First pick
Jardin botanique Roger-Van den Hende
Park or garden
9.6 ha1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
1.1 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Gabriel Picard · CC BY-SA 4.04.1%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Cité-Universitaire · parks, protected land & trails
From Cité-Universitaire, Jacques-Cartier National Park (Québec) is the nearest provincial park (35 km)
For a swim, Plage Samuel de Champlain is the nearest of 5 beaches within 5 km. OpenStreetMap shows one walking route nearby, the De Cap en Cap 1. The 10 km around town hold 20 protected areas.
Protected land
4.1%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
20
within 10 km, 11 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
35 km
Jacques-Cartier National Park (Québec)
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
5
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What sets Cité-Universitaire apart outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Beaches5 beaches within 5 kmParks are a drive awayThe nearest provincial park, Jacques-Cartier National Park (Québec), is 35 km off
Out of doors, Cité-Universitaire leads with its beaches. What it lacks is a big park within easy reach.
Against other towns
Each figure for Cité-Universitaire, set against 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. This page carries no grade, because Canada’s grading doesn’t cover the outdoors; the comparisons are the point.
Protected within 10 km4.1%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas11Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes1Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches5Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Cité-Universitaire has the 14th most protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (22,012 to 23,115 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
Cité-Universitaire4.1%
Towns its size2.4%
Towns in Quebec4.9%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Cité-Universitaire11
Towns its size5
Towns in Quebec10
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Cité-Universitaire1
Towns its size1
Towns in Quebec0
Typical Canadian town0
Among its peers, Cité-Universitaire’s strong point is public protected areas, where 9 of 39 top it.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electoral Area A, Metro Vancouver BC | 26% | 34% | 203 | 11 | 269 |
| 2 | Colwood BC | 19% | 2.3% | 36 | 4 | 21 |
| 3 | Saint-Lazare QC | 13% | 0% | 42 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | Cornell ON | 12% | 16% | 9 | 2 | 1 |
| 5 | South End NS | 11% | 4.5% | 19 | 6 | 22 |
| 6 | Snowdon QC | 10% | 0% | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Berczy Village ON | 9.3% | 0% | 17 | 1 | 1 |
| 8 | Mont-Royal QC | 7.5% | 0% | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Heights BC | 6.7% | 0% | 11 | 3 | 52 |
| 10 | Du College/Hodge QC | 6% | 0% | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Old Barrhaven West ON | 6% | 0% | 18 | 2 | 0 |
| 12 | Rivière-Blanche QC | 5.8% | 8.1% | 45 | 0 | 2 |
| 13 | Uxbridge ON | 4.8% | 5.1% | 25 | 2 | 1 |
| 14 | Cité-Universitaire QC | 4.1% | 0% | 20 | 1 | 5 |
| 15 | Brentwood BC | 4% | 0% | 12 | 2 | 29 |
| 16 | Riverview NB | 2.7% | 2.3% | 10 | 1 | 1 |
| 17 | Eglinton East ON | 2.6% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 5 |
| 18 | Birchcliffe-Cliffside ON | 2.5% | 0% | 14 | 2 | 19 |
| 19 | Cranbrook BC | 2.4% | 0% | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Flemingdon Park ON | 2.4% | 17% | 13 | 0 | 1 |
| 21 | Church-Wellesley ON | 2.3% | 0% | 11 | 9 | 20 |
| 22 | East End-Danforth ON | 2.2% | 0% | 13 | 3 | 24 |
| 23 | Moss Park ON | 2.2% | 0% | 10 | 9 | 43 |
| 24 | Sainte-Lucie QC | 2% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Steeles ON | 1.9% | 0% | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Bayview Village ON | 1.7% | 16% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Bedford Park-Nortown ON | 1.4% | 0% | 14 | 2 | 0 |
| 28 | Joliette QC | 1.2% | 0.8% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Red Deer County AB | 1.1% | 1.1% | 76 | 1 | 60 |
| 30 | High Park-Swansea ON | 0.9% | 5% | 9 | 4 | 17 |
| 31 | Kingsview Village-The Westway ON | 0.9% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Binbrook ON | 0.9% | 0.2% | 22 | 2 | 1 |
| 33 | Willowridge-Martingrove-Richview ON | 0.7% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 34 | High Park North ON | 0.6% | 0% | 10 | 4 | 15 |
| 35 | New Hamburg ON | 0.4% | 0% | 18 | 3 | 1 |
| 36 | Humber Bay Shores ON | 0.3% | 0% | 6 | 3 | 18 |
| 37 | Rockcliffe-Smythe ON | 0.3% | 0% | 9 | 1 | 8 |
| 38 | Erindale ON | 0.2% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 39 | Cobourg ON | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 40 | Yellowknife NT | 0% | 0% | 0 | 7 | 4 |
The map
The green map of Cité-Universitaire
The neighbourhood’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
17 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Cité-Universitaire
Jardin botanique Roger-Van den Hende is the largest, at 9.6 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
17 named parks and woods, 40 ha in all
Parks & gardens 33 haWoods 6.8 ha
41% of the area is in just two places: Jardin botanique Roger-Van den Hende and Parc linéaire du coteau Sainte-Geneviève.
