First pick
Parc Hendrick
Park or garden
16 ha2.6 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.6 km of path
4.9 km south-eastfrom the centre
Hendrick Park Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.027%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Chelsea · parks, protected land & trails
In Chelsea, 65% of the land is set aside as protected
27% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). 55 protected areas lie within 10 km. Walkers have 6 mapped routes close by, starting with the Sentier du loup and Waterfall and Lauriault Trail.
Protected land
27%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
55
within 10 km, 28 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
24 km
Fitzroy Provincial Park
Walking routes
6
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
7
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What Chelsea has going for it outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Protected land in town65% of Chelsea itself lies in protected areasProtected land all round27% of the land within 10 km, more than 98% of Canadian townsMany protected areas28 public areas within 10 kmWalking routes6 named routes within 2 km
Chelsea’s best card is protected land inside its own boundary, with protected land around it close behind.
Against other towns
Chelsea 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. Canada’s grades don’t include the outdoors, so this page compares the figures rather than grading them.
Protected within 10 km27%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town65%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas28Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes6Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches7Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Of 40 towns its size, Chelsea has the most protected land within 10 km
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (8,802 to 9,193 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
Chelsea27%
Towns its size2.8%
Towns in Quebec4.9%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Chelsea28
Towns its size4
Towns in Quebec10
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Chelsea6
Towns its size0
Towns in Quebec0
Typical Canadian town0
None of the other 39 towns its size has more protected land nearby than Chelsea.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea QC | 27% | 65% | 55 | 6 | 7 |
| 2 | Crescent Heights BC | 27% | 13% | 132 | 4 | 4 |
| 3 | Queenswood Heights ON | 14% | 0% | 38 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Pictou County, Subdivision C NS | 10% | 2.2% | 218 | 7 | 16 |
| 5 | Blossom Park - Timbermill ON | 9.6% | 12% | 15 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 | Beaver Bank NS | 8.2% | 3.8% | 31 | 2 | 6 |
| 7 | Saint-Robert QC | 7.8% | 0% | 22 | 0 | 4 |
| 8 | Delson QC | 6.1% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | South Slope BC | 5.8% | 0% | 39 | 2 | 10 |
| 10 | Corktown ON | 5.6% | 0% | 24 | 1 | 3 |
| 11 | Grande Cache AB | 5.5% | 2.2% | 26 | 0 | 50 |
| 12 | H-Section (bramalea) ON | 5.5% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | Clayton Heights BC | 5.4% | 2.3% | 131 | 2 | 0 |
| 14 | Saint-Jean-Baptiste QC | 5.3% | 0% | 17 | 1 | 3 |
| 15 | Drummond/North Elmsley ON | 4.9% | 5.4% | 22 | 4 | 5 |
| 16 | Rosewood Park BC | 4.5% | 0% | 130 | 5 | 0 |
| 17 | Sundance AB | 3.3% | 34% | 1 | 0 | 14 |
| 18 | North Central SK | 3.2% | 0% | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| 19 | Fish Creek Park AB | 3.2% | 53% | 4 | 0 | 20 |
| 20 | Riverbend AB | 3.1% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| 21 | Old East York ON | 2.4% | 4.6% | 13 | 3 | 15 |
| 22 | Stony Mountain MB | 2.3% | 2.3% | 12 | 4 | 1 |
| 23 | Electoral Area F, Nanaimo BC | 2.3% | 3.7% | 36 | 1 | 15 |
| 24 | Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval QC | 1.7% | 0% | 24 | 0 | 2 |
| 25 | Portugal Cove-St. Philip's NL | 1.5% | 0% | 3 | 2 | 35 |
| 26 | Kimberley BC | 1.5% | 1.2% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Uplands ON | 1.5% | 0% | 12 | 2 | 0 |
| 28 | Camrose County AB | 1.4% | 1.3% | 148 | 0 | 3 |
| 29 | Churchville ON | 1.2% | 2% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Hampton Village SK | 1.2% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 2 |
| 31 | Booth MB | 0.9% | 1% | 20 | 1 | 37 |
| 32 | Silver Springs AB | 0.8% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 33 | Kings County, Subdivision C NS | 0.6% | 0% | 20 | 1 | 1 |
| 34 | Munroe East MB | 0.5% | 0% | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Hawkwood AB | 0.5% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 36 | Coaticook QC | 0.3% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| 37 | Kingsway South ON | 0.3% | 0% | 6 | 3 | 13 |
| 38 | Marlborough AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 39 | DT Cooksville ON | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 40 | Kapuskasing ON | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Chelsea
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 Chelsea: 21 named parks and woods
The biggest is Parc Hendrick, 16 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
21 named parks and woods, 55 ha in all
Parks & gardens 41 haWoods 14 ha
Parc Hendrick plus Île Davies account for 49% of the green.
