First pick
Parc Louis-Philipppe-Fugère
Park or garden
3.3 ha0.1 km of path
2.4 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Veillg1 · CC01.6%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Lac-aux-Sables · parks, protected land & trails
Within 17 km of Lac-aux-Sables: La Mauricie National Park
Swimmers have 8 beaches within 5 km, Plage de Lac-aux-Sables the nearest. The largest is Long-Montauban White-Tailed Deer Yard: 7,430 ha, 3.4 km from the edge of town. 12 protected areas lie within 10 km.
Protected land
1.6%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
12
within 10 km, 12 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
17 km
La Mauricie National Park
Nearest provincial park
72 km
Jacques-Cartier National Park (Québec)
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
8
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What Lac-aux-Sables has going for it outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Lac-aux-Sables is strongest on La Mauricie National Park within easy reach, with its beaches close behind.
Against other towns
Lac-aux-Sables 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 km1.6%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0.5%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas12Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes1Named 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
Lac-aux-Sables has the 20th most protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (1,463 to 2,587 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
Lac-aux-Sables1.6%
Towns its size1.5%
Towns in Quebec4.9%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Lac-aux-Sables12
Towns its size4
Towns in Quebec10
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Lac-aux-Sables1
Towns its size0
Towns in Quebec0
Typical Canadian town0
For public protected areas, Lac-aux-Sables sits near the top of its size group: 9 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anmore BC | 22% | 47% | 16 | 5 | 98 |
| 2 | Saint-Alexandre-de-Kamouraska QC | 19% | 0% | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Gracefield QC | 19% | 19% | 34 | 0 | 6 |
| 4 | East Preston NS | 16% | 6.3% | 20 | 1 | 5 |
| 5 | Clearwater BC | 7.7% | 4.1% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 | Roberval QC | 6.1% | 1.2% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague QC | 5.8% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | North Frontenac ON | 5.7% | 5.2% | 13 | 6 | 4 |
| 9 | Cap-Chat QC | 5.3% | 0.4% | 13 | 0 | 10 |
| 10 | Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards ON | 4.4% | 1.5% | 9 | 0 | 4 |
| 11 | Saint-Polycarpe QC | 4.2% | 0% | 11 | 0 | 2 |
| 12 | Macassa ON | 4.1% | 0% | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| 13 | Saint-Damien QC | 4% | 3.2% | 22 | 1 | 9 |
| 14 | Unity SK | 3.4% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Sherwood ON | 3.4% | 0% | 19 | 2 | 0 |
| 16 | McNab SK | 2.6% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 17 | Mandeville QC | 2.5% | 1.8% | 19 | 4 | 7 |
| 18 | Esterhazy SK | 1.8% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | City Commercial Core ON | 1.8% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Lac-aux-Sables QC | 1.6% | 0.5% | 12 | 1 | 8 |
| 21 | Caswell Hill SK | 1.4% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 3 |
| 22 | Fossambault-sur-le-Lac QC | 1.3% | 7.8% | 15 | 0 | 14 |
| 23 | Pembina MB | 1.1% | 1.8% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Burrows-Keewatin MB | 1% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Elmwood AB | 0.8% | 0% | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 26 | Hatley QC | 0.7% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 5 |
| 27 | Munroe West MB | 0.4% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Brooke-Alvinston ON | 0.3% | 0.2% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Rosedale AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 30 | Minchau AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 31 | Lunenburg NS | 0.1% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 5 |
| 32 | Salisbury NB | 0.1% | 2.1% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Dufferin MB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Ekota AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 35 | Satoo AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 36 | Saint-Éphrem-de-Beauce QC | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 37 | Magrath AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Nanton AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Rimbey AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Sexsmith AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Lac-aux-Sables on the map: green space, protected land and paths
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 Lac-aux-Sables: 3 named parks and woods
Largest first: Parc Louis-Philipppe-Fugère leads with 3.3 ha. Numbers match the map.
Parc de la Pointe-du-Vieux-Moulin
Park or garden
1.0 ha
2.1 km south-eastfrom the centre
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
About 3 in 10 of Lac-aux-Sables’ 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 (31%)Further (69%)
Lac-aux-Sables31%
Towns in Quebec52%
Typical Canadian town83%
Most towns do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%. For about 1,000 people, the nearest park is over 400 m away.
Protected areas
1.6% of the land around Lac-aux-Sables is protected
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Lac-aux-Sables0.5%
Within 10 km1.6%
Towns in Quebec4.9%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
The 12 are all publicly owned. Biggest of the named areas: Long-Montauban White-Tailed Deer Yard, 7,430 ha.
