First pick
Parc familial des Berges
Park or garden
15 ha0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
1.3 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Harfang · CC BY-SA 3.09.6%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Donnacona · parks, protected land & trails
Donnacona has more protected land around it than nearly 9 in 10 Canadian towns
23 protected areas lie within 10 km. The largest named area nearby is Cap-Santé (ouest) Water Fowl Gathering Area, 682 ha, 3.4 km away. Swimmers have 2 beaches within 5 km, Plage Maurice the nearest.
Protected land
9.6%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
23
within 10 km, 22 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
79 km
La Mauricie National Park
Nearest provincial park
51 km
Jacques-Cartier National Park (Québec)
Beaches
2
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What Donnacona has going for it outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Protected land all round9.6% of the land within 10 km, more than 85% of Canadian townsMany protected areas22 public areas within 10 km
Donnacona’s best card is protected land around it, with the number of public protected areas close by close behind.
Against other towns
Donnacona 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. 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 km9.6%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0.1%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas22Areas 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
Donnacona has the 5th most protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (7,653 to 7,930 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
Donnacona9.6%
Towns its size2.4%
Towns in Quebec4.9%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Donnacona22
Towns its size5
Towns in Quebec10
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Donnacona0
Towns its size1
Towns in Quebec0
Typical Canadian town0
For public protected areas, Donnacona sits near the top of its size group: 2 of 39 have more. For walking routes, though, 20 of 39 are ahead.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beacon Hill South - Cardinal Heights ON | 13% | 0% | 37 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | Kenora, Unorganized ON | 12% | 12% | 98 | 5 | 38 |
| 3 | Baie-Saint-Paul QC | 11% | 0.1% | 18 | 11 | 8 |
| 4 | Dryden ON | 11% | 0.7% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 5 | Donnacona QC | 9.6% | 0.1% | 23 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | Minden Hills ON | 8.1% | 5.9% | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| 7 | Cypress County AB | 7.9% | 5.9% | 46 | 1 | 3 |
| 8 | Mountview ON | 7% | 0% | 21 | 2 | 2 |
| 9 | La Broquerie MB | 6.6% | 5.1% | 73 | 0 | 3 |
| 10 | Landsdale ON | 4.7% | 0% | 23 | 1 | 3 |
| 11 | Coteau-du-Lac QC | 4.4% | 0.6% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Dufferin Hill ON | 4.4% | 1.6% | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | La Perle AB | 4.4% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Bienville QC | 4.1% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Shefford QC | 3.1% | 1.6% | 34 | 0 | 7 |
| 16 | Lakeview SK | 2.8% | 0.1% | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 17 | Windsor Park AB | 2.8% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 18 | Whitewater Region ON | 2.5% | 1.3% | 44 | 0 | 12 |
| 19 | Woodbine-Lumsden ON | 2.5% | 5.1% | 13 | 1 | 18 |
| 20 | Electoral Area A, Nanaimo BC | 2.4% | 3.8% | 39 | 2 | 7 |
| 21 | Playter Estates-Danforth ON | 2.3% | 1.5% | 11 | 5 | 18 |
| 22 | Altadore AB | 2% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 23 | Valley Ridge AB | 2% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 24 | Stoneybrook ON | 1.8% | 21% | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 25 | Cornwall PE | 1.7% | 0% | 14 | 10 | 10 |
| 26 | Pulberry MB | 1.5% | 7.7% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Electoral Area B (Lazo North), Comox Valley BC | 1.3% | 3.1% | 64 | 0 | 3 |
| 28 | Bostwick ON | 1.3% | 0.1% | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| 29 | Central St. Boniface MB | 1.3% | 2.9% | 22 | 4 | 0 |
| 30 | Silver Heights MB | 1.2% | 0.3% | 17 | 1 | 37 |
| 31 | Brazeau County AB | 1% | 1.2% | 29 | 0 | 1 |
| 32 | Ambleside AB | 1% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 33 | Newell County AB | 0.9% | 1% | 11 | 0 | 14 |
| 34 | Fruitland ON | 0.9% | 4.9% | 25 | 5 | 9 |
| 35 | Augusta ON | 0.8% | 0% | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| 36 | Chatsworth ON | 0.6% | 0.7% | 45 | 1 | 1 |
| 37 | Callingwood South AB | 0.4% | 0% | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 38 | River East MB | 0.2% | 5.2% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Saint-Félix-de-Valois QC | 0% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Harvest Hills AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Donnacona
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
7 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Donnacona
Parc familial des Berges is the largest, at 15 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
7 named parks and woods, 26 ha in all
Parks & gardens 26 ha
Add Parc familial des Berges to Parc Donnacona and you have 86% of it.
