First pick
Parc Simon
Park or garden
4.7 ha0.3 km of path
4.5 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.05.2%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Rockland · parks, protected land & trails
35 public protected areas lie within 10 km of Rockland
Plaisance National Park (Québec) is the closest provincial park, at 0.2 km. Out to 10 km from the town’s edge, 5.2% of the land is protected; 2.3% is typical for a Canadian town. 2 beaches are mapped within 5 km, none with a name.
Protected land
5.2%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
57
within 10 km, 35 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
96 km
Thousand Islands National Park
Nearest provincial park
0.2 km
Plaisance National Park (Québec)
Beaches
2
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
How Rockland 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 km5.2%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0.9%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas35Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches2Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Rockland has the 16th most protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (28,848 to 32,069 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
Rockland5.2%
Towns its size3.9%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Rockland35
Towns its size9
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Rockland0
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Rockland does best for public protected areas: 2 of the other 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pierrefonds-Ouest QC | 34% | 25% | 48 | 0 | 13 |
| 2 | Des Explorateurs QC | 23% | 12% | 46 | 1 | 10 |
| 3 | Du Plateau QC | 22% | 25% | 48 | 4 | 9 |
| 4 | Vieux-Lachine - Saint-Pierre QC | 17% | 0% | 30 | 0 | 3 |
| 5 | Bedford NS | 15% | 2.3% | 29 | 11 | 5 |
| 6 | Portobello South ON | 12% | 0% | 41 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Centretown ON | 12% | 1.5% | 37 | 4 | 6 |
| 8 | Savane QC | 11% | 0% | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | La Cité QC | 9.1% | 0% | 46 | 0 | 2 |
| 10 | Verdun-Centre QC | 8.2% | 0% | 18 | 0 | 7 |
| 11 | Du Moulin QC | 8.2% | 9.9% | 46 | 0 | 2 |
| 12 | Magog QC | 7.5% | 1.2% | 53 | 1 | 16 |
| 13 | West End BC | 6.6% | 51% | 12 | 4 | 76 |
| 14 | Sainte-Julie QC | 5.8% | 0.7% | 45 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Johnston Heights BC | 5.8% | 29% | 131 | 7 | 6 |
| 16 | Rockland ON | 5.2% | 0.9% | 57 | 0 | 2 |
| 17 | Marie-Victorin QC | 4.7% | 0% | 22 | 0 | 2 |
| 18 | Alloa ON | 4.2% | 8.7% | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| 19 | King ON | 4.1% | 2.7% | 94 | 6 | 1 |
| 20 | Mount Olive-Silverstone-Jamestown ON | 4.1% | 0% | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| 21 | Conception Bay South NL | 3.6% | 0% | 1 | 2 | 23 |
| 22 | Victoria-Fraserview BC | 3.1% | 0% | 15 | 2 | 4 |
| 23 | Chambly QC | 2.7% | 1.1% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Est (Montréal-Nord) QC | 2.6% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Boisbriand QC | 2.3% | 0.2% | 35 | 2 | 1 |
| 26 | Annex ON | 2.1% | 0% | 13 | 9 | 13 |
| 27 | Vimont QC | 1.9% | 0% | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Crémazie QC | 1.8% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Val-Bélair QC | 1.7% | 2.9% | 27 | 2 | 12 |
| 30 | St Lawrence-East Bayfront-The Islands ON | 1.7% | 6.1% | 12 | 9 | 48 |
| 31 | Parc-Extension QC | 1.6% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Glenfield-Jane Heights ON | 1.6% | 0% | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Nouveau-Bordeaux QC | 1.4% | 0% | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Meadowvale Village ON | 0.9% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Alma QC | 0.8% | 0.2% | 6 | 0 | 8 |
| 36 | Elmira ON | 0.8% | 0% | 27 | 10 | 1 |
| 37 | Grimsby ON | 0.7% | 1.5% | 26 | 7 | 8 |
| 38 | Lisgar ON | 0.7% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Chestermere AB | 0.5% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 40 | Fort Saskatchewan AB | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
The map
Rockland 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
15 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Rockland
Largest first: Parc Simon leads with 4.7 ha. Numbers match the map.
15 named parks and woods, 29 ha in all
Parks & gardens 29 ha
Many small places make up the total; the biggest is 17%.
Parc Centre Communautaire Alphonse Carrière Park
Park or garden
5.0 ha
10 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Paul Simoneau Natural Park
Park or garden
3.9 ha0.4 km of path
3.8 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Parc Jules-Saumure
Park or garden
1.9 ha0.3 km of path
3.1 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Dutrisac Park
Park or garden
1.8 ha0.3 km of path
3.9 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 15 named parks and green spaces
Parc SimonPark or garden · 4.7 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsParc Centre Communautaire Alphonse Carrière ParkPark or garden · 5.0 ha
DirectionsPaul Simoneau Natural ParkPark or garden · 3.9 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsCheney ParkPark or garden · 2.9 ha
DirectionsParc Jules-SaumurePark or garden · 1.9 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsDutrisac ParkPark or garden · 1.8 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsDu Moulin ParkPark or garden · 2.1 ha
DirectionsPatricia Charron ParkPark or garden · 1.8 ha
DirectionsRonald Lalonde Community ParkPark or garden · 1.5 ha
DirectionsDes Champs ParkPark or garden · 0.8 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsRockland Off-Leash Dog ParkPark or garden · 1.1 ha
DirectionsParc Richelieu Grande-RivierePark or garden · 0.5 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsLaviolette ParkPark or garden · 0.5 ha
DirectionsDalrymple ParkPark or garden · 0.3 ha
DirectionsJames and Marie Fox 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 5 in 10 in Rockland
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 (48%)Further (52%)
Rockland48%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
Around 16,000 residents are further than 400 m from a park. A median Canadian town manages 83%.
