First pick
Centre de la nature
Park or garden
44 ha6.9 km of path
1 h 30 minto walk all 6.9 km of path
7.0 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Laval_City_Hall.JPG : Jean-Philippe Boulet derivative work: MTLskyline · CC BY 3.08.1%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Laval · parks, protected land & trails
Few places match Laval for protected land nearby: more than 8 in 10 Canadian towns
89 protected areas lie within 10 km. The closest provincial park is Îles-de-Boucherville National Park (Québec), 7.3 km from the edge of town. For a swim, Plage Lajeunesse is the nearest of 6 beaches within 5 km.
Protected land
8.1%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
89
within 10 km, 39 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
7.3 km
Îles-de-Boucherville National Park (Québec)
Beaches
6
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What Laval has going for it outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Protected land all round8.1% of the land within 10 km, more than 81% of Canadian townsMany protected areas39 public areas within 10 kmBeaches6 beaches within 5 km
For someone who likes to get outside, Laval’s draw is protected land around it, with the number of public protected areas close by close behind.
Against other towns
How Laval 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. Canada’s grades don’t include the outdoors, so this page compares the figures rather than grading them.
Protected within 10 km8.1%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town1%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas39Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches6Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Among 40 towns its size, Laval ranks 10th for protected land within 10 km
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (106,752 to 461,509 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
Laval8.1%
Towns its size3.7%
Towns in Quebec4.9%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Laval39
Towns its size15
Towns in Quebec10
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Laval0
Towns its size2
Towns in Quebec0
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Laval does best for public protected areas: 6 of the other 39 have more. It trails them for walking routes, where 31 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coquitlam BC | 25% | 28% | 130 | 5 | 69 |
| 2 | Delta BC | 24% | 17% | 181 | 9 | 19 |
| 3 | Richmond BC | 21% | 3.2% | 73 | 2 | 31 |
| 4 | Kamloops BC | 14% | 13% | 16 | 0 | 11 |
| 5 | Kelowna BC | 13% | 3.8% | 36 | 0 | 42 |
| 6 | Saanich BC | 11% | 9.4% | 43 | 7 | 56 |
| 7 | Strathcona County AB | 9.4% | 1.4% | 38 | 7 | 6 |
| 8 | Trois-Rivières QC | 8.4% | 1.2% | 44 | 1 | 10 |
| 9 | Cape Breton NS | 8.2% | 8.6% | 176 | 1 | 74 |
| 10 | Laval QC | 8.1% | 1% | 89 | 0 | 6 |
| 11 | Pickering ON | 7.6% | 11% | 46 | 1 | 11 |
| 12 | Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury ON | 6.7% | 3.5% | 43 | 5 | 18 |
| 13 | Saguenay QC | 6% | 6.1% | 29 | 0 | 11 |
| 14 | Kingston ON | 5% | 6.2% | 54 | 2 | 5 |
| 15 | Ajax ON | 4.9% | 5.8% | 31 | 1 | 8 |
| 16 | Lévis QC | 4.1% | 0.6% | 62 | 1 | 8 |
| 17 | Sherbrooke QC | 4.1% | 0.8% | 23 | 2 | 3 |
| 18 | Whitby ON | 3.9% | 4.7% | 37 | 1 | 3 |
| 19 | Abbotsford BC | 3.9% | 0.5% | 37 | 2 | 10 |
| 20 | Terrebonne QC | 3.8% | 3.6% | 60 | 0 | 3 |
| 21 | Langley BC | 3.5% | 2.9% | 144 | 8 | 10 |
| 22 | Barrie ON | 2.6% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 8 |
| 23 | Burlington ON | 2.5% | 1.6% | 27 | 2 | 17 |
| 24 | Oshawa ON | 2.4% | 0.3% | 30 | 1 | 4 |
| 25 | St. John's NL | 2.2% | 1.2% | 6 | 1 | 41 |
| 26 | Richmond Hill ON | 1.9% | 8.4% | 51 | 1 | 0 |
| 27 | Nanaimo BC | 1.9% | 6.7% | 42 | 2 | 33 |
| 28 | Cambridge ON | 1.7% | 0.4% | 33 | 10 | 2 |
| 29 | Bowmanville ON | 1.6% | 3% | 25 | 2 | 9 |
| 30 | Milton ON | 1.3% | 0% | 38 | 15 | 3 |
| 31 | St. Catharines ON | 1.2% | 1.7% | 15 | 4 | 7 |
| 32 | Niagara Falls ON | 1.1% | 1.7% | 15 | 3 | 4 |
| 33 | Chatham ON | 1% | 1% | 21 | 0 | 8 |
| 34 | Guelph ON | 0.9% | 3.1% | 15 | 10 | 5 |
| 35 | Oakville ON | 0.9% | 4.1% | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| 36 | Red Deer AB | 0.7% | 1.2% | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 37 | Waterloo ON | 0.6% | 0% | 17 | 12 | 1 |
| 38 | Lethbridge AB | 0.4% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Brantford ON | 0.3% | 0% | 15 | 3 | 0 |