Parc de quartier Juniper
Park or garden
5.4 ha1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
1.6 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Parc de la Technologie
Park or garden · 90 m outside town
3.1 ha0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
7.0 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Moorside
Park or garden · 80 m outside town
3.0 ha0.5 km of path
6.3 km southfrom the centre
Sentier de la Chute et Lauriault
Directionsto a point inside
Parc Thérèse-Morency
Park or garden · 150 m outside town
2.4 ha0.3 km of path
7.6 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Parc du ruisseau Chelsea
Park or garden
1.6 ha0.5 km of path
4.9 km south-eastfrom the centre
Chelsea Creek Path
Directionsto a point inside
Parc du Gabbro
Park or garden
1.7 ha0.3 km of path
7.1 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 21 named parks and green spaces
Parc HendrickPark or garden · 16 ha · 2.6 km of path
DirectionsParc de quartier JuniperPark or garden · 5.4 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsParc de la TechnologiePark or garden · 3.1 ha · 0.9 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsMoorsidePark or garden · 3.0 ha · 0.5 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsÎle DaviesWood or forest · 11 ha
DirectionsParc Thérèse-MorencyPark or garden · 2.4 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsParc du ruisseau ChelseaPark or garden · 1.6 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsParc du GabbroPark or garden · 1.7 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsParc communautaire Hollow GlenPark or garden · 2.1 ha
DirectionsParc communautaire de Farm PointPark or garden · 1.3 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsParc du DômePark or garden · 0.9 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsParc de quartier McNallyPark or garden · 1.1 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsParc de quartier Belle-TerrePark or garden · 0.9 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsParc du TraversierPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsParc Camden RowPark or garden · 0.2 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsÎle MargueriteWood or forest · 2.5 ha
DirectionsParc Foundation SquarePark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsParc du HavrePark or garden · 0.4 ha · just outside town
DirectionsParc de la PaixPark or garden · 0.3 ha
DirectionsParc MountainViewPark or garden · 0.3 ha
DirectionsParc du SilexPark or garden · 0.2 ha · just outside town
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 1 in 10 in Chelsea
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 (9.9%)Further (90%)
Chelsea9.9%
Towns in Quebec52%
Typical Canadian town83%
For comparison, the typical Canadian town has 83%. That leaves about 8,100 people more than a short walk away.
Protected areas
Protected areas cover 27% of the land near Chelsea
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Chelsea65%
Within 10 km27%
Towns in Quebec4.9%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Governments hold 28 of the 55, and private owners the rest. Breckenridge Water Fowl Gathering Area covers 438 ha, the most of any named area. 21 areas, privately held or of unrecorded ownership, are left unnamed.
Gatineau Park peripheryProtected area · 223 ha · reaches Chelsea
Philemon-Leamy corridorProtected area · 48 ha · 0.3 km from the edge of town
Lac des Fées ParkwayProtected area · 17 ha · 3.0 km from the edge of town
Champlain CorridorProtected area · 20 ha · 3.2 km from the edge of town
Breckenridge Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 438 ha · 3.2 km from the edge of town
Baie de Breckenridge (Est) Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 258 ha · 3.3 km from the edge of town
Conservation area, AylmerProtected area · 88 ha · 3.4 km from the edge of town
Baie de Breckenridge Est Muskrat HabitatWildlife area · 34 ha · 3.6 km from the edge of town
Crégheur road accessProtected area · 21 ha · 3.7 km from the edge of town
Moore FarmProtected area · 15 ha · 4.0 km from the edge of town
9 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
24 km to Fitzroy Provincial Park
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
Fitzroy Provincial Park
24 km west2.0 km²since 1963
There is no national park within 100 km; for big parks, Chelsea has its province’s. A Québec parc national belongs to the province, not to Parks Canada.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Chelsea and its edge hold 368 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
368 km
in and around the town (186.7 km²)
Woodland
72%
about 133.7 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
ChelseaTowns in QuebecTypical Canadian town
Footpaths2
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
ChelseaTowns in QuebecTypical Canadian town
Woodland72%
0%50%100%
More of it is wooded than in 92% of Canadian towns. For path density, it beats 55% 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
6 walking routes near Chelsea
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Local
Sentier du loup9.1 km
Waterfall and Lauriault Trail3.1 km
Pink Lake Trail2.3 km
Sugarbush Trail1.9 km
King Mountain Trail1.7 km
Champlain Trail1.1 km