Parc Saint-Denys
Park or garden
5.4 ha1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
1.3 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Parc Saint-Yves
Park or garden · 260 m outside town
5.1 ha1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
1.9 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Parc Saint-Jean-Baptiste de La Salle
Park or garden
2.0 ha0.6 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
0.7 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Parc Roland-Beaudin
Park or garden
1.9 ha0.4 km of path
1.7 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Parc Notre-Dame-de-Foy
Park or garden
1.8 ha0.4 km of path
1.6 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Parc linéaire du coteau Sainte-Geneviève
Wood or forest
6.8 ha
1.8 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Centre de glisse Myrand
Park or garden
1.9 ha
1.0 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 17 named parks and green spaces
Jardin botanique Roger-Van den HendePark or garden · 9.6 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsParc Saint-DenysPark or garden · 5.4 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsParc Saint-YvesPark or garden · 5.1 ha · 1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsParc Saint-Jean-Baptiste de La SallePark or garden · 2.0 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsParc Roland-BeaudinPark or garden · 1.9 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsParc Notre-Dame-de-FoyPark or garden · 1.8 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsParc linéaire du coteau Sainte-GenevièveWood or forest · 6.8 ha
DirectionsCentre de glisse MyrandPark or garden · 1.9 ha
DirectionsParc MyrandPark or garden · 0.9 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsParc RossPark or garden · 1.2 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsParc Nérée TremblayPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsParc Anet-GominPark or garden · 0.7 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsParc du VerdierPark or garden · 0.5 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsParc Roméo-VachonPark or garden · 0.5 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsParc Nicolas PinelPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsJardin biologique de l'Université LavalPark or garden · 0.5 ha
DirectionsParc du Collège Stanislas de QuébecPark 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 9 in 10 in Cité-Universitaire
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 (91%)Further (8.9%)
Cité-Universitaire91%
Towns in Quebec52%
Typical Canadian town83%
It is above the typical Canadian town (83%). Around 2,000 residents are further than 400 m from a park.
Protected areas
4.1% of the land around Cité-Universitaire 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 Cité-Universitaire0%
Within 10 km4.1%
Towns in Quebec4.9%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
11 of the 20 are on public land. At 311 ha, Battures de Beauport Water Fowl Gathering Area is the largest. 9 areas belong to private owners or land trusts and aren’t named here.