| 40 | Thunder Bay ON | 0.1% | 0.4% | 3 | 0 | 4 |
The map
The green map of Laval
The city’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
30 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Laval
The biggest is Centre de la nature, 44 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
30 named parks and woods, 488 ha in all
Parks & gardens 249 haWoods 238 ha
Even the biggest has just 11% of the total.
Parc Bernard-Landry
Park or garden
32 ha5.3 km of path
1 h 10 minto walk all 5.3 km of path
3.9 km south-eastfrom the centre
Route Verte 1
Directionsto a point inside
Bois Armand Frappier
Wood or forest
53 ha8.7 km of path
1 h 55 minto walk all 8.7 km of path
2.4 km southfrom the centre
Sentier De l'érableSentier du frêneBoulevard Notre-Dame
Directionsto a point inside
Parc de Lausanne
Park or garden
19 ha3.9 km of path
50 minto walk all 3.9 km of path
5.3 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Parc Bois-de-Boulogne
Park or garden
17 ha0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
2.4 km eastfrom the centre
Route Verte
Directionsto a point inside
Bois de Naples
Wood or forest
30 ha4.9 km of path
1 h 5 minto walk all 4.9 km of path
3.6 km northfrom the centre
Maxi RoadBouldersNid d'Oizo+1 path
Directionsto a point inside
Boisé Val-des-Brises
Wood or forest
43 ha1.9 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.9 km of path
6.3 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Le Boutillier Park
Park or garden
11 ha2.4 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.4 km of path
4.7 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Centre de la naturePark or garden · 44 ha · 6.9 km of path
DirectionsParc Bernard-LandryPark or garden · 32 ha · 5.3 km of path
DirectionsBois Armand FrappierWood or forest · 53 ha · 8.7 km of path
DirectionsParc de LausannePark or garden · 19 ha · 3.9 km of path
DirectionsParc Bois-de-BoulognePark or garden · 17 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsBois de NaplesWood or forest · 30 ha · 4.9 km of path
DirectionsBoisé Val-des-BrisesWood or forest · 43 ha · 1.9 km of path
DirectionsLe Boutillier ParkPark or garden · 11 ha · 2.4 km of path
DirectionsBoisé d'AuteuilWood or forest · 27 ha · 2.6 km of path
DirectionsBerge de la Plage-IdéalePark or garden · 7.5 ha · 2.4 km of path
DirectionsParc SylviePark or garden · 9.7 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsParc Marc-Aurèle-FortinPark or garden · 9.4 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsParc CharbonneauPark or garden · 8.8 ha · 1.4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsParc ChampfleuryPark or garden · 6.7 ha · 2.3 km of path
DirectionsCentre d'Interprétation de la naturePark or garden · 8.3 ha · 1.5 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsParc IsabellePark or garden · 8.9 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsParc CouvrettePark or garden · 8.2 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsBoisé Messier AuteuilWood or forest · 22 ha · 1.9 km of path
DirectionsBois d'ÉdimbourgWood or forest · 18 ha · 2.4 km of path
DirectionsParc de la RivièrePark or garden · 8.2 ha · 0.9 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsBois EdithWood or forest · 22 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsParc Rosaire-GauthierPark or garden · 7.1 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsParc de la MerciPark or garden · 6.8 ha · 1.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsParc de la Pointe de l'IlePark or garden · 5.3 ha · 2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsParc Berthiaume-Du TremblayPark or garden · 7.4 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsParc Saint-MartinPark or garden · 6.3 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsParc Olier-PayettePark or garden · 6.3 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsParc du SablonPark or garden · 6.7 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsBoisé du Marais GeorgesWood or forest · 24 ha · 0.5 km of path
Directionsparc des BateliersPark or garden · 5.0 ha · 1.4 km of path · 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
About 8 in 10 of Laval’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 (85%)Further (15%)
Laval85%
Towns in Quebec52%
Typical Canadian town83%
For about 71,000 people, the nearest park is over 400 m away. It is above the typical Canadian town (83%).
