twice its share.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Beaches. A beach counts when its centre point lies within 5 km of the town’s outline. Names come from the map.
- Private land. Private conservation land is in the totals, not the lists. Many such areas are easements on working farms or woodlots.
- Walking routes. The list is OpenStreetMap’s, so a missing trail may just be unmapped. The Trans Canada Trail appears where OSM maps it.
- 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.
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
Questions about the outdoors in St. John's
When should you visit St. John's for the outdoors?
June to September, on the 1991–2020 normals and the daylight: long days, highs of 15 °C or more, light rain for the place.
How far is the nearest provincial park from St. John's?
The closest is Butter Pot Provincial Park, at 2.7 km.
What is the biggest park or reserve near St. John's?
It is Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, a nature reserve covering 3,100 ha.
What is the nearest beach to St. John's?
The nearest is Rotary Sunshine Park Beach, in town.
Are there hiking trails near St. John's?
OpenStreetMap maps the East Coast Trail close by.
How far is St. John's from a national park?
No national park lies within 100 km of St. John's.
Are there protected areas near St. John's?
Protected areas cover 2.2% of the land within 10 km.
Sources
Where St. John'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.
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).