First pick
Plaines Vertes
Park or garden
13 ha0.2 km of path
1.9 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Johny-le-cowboy · CC BY-SA 3.00.8%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Alma · parks, protected land & trails
Step out of Alma into Pointe-Taillon National Park (Québec)
Swimmers have 8 beaches within 5 km, Plage de la Colonie-Notre-Dame the nearest. There is no national park within 100 km of the town. The protected share within 10 km is 0.8%, where a typical Canadian town has 2.3%.
Protected land
0.8%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
6
within 10 km, 5 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Pointe-Taillon National Park (Québec)
Beaches
8
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What Alma has going for it outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
A provincial park at the edgePointe-Taillon National Park (Québec) reaches the townBeaches8 beaches within 5 km
Out of doors, Alma leads with a provincial park at its edge, with its beaches close behind.
Against other towns
Alma beside other Canadian towns, figure by figure
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. This page carries no grade, because Canada’s grading doesn’t cover the outdoors; the comparisons are the point.
Protected within 10 km0.8%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 areas5Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches8Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Alma has the 6th least protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (29,066 to 32,167 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
Alma0.8%
Towns its size3.8%
Towns in Quebec4.9%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Alma5
Towns its size9
Towns in Quebec10
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Alma0
Towns its size0
Towns in Quebec0
Typical Canadian town0
For protected land nearby, Alma lags towns its size: 34 of 39 are ahead.
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 | Portobello South ON | 12% | 0% | 41 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 | Centretown ON | 12% | 1.5% | 37 | 4 | 6 |
| 7 | Savane QC | 11% | 0% | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | La Cité QC | 9.1% | 0% | 46 | 0 | 2 |
| 9 | Verdun-Centre QC | 8.2% | 0% | 18 | 0 | 7 |
| 10 | Du Moulin QC | 8.2% | 9.9% | 46 | 0 | 2 |
| 11 | Magog QC | 7.5% | 1.2% | 53 | 1 | 16 |
| 12 | West End BC | 6.6% | 51% | 12 | 4 | 76 |
| 13 | Sainte-Julie QC | 5.8% | 0.7% | 45 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Saint-Constant QC | 5.8% | 0% | 25 | 0 | 1 |
| 15 | Johnston Heights BC | 5.8% | 29% | 131 | 7 | 6 |
| 16 | Rockland ON | 5.2% | 0.9% | 57 | 0 | 2 |
| 17 | Alloa ON | 4.2% | 8.7% | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| 18 | King ON | 4.1% | 2.7% | 94 | 6 | 1 |
| 19 | Mount Olive-Silverstone-Jamestown ON | 4.1% | 0% | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| 20 | Killarney BC | 4% | 3.5% | 14 | 2 | 6 |
| 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
The green map of Alma
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
15 named parks and woods to walk in near Alma
The biggest is Plaines Vertes, 13 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
15 named parks and woods, 51 ha in all
Parks & gardens 24 haWoods 27 ha
The area is spread out: the biggest holds 25% of it.
Parc Falaise
Park or garden
4.1 ha0.3 km of path
0.7 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Parc de L'ile Sainte-Anne
Park or garden
3.5 ha
0.7 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 15 named parks and green spaces
Plaines VertesPark or garden · 13 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsParc FalaisePark or garden · 4.1 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsParc de L'ile Sainte-AnnePark or garden · 3.5 ha
DirectionsÎle MorelWood or forest · 6.8 ha
DirectionsÎle aux GagnonWood or forest · 5.1 ha
DirectionsParc Saint-PierrePark or garden · 1.2 ha
DirectionsÎle MakilaWood or forest · 3.3 ha
DirectionsÎle NoëlWood or forest · 3.3 ha
DirectionsÎles des CauchonWood or forest · 3.1 ha · just outside town
DirectionsÎle des JeanWood or forest · 3.0 ha
DirectionsÎle BarnabéWood or forest · 2.9 ha
DirectionsParc Walter-C.-HamiltonPark or garden · 0.8 ha
DirectionsParc DolbecPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsParc Frédeau-DuchesnePark or garden · 0.6 ha
DirectionsParc de DieppePark 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
About 5 in 10 of Alma’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 (52%)Further (49%)
Alma52%
Towns in Quebec52%
Typical Canadian town83%
Most towns do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%. About 15,000 residents live further than 400 m from one.