Protected areas
89 protected areas around Laval
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Laval1%
Within 10 km8.1%
Towns in Quebec4.9%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public ownership covers 39 of the 89. Lac des Deux Montagnes (Île Bizard) Water Fowl Gathering Area is the biggest, 895 ha. Another 31 are privately owned conservation land; they count in the figures but aren’t named, as private land isn’t a place to visit.
Lac des Deux Montagnes (Île Bizard) Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 895 ha · reaches Laval
lac des Deux Montagnes - Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 754 ha · reaches Laval
rivière des Mille Îles - Île Morris Muskrat HabitatWildlife area · 40 ha · reaches Laval
Rivière-des-Mille-Îles Wildlife PreserveWildlife area · 24 ha · reaches Laval
rivière des Milles Îles (Ile Provost) Muskrat HabitatWildlife area · 7.3 ha · reaches Laval
Alvar-de-l'Île-de-Pierre Habitat of A Threatened Or Vulnerable Plant SpeciesWildlife area · 1.2 ha · reaches Laval
Marais-de-l'Île-des-Juifs Habitat of A Threatened Or Vulnerable Plant SpeciesWildlife area · 4.1 ha · 0.1 km from the edge of town
rivière des Mille Îles - Saint-Eustache Muskrat HabitatWildlife area · 28 ha · 0.2 km from the edge of town
Île-Garth Ecological ReserveNature reserve · 17 ha · 0.2 km from the edge of town
Îles-de-Boucherville National Park (Québec)Québec national park (provincial) · 814 ha · 7.3 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
7.3 km to Îles-de-Boucherville National Park (Québec)
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)
Îles-de-Boucherville National Park (Québec)
7.3 km east8.1 km²since 1984
No national park lies within 100 km of Laval; the provincial parks are the big protected land within reach. 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
Laval and its edge hold 548 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
548 km
in and around the town (346 km²)
Woodland
12%
about 42.6 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
LavalTowns in QuebecTypical Canadian town
Footpaths1.6
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
LavalTowns in QuebecTypical Canadian town
Woodland12%
0%50%100%
For woods, it beats 57% of Canadian towns. Paths are thinner on the ground than in 50% 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 Laval
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 city 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
Walking season in Laval: May to September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Montreal Trudeau (Airport) (12 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) | 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 | 2 | 11 | 19 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 21 | 13 | 6 | -1 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 86 | 66 | 77 | 90 | 86 | 84 | 91 | 94 | 89 | 103 | 84 | 92 |
A typical year sees 217 cm of snow. In July the typical high is 27 °C; in January, -5 °C. Most rain and snow falls in October, 103 mm; February sees 66 mm. The climate in Laval →
Beaches
Laval has 6 beaches close by
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Plage Lajeunessein town
DirectionsRoxboro Beachpebbles · 0.4 km from town
DirectionsPlage Martin2.5 km from town
DirectionsUnnamed on the map: 3 more. Whether the water is fit for a swim isn’t in any open national dataset; public health posts the local advisories.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Viewpoints and waterfalls near Laval: 43 and 1
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
The map shows 750 playgrounds, ahead of the rest.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 43
Belvédèrein town
DirectionsBelvédère de la rivière0.3 km from town
DirectionsBelvédère sur la rivière0.3 km from town