The Sentier du loup is the big one locally: 9.1 km. 4 are short walks under 3 km.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Walking season in Chelsea: May and September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Luskville, 17 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) | -5 | -3 | 3 | 11 | 20 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 21 | 13 | 6 | -2 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 77 | 63 | 63 | 74 | 79 | 99 | 97 | 96 | 87 | 84 | 74 | 76 |
Snow totals about 193 cm a year. The wettest month, June, brings 99 mm, against 63 mm in February. Highs peak near 27 °C in July and fall to -5 °C in January. The climate in Chelsea →
Beaches
Chelsea has 7 beaches close by
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Blanchet Beachmixed · in town
DirectionsMorrison's Quarry Beachin town
DirectionsO'Brien Beachsand · in town
DirectionsPlage du lac Leamysand · 3.4 km from town
Directions3 further beaches go unnamed. Sandy ones: 2. 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
Near Chelsea: 46 viewpoints, 3 waterfalls
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
46Viewpoints6Hills and peaks3Waterfalls1Nature reserves16Picnic sites87Playgrounds3Dog parks1Campsites1Slipways
Top of the list: playgrounds, 87 of them. Highest of the named peaks: King Mountain, 345 m.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 46
Brown Lake Lookoutin town
DirectionsCarrman Lake Lookoutin town
DirectionsÉtienne-Brûléin town
DirectionsFortune Lake lookoutin town
DirectionsHendrick Park Entrancein town
DirectionsHuronin town
DirectionsRemparts Lookoutin town
DirectionsWattsford's Lookoutin town
DirectionsPlus 38 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 6
King Mountain345 m · in town
DirectionsMont des Cascades290 m · 0.9 km from town
DirectionsBelvedere1.3 km from town
DirectionsPlus 3 hills and peaks without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 3
Chute du Voile-de-la-Mariée0.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 2 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
Parc de la Gatineauin town
DirectionsPicnic sites 16
Gatineau Park Pinic Areain town
DirectionsHendrick Park Picnic Groundsin town
DirectionsPenguin Picnic Areain town
DirectionsPlus 13 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 87
Hendrick Playgroundin town
DirectionsJeux d'eau Gabbro0.1 km from town
DirectionsJeux d'eau Hautes-Plaines0.6 km from town
DirectionsJeux d'eau Daniel-Johnson1.2 km from town
DirectionsJeux d'eau René-Lévesque1.2 km from town
DirectionsJeux d'eau Shamal1.4 km from town
DirectionsParc du Méridien2.0 km from town
DirectionsPlus 80 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 3
Chelsea Creek Dog Parkin town
DirectionsHendrick Foundation Dog Parkin town
DirectionsParc de la Technologie0.2 km from town
DirectionsCampsites 1
Tree house1.0 km from town
DirectionsSlipways 1
McCloskey Boat Launchin town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
2 historic gardens and parks in Chelsea
Gardens and arboretums within 15 km of the town’s edge, and the historic gardens, parks and estates in the town itself, nearest first.
Kingswood, Kingswood CottageHistoric garden or park · from 1903 · In Chelsea
Its pageMoorside, Garage and Servant's QuartersHistoric garden or park · from 1922 · In Chelsea
Its pageThe oldest is Kingswood, Kingswood Cottage, from 1903.
Sources: 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 Chelsea
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
CantleyHautes-PlainesLes RapidesMont-BleuDu PlateauLa CitéChelsea
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | 27% | 55 | 6 | 7 |
| Cantley 5.2 km | 21% | 32 | 0 | 3 |
| Hautes-Plaines 8.5 km | 19% | 33 | 1 | 4 |
| Les Rapides 8.7 km | 16% | 34 | 0 | 2 |
| Mont-Bleu 11 km | 17% | 33 | 2 | 3 |
| Du Plateau 12 km | 22% | 48 | 4 | 9 |
| La Cité 12 km | 9.1% | 46 | 0 | 2 |
None of the places nearby has twice as much protected land around it as Chelsea.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- National and provincial parks. National parks are Parks Canada’s; provincial parks are the province’s or territory’s, Québec’s parcs nationaux among them.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
- Walking routes. Only named route relations count; a park’s own path network may not show unless it is mapped as a route.
- 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.
- Private land. Areas held by land trusts or private owners stay unnamed here, though they count in the shares.
Questions about the outdoors in Chelsea
What is the largest protected area near Chelsea?
Breckenridge Water Fowl Gathering Area: 438 ha, a wildlife area.
Is there protected land near Chelsea?
Within 10 km, 27% of the land lies in protected areas.
Where can you walk near Chelsea?
OpenStreetMap maps the Sentier du loup, Waterfall and Lauriault Trail and Pink Lake Trail close by, with others.
What is the nearest beach to Chelsea?
Blanchet Beach, in town, is the nearest mapped beach.
What is the nearest provincial park to Chelsea?
It is Fitzroy Provincial Park, 24 km away.
What is the nearest national park to Chelsea?
None within 100 km of Chelsea.
When is the best time for walking in Chelsea?
May and September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
Sources
Where Chelsea’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).