Protected areas
Protected areas cover 5.2% of the land near Rockland
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Rockland0.9%
Within 10 km5.2%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
35 of the 57 are on public land. Plaisance National Park (Québec) is the biggest, 2,810 ha. 18 more areas are private land or have no recorded public owner: counted, not named.
Baie Daragon (section de la) Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 128 ha · reaches Rockland
Terrain J.Mc-Laren à Thurso Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 50 ha · reaches Rockland
Baie Campbell (section de la) Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 42 ha · reaches Rockland
Île du fer à Cheval Muskrat HabitatWildlife area · 82 ha · 0.1 km from the edge of town
Baie Lochaber Muskrat HabitatWildlife area · 290 ha · 0.2 km from the edge of town
Baie d'Aragon Muskrat HabitatWildlife area · 52 ha · 0.2 km from the edge of town
Plaisance National Park (Québec)Provincial park · 2,810 ha · 0.2 km from the edge of town
baie Perras Muskrat HabitatWildlife area · 119 ha · 0.3 km from the edge of town
Baie Noire Ouest Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 340 ha · 0.4 km from the edge of town
Marais aux Massettes Muskrat HabitatWildlife area · 104 ha · 0.4 km from the edge of town
12 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
The nearest big park: Thousand Islands National Park, 96 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
Plaisance National Park (Québec)
0.2 km north-east28 km²since 2002
National park
Thousand Islands National Park
96 km south24 km²since 1904
Plaisance National Park (Québec), a provincial park, is nearer at 0.2 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Paths to walk: 162 km in and around Rockland
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
162 km
in and around the town (393.4 km²)
Woodland
41%
about 162.4 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
RocklandTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.4
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
RocklandTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland41%
0%50%100%
It is more wooded than 80% of Canadian towns. 69% of Canadian towns have more footpath per km².
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 Rockland
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
Get out in Rockland in May and August
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Ottawa (Airport), 41 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) | 9.1 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 14.9 | 15.7 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°C) | -6 | -3 | 2 | 11 | 19 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 20 | 13 | 5 | -2 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 70 | 50 | 66 | 81 | 75 | 97 | 89 | 79 | 90 | 87 | 74 | 72 |
From -6 °C in January to 26 °C in July: that is the range of daytime highs. For dry weather, February is best (50 mm); June gets 97 mm. The yearly snowfall is near 232 cm. The climate in Rockland →
Beaches
2 unnamed beaches near Rockland
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
For water quality, look to the local health unit: no open beach-testing data covers Canada.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Near Rockland: 2 viewpoints on the map
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
The map shows 34 playgrounds, ahead of the rest.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 2
Plus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 2
Larose Forest1.3 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 34
Dalrymple Park Plygroundin town
DirectionsPlus 33 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Rockland Off-Leash Dog Parkin town
DirectionsCampsites 4
Camping Paradisin town
DirectionsMaple View Campgroundin town
DirectionsRecreationland Campground0.1 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 campsite without a name on the map.
Slipways 3
Plus 3 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Rockland
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
ThursoLochaber-Partie-OuestCumberlandPlaisanceVallée-de-la-LièvreL'Ange-GardienRockland
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockland | 5.2% | 57 | 0 | 2 |
| Thurso 7.7 km | 8% | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| Lochaber-Partie-Ouest 12 km | 6.5% | 36 | 0 | 0 |
| Cumberland 14 km | 6.7% | 50 | 0 | 1 |
| Plaisance 14 km | 6.1% | 41 | 0 | 1 |
| Vallée-de-la-Lièvre 15 km | 4.3% | 39 | 0 | 0 |
| L'Ange-Gardien 17 km | 5.4% | 59 | 0 | 1 |
Its neighbours have no more than twice Rockland’s protected share.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Walking routes. Routes are what OpenStreetMap’s volunteers have mapped as named walking or hiking routes; many good trails aren’t mapped that way.
- Protected land. The share is of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s outline, from CPCAD’s mapped areas; marine areas count, so a coastal town can score high on water.
- National and provincial parks. A park at 0 km touches or overlaps the town’s outline; directions point from the town’s centre.
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
- Beaches. A beach counts when its centre point lies within 5 km of the town’s outline. Names come from the map.
Questions about the outdoors in Rockland
Is there a beach near Rockland?
The beaches mapped within 5 km have no names on the map.
What is the largest protected area near Rockland?
Plaisance National Park (Québec): 2,810 ha, a provincial park.
Is there protected land near Rockland?
Within 10 km, 5.2% of the land lies in protected areas.
What is the nearest provincial park to Rockland?
Plaisance National Park (Québec), 0.2 km away.
What is the nearest national park to Rockland?
Thousand Islands National Park, 96 km from the edge of town.
When is the best time for walking in Rockland?
On the normals, May and August: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
Sources
Sources for this page on Rockland
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).