Protected areas
Pointe-Taillon National Park (Québec) touches Alma
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Alma0.2%
Within 10 km0.8%
Towns in Quebec4.9%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Of those 6, 5 are public and the remainder private. Biggest of the named areas: Pointe-Taillon National Park (Québec), 9,750 ha. The figures include one private conservation area, left unnamed.
Pointe-Taillon National Park (Québec)Québec national park (provincial) · 9,750 ha · reaches Alma
lac Labreque Muskrat HabitatWildlife area · 5.5 ha · 6.8 km from the edge of town
L'Ancension HeronryProtected area · 23 ha · 9.3 km from the edge of town
02451R001 Biological RefugeWildlife area · 1,186 ha · 9.7 km from the edge of town
Rivière-Belley Territorial reserve for protected area purposesNature reserve · 4,600 ha · 9.7 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
From the edge of Alma, Pointe-Taillon National Park (Québec) begins
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
Québec national park (provincial)
Pointe-Taillon National Park (Québec)
At the edge98 km²since 1985
For a national park, people in Alma travel more than 100 km. Sépaq runs Québec’s parcs nationaux, which are provincial parks under another name.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Alma and its edge hold 89 km of footpath
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
89 km
in and around the town (316.8 km²)
Woodland
32%
about 101.3 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
AlmaTowns in QuebecTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.3
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
AlmaTowns in QuebecTypical Canadian town
Woodland32%
0%50%100%
It is more wooded than 75% of Canadian towns. For path density, 73% 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
No named walking route passes Alma on the map
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
No walking route is mapped within 2 km of the town. Mapping of trails as routes varies a great deal across Canada.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
May is the best month for walking in Alma
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Roberval (46 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) | -11 | -8 | -1 | 7 | 16 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 18 | 10 | 2 | -6 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 55 | 45 | 57 | 64 | 71 | 87 | 112 | 104 | 99 | 81 | 71 | 66 |
Daytime highs run from -11 °C in January up to 24 °C in July. Summer brings the most rain: 112 mm in July; February gets 45 mm. Snowfall averages 271 cm a year. The climate in Alma →
Beaches
Beaches near Alma: 8 within 5 km
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Plage de la Colonie-Notre-Damesand · in town
DirectionsPlage Camp-de-touage-Les-Ilessand · 0.6 km from town
DirectionsPlage Belley / Amicaux1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlage de Saint-Gédéonsand · 4.8 km from town
DirectionsAnother 4 have no name on the map. Sandy ones: 3. Water quality isn’t shown: there’s no open national record of beach tests. Local health authorities post advisories.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Alma has a waterfall within 2 km
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Top of the list: playgrounds, 6 of them.
Every named place, with directions
Waterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 4
Secteur du Vieux-Quai0.2 km from town
DirectionsPlus 3 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 6
Plus 6 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 2
Camping Camp-de-Touage0.5 km from town
DirectionsCamping Belley2.0 km from town
DirectionsSlipways 3
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Alma
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Saint-NazaireSaint-BrunoSaint-GédéonHébertville-StationL'Ascension-de-Notre-SeigneurLaroucheAlma
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alma | 0.8% | 6 | 0 | 8 |
| Saint-Nazaire 6.7 km | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Saint-Bruno 9.2 km | 0.6% | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| Saint-Gédéon 9.8 km | 0.6% | 4 | 0 | 9 |
| Hébertville-Station 12 km | 0.7% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| L'Ascension-de-Notre-Seigneur 15 km | 5.1% | 8 | 0 | 2 |
| Larouche 16 km | 0.8% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
For protected land, L'Ascension-de-Notre-Seigneur has twice as much or more.
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.
- Walking routes. Only named route relations count; a park’s own path network may not show unless it is mapped as a route.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
- 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 Alma
What is the nearest provincial park to Alma?
Pointe-Taillon National Park (Québec) touches the town.
When is the best time for walking in Alma?
On the normals, May: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
Which is the biggest protected area near Alma?
Pointe-Taillon National Park (Québec): 9,750 ha, a québec national park (provincial).
What is the nearest national park to Alma?
No national park lies within 100 km of Alma.
How much land around Alma is protected?
Protected areas cover 0.8% of the land within 10 km.
Where can you swim near Alma?
Try Plage de la Colonie-Notre-Dame, in town, first of several.
Sources
Where Alma’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).