DirectionsBelvédère des hirondelles0.4 km from town
DirectionsBelvédère de la chauve-souris0.5 km from town
DirectionsBelvédère du marais0.5 km from town
DirectionsHalte0.6 km from town
DirectionsPlus 36 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 22
Berge de l'Orée-des-Boisin town
DirectionsBerge des Baigneursin town
DirectionsBois de l'Équerrein town
DirectionsBois de la Sourcein town
DirectionsBois Duvernayin town
DirectionsBois Papineauin town
DirectionsÎle Rondein town
DirectionsRéserve naturelle de l'Île Darlingin town
DirectionsPlus 14 nature reserves without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 34
Plus 34 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 750
Parc-école de l'Orée-des-Boisin town
DirectionsParc-École Ahuntsic1.0 km from town
DirectionsTerrain de jeu - École Sainte-Colette1.0 km from town
DirectionsSalon de Quilles Grande-Allée1.8 km from town
DirectionsPlus 746 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 17
Parc Binetin town
DirectionsParc canin du Haut-Saint-Françoisin town
DirectionsParc canin Falcoin town
DirectionsParc Canin de Chavigny0.4 km from town
DirectionsParc Canin0.7 km from town
DirectionsParc à chiens du parc Ahuntsic0.9 km from town
DirectionsParc Pilon dog park0.9 km from town
DirectionsParc à chiens du parc Gouin1.0 km from town
DirectionsPlus 9 dog parks without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Camping Au Plateau 5 Étoiles0.4 km from town
DirectionsSlipways 12
Plus 12 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
Near Laval: 3 gardens and parks to visit
Gardens and arboretums within 15 km of the town’s edge, and the historic gardens, parks and estates in the town itself, nearest first.
Ahuntsic ParkGarden or park · 1.0 km from town
DirectionsJarry ParkGarden or park · 4.6 km from town
DirectionsMontréal Botanical GardenNational Historic Site · 8.0 km from town
Its pageOne carries a national designation.
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 Laval
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Laval-des-RapidesChomedeyLe Boisé ChampêtrePont-ViauVimontSainte-RoseLaval
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laval | 8.1% | 89 | 0 | 6 |
| Laval-des-Rapides 2.9 km | 1.7% | 31 | 0 | 0 |
| Chomedey 3.0 km | 3.9% | 43 | 0 | 2 |
| Le Boisé Champêtre 3.4 km | 3.2% | 37 | 0 | 2 |
| Pont-Viau 3.8 km | 1.3% | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| Vimont 4.1 km | 1.9% | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| Sainte-Rose 4.9 km | 1.9% | 35 | 0 | 0 |
No neighbouring place reaches twice Laval’s protected share.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Walking routes. A route counts when 300 m or more of it lies within 2 km of the town. Coverage of trails on OpenStreetMap varies by region.
- 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. Private conservation land is in the totals, not the lists. Many such areas are easements on working farms or woodlots.
- 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. 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 Laval
What is the nearest national park to Laval?
No national park lies within 100 km of Laval.
When is the best time for walking in Laval?
May to September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
Is there a beach near Laval?
The nearest is Plage Lajeunesse, in town.
Is there protected land near Laval?
Yes: 8.1% of the land within 10 km is protected.
Which is the biggest protected area near Laval?
Lac des Deux Montagnes (Île Bizard) Water Fowl Gathering Area, a wildlife area of 895 ha.
What is the nearest provincial park to Laval?
Îles-de-Boucherville National Park (Québec), 7.3 km away.
Sources
Sources for this page on Laval
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).