Saint-Romuald Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 194 ha · 2.2 km from the edge of town
Baribeau Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 130 ha · 2.2 km from the edge of town
Marina de Lévis Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 181 ha · 3.2 km from the edge of town
Cap-Rouge Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 94 ha · 3.7 km from the edge of town
Plage Saint-Laurent Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 250 ha · 5.4 km from the edge of town
Saint-Nicolas (Anse Méthot) Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 250 ha · 6.0 km from the edge of town
Battures de Beauport Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 153 ha · 6.7 km from the edge of town
Battures de Beauport Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 311 ha · 8.0 km from the edge of town
Saint-Nicolas (Anse Ross) Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 139 ha · 8.5 km from the edge of town
Île à Gagnon Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 118 ha · 8.8 km from the edge of town
1 more named area within 10 km is in the comparison 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
35 km to Jacques-Cartier 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)
Jacques-Cartier National Park (Québec)
35 km north671 km²since 1981
Canada’s national parks are all more than 100 km from Cité-Universitaire, so the parks here are provincial. Québec’s parcs nationaux are provincial parks, run by Sépaq; Parks Canada’s national parks are separate.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Cité-Universitaire has 57 km of footpaths in and around it
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
57 km
in and around the town (23.9 km²)
Woodland
5.3%
about 1.3 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
Cité-UniversitaireTowns in QuebecTypical Canadian town
Footpaths2.4
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Cité-UniversitaireTowns in QuebecTypical Canadian town
Woodland5.3%
0%50%100%
It has more footpath per km² than 62% of Canadian towns. Woods cover less of it than in 60% 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 Cité-Universitaire
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Other waymarked
De Cap en Cap 110.1 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 Cité-Universitaire: May and August
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Quebec Jean Lesage (Airport) (7.4 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) | 8.9 | 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 | 1 | 8 | 18 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 19 | 11 | 4 | -3 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 87 | 66 | 78 | 94 | 92 | 115 | 119 | 109 | 111 | 116 | 91 | 96 |
Expect 119 mm in July, warm and wet, and 66 mm in February. From -7 °C in January to 25 °C in July: that is the range of daytime highs. The yearly snowfall is near 299 cm. The climate in Cité-Universitaire →
Beaches
Beaches near Cité-Universitaire: 5 within 5 km
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Plage Samuel de Champlainsand · 1.3 km from town
DirectionsPlage Gagnon2.5 km from town
Directions3 more are mapped without a name. Canada publishes no open register of beach water tests; the local public health unit posts swimming advisories.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Near Cité-Universitaire: 14 viewpoints on the map
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
The most common are playgrounds: 73 on the map.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 14
Belvédère de la côte de Sillery1.6 km from town
DirectionsBelvédère de Tequenonday1.6 km from town
DirectionsQuai des Cageux1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 11 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 16
Plus 16 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 73
Parc Saint-Charles-Garnier0.4 km from town
DirectionsParc Lionel Bertrand1.2 km from town
DirectionsPlus 71 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 3
Plus 3 dog parks without a name on the map.
Slipways 2
Rampe de mise à l'eau Anse au Foulon1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 slipway without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
3 gardens and historic parks to visit near Cité-Universitaire
Gardens and arboretums within 15 km of the town’s edge, and the historic gardens, parks and estates in the town itself, nearest first.
Roger-Van den Hende botanical gardenGarden or park · at the edge of town
DirectionsBois-de-Coulonge ParkGarden or park · 1.3 km from town
DirectionsParc VictoriaGarden or park · 3.5 km from town
DirectionsSources: 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 Cité-Universitaire
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
SilleryPlateauSaint-LouisSaint-SacrementDuberger—Les SaulesPointe-de-Sainte-FoyCité-Universitaire
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cité-Universitaire | 4.1% | 20 | 1 | 5 |
| Sillery 2.5 km | 4.8% | 24 | 1 | 5 |
| Plateau 2.6 km | 4.1% | 18 | 2 | 4 |
| Saint-Louis 2.7 km | 4.3% | 15 | 2 | 4 |
| Saint-Sacrement 2.8 km | 4% | 19 | 1 | 2 |
| Duberger—Les Saules 3.6 km | 3.7% | 29 | 1 | 4 |
| Pointe-de-Sainte-Foy 4.0 km | 4.8% | 15 | 2 | 3 |
No place nearby has double Cité-Universitaire’s share of protected land.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
- 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.
- 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.
- Walking routes. Routes are what OpenStreetMap’s volunteers have mapped as named walking or hiking routes; many good trails aren’t mapped that way.
Questions about the outdoors in Cité-Universitaire
Is there a provincial park near Cité-Universitaire?
Jacques-Cartier National Park (Québec), 35 km from the edge of town.
Where can you swim near Cité-Universitaire?
Plage Samuel de Champlain, 1.3 km from town, is the nearest mapped beach.
What walking routes are near Cité-Universitaire?
Try the De Cap en Cap 1.
Are there protected areas near Cité-Universitaire?
Yes: 4.1% of the land within 10 km is protected.
What is the largest protected area near Cité-Universitaire?
Battures de Beauport Water Fowl Gathering Area: 311 ha, a wildlife area.
What is the nearest national park to Cité-Universitaire?
None within 100 km of Cité-Universitaire.
When is the best time for walking in Cité-Universitaire?
On the normals, May and August: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
Sources
The sources behind Cité-Universitaire’s outdoors figures
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).