04151R003 Biological RefugeWildlife area · 140 ha · reaches Lac-aux-Sables
04151R072 Biological RefugeWildlife area · 130 ha · 1.5 km from the edge of town
04151R903 Biological RefugeWildlife area · 162 ha · 1.6 km from the edge of town
04151R900 Biological RefugeWildlife area · 335 ha · 2.4 km from the edge of town
04151R094 Biological RefugeWildlife area · 70 ha · 2.5 km from the edge of town
04151R902 Biological RefugeWildlife area · 118 ha · 3.2 km from the edge of town
Long-Montauban White-Tailed Deer YardProtected area · 7,430 ha · 3.4 km from the edge of town
04151R077 Biological RefugeWildlife area · 50 ha · 3.5 km from the edge of town
04151R095 Biological RefugeWildlife area · 86 ha · 5.6 km from the edge of town
lac Mékinac (Anse à la Vache) Habitat of A Threatened Or Vulnerable Wildlife SpeciesWildlife area · 231 ha · 7.3 km from the edge of town
2 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
Parks around Lac-aux-Sables
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
National park
La Mauricie National Park
17 km west536 km²since 1970
Québec national park (provincial)
Jacques-Cartier National Park (Québec)
72 km north-east671 km²since 1981
The province names its big parks parcs nationaux, though they are provincial.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Lac-aux-Sables and its edge hold 22 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
22 km
in and around the town (380.5 km²)
Woodland
84%
about 320.6 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
Lac-aux-SablesTowns in QuebecTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.1
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Lac-aux-SablesTowns in QuebecTypical Canadian town
Woodland84%
0%50%100%
More of it is wooded than in 98% of Canadian towns. Paths are thinner on the ground than in 91% 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
One mapped route to walk from Lac-aux-Sables
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 Montauban16.5 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 Lac-aux-Sables: May, June, August and September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Fortierville, 52 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 | 15.9 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.5 |
| High (°C) | -7 | -5 | 1 | 10 | 18 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 20 | 12 | 5 | -3 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 81 | 69 | 79 | 94 | 92 | 108 | 133 | 103 | 95 | 105 | 82 | 100 |
July brings both the warmest days and the most rain (133 mm); February is driest (69 mm). Daytime highs run from -7 °C in January up to 26 °C in July. The climate in Lac-aux-Sables →
Beaches
Beaches near Lac-aux-Sables: 8 within 5 km
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Plage de Lac-aux-Sablesin town
DirectionsOpenStreetMap shows 7 more, nameless. 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
Lac-aux-Sables has 3 viewpoints and 10 waterfalls nearby
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: campsites, 10 of them.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 2
Mont Sainte-Annein town
DirectionsMont Tétreaultin town
DirectionsWaterfalls 10
Chute du Cinqin town
DirectionsChute du Septin town
DirectionsChute du Sixin town
DirectionsChute du Quatre0.2 km from town
DirectionsChute du 80.9 km from town
DirectionsChute du 9eme portage1.7 km from town
DirectionsPlus 4 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 2
Presqu'île Bélanger1.6 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 3
Plus 3 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 10
Au Domaine familial Grosleauin town
DirectionsCamping La Petite Rivièrein town
DirectionsCamping Lac-aux-Sablesin town
DirectionsCamping Le Relais Lac-aux-Sablesin town
DirectionsCamping Tawachichein town
DirectionsDomaine Naturiste Le Cyprès0.6 km from town
DirectionsCamping Lac et Forêt1.5 km from town
DirectionsCamping La Mine d'Or1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 2 campsites without a name on the map.
Slipways 1
Plus 1 slipway without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Lac-aux-Sables
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Sainte-ThècleSaint-UbaldeLac-aux-Sables
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lac-aux-Sables | 1.6% | 12 | 1 | 8 |
| Sainte-Thècle 10 km | 6.2% | 13 | 0 | 5 |
| Saint-Ubalde 17 km | 7.5% | 4 | 7 | 8 |
Saint-Ubalde has the most mapped walking routes nearby: 7. For protected land, Sainte-Thècle and Saint-Ubalde have twice as much or more.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
- Beaches. A beach counts when its centre point lies within 5 km of the town’s outline. Names come from the map.
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
- 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.
Questions about the outdoors in Lac-aux-Sables
When should you visit Lac-aux-Sables for the outdoors?
May, June, August and September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
What is the nearest national park to Lac-aux-Sables?
It is La Mauricie National Park, 17 km off.
Are there hiking trails near Lac-aux-Sables?
The Sentier Montauban, mapped within 2 km.
Where can you swim near Lac-aux-Sables?
Try Plage de Lac-aux-Sables, in town, first of several.
What is the nearest provincial park to Lac-aux-Sables?
It is Jacques-Cartier National Park (Québec), 72 km away.
Are there protected areas near Lac-aux-Sables?
Yes: 1.6% of the land within 10 km is protected.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Lac-aux-Sables?
Long-Montauban White-Tailed Deer Yard: 7,430 ha, a protected area.
Sources
Where Lac-aux-Sables’ 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).