Parc Donnacona
Park or garden
7.7 ha0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
Centralin the middle of Donnacona
Directionsto a point inside
Source: 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
9 in 10 people in Donnacona 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 (87%)Further (13%)
Donnacona87%
Towns in Quebec52%
Typical Canadian town83%
Against the typical Canadian town’s 83%, that is high. That leaves about 1,000 people more than a short walk away.
Protected areas
The 23 protected areas near Donnacona
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Donnacona0.1%
Within 10 km9.6%
Towns in Quebec4.9%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Governments hold 22 of the 23, and private owners the rest. The largest named one is Cap-Santé (ouest) Water Fowl Gathering Area, at 682 ha. The figures include one private conservation area, left unnamed.
Les Écureuils (Est) Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 192 ha · reaches Donnacona
Donnacona Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 114 ha · reaches Donnacona
Pointe-aux-Trembles Ouest Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 433 ha · 0.2 km from the edge of town
Donnacona (ouest) Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 121 ha · 0.4 km from the edge of town
Cap-Santé Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 236 ha · 1.6 km from the edge of town
Sainte-Croix (Autodrome) Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 413 ha · 3.2 km from the edge of town
Sainte-Croix Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 139 ha · 3.2 km from the edge of town
Sainte-Croix (Plage Maurice) Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 377 ha · 3.4 km from the edge of town
Cap-Santé (ouest) Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 682 ha · 3.4 km from the edge of town
Sainte-Croix (est) Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 344 ha · 3.4 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
La Mauricie National Park is 79 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
Québec national park (provincial)
Jacques-Cartier National Park (Québec)
51 km north671 km²since 1981
National park
La Mauricie National Park
79 km west536 km²since 1970
Jacques-Cartier National Park (Québec), a provincial park, is nearer at 51 km. 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
Donnacona and its edge hold 14 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
14 km
in and around the town (44.6 km²)
Woodland
27%
about 12.1 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
DonnaconaTowns in QuebecTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.3
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
DonnaconaTowns in QuebecTypical Canadian town
Woodland27%
0%50%100%
More of it is wooded than in 72% of Canadian towns. It has fewer paths per km² than 72% 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
No mapped walking route near Donnacona
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
The best months for walking in Donnacona: May and August
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Quebec Jean Lesage (Airport), 30 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) | 8.9 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.6 |
| High (°C) | -7 | -5 | 0 | 8 | 18 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 19 | 11 | 4 | -3 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 87 | 66 | 78 | 94 | 92 | 115 | 119 | 109 | 111 | 116 | 91 | 96 |
The yearly snowfall is near 253 cm. July brings both the warmest days and the most rain (119 mm); February is driest (66 mm). From -7 °C in January to 25 °C in July: that is the range of daytime highs. The climate in Donnacona →
Beaches
The beach near Donnacona: Plage Maurice, 4.3 km away
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Plage Maurice4.3 km from town
DirectionsOne more is mapped without a name. 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 Donnacona: one waterfall on the map
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, 10 of them.
Every named place, with directions
Waterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 10
Plus 10 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
The garden near Donnacona: Joly de Lotbinière Estate, 7.6 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.
Joly de Lotbinière EstateNational Historic Site · 7.6 km from town
Its pageA National Historic Site is among them.
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 Donnacona
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Cap-SantéSainte-CroixPont-RougeNeuvilleSaint-BasileSaint-Antoine-de-TillyDonnacona
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donnacona | 9.6% | 23 | 0 | 2 |
| Cap-Santé 5.2 km | 8.3% | 26 | 0 | 2 |
| Sainte-Croix 6.6 km | 9.6% | 32 | 0 | 3 |
| Pont-Rouge 8.9 km | 5.1% | 41 | 0 | 1 |
| Neuville 11 km | 7.1% | 30 | 0 | 1 |
| Saint-Basile 12 km | 3.3% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Saint-Antoine-de-Tilly 13 km | 6.8% | 29 | 0 | 2 |
Donnacona 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
- 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. A beach counts when its centre point lies within 5 km of the town’s outline. Names come from the map.
- Protected land. CPCAD maps each protected area; the page counts how much of the 10 km around the town they cover, lakes and sea included.
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
- 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 Donnacona
What is the nearest provincial park to Donnacona?
It is Jacques-Cartier National Park (Québec), 51 km away.
When is the best time for walking in Donnacona?
May and August: long days, mild highs and little rain.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Donnacona?
Cap-Santé (ouest) Water Fowl Gathering Area, a wildlife area of 682 ha.
What is the nearest national park to Donnacona?
It is La Mauricie National Park, 79 km off.
How much land around Donnacona is protected?
Yes: 9.6% of the land within 10 km is protected.
Is there a beach near Donnacona?
Try Plage Maurice, 4.3 km from town, first of several.
Sources
Sources for this page on Donnacona
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).