First pick
Parc Chauveau
Park or garden
101 ha12.3 km of path
2 h 45 minto walk all 12.3 km of path
2.3 km eastfrom the centre
Parc Linéaire des Rivières Saint-Charles et du Berger
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Iceberg9999 · CC BY-SA 4.01.3%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Des Châtels · parks, protected land & trails
The nearest provincial park to Des Châtels is Jacques-Cartier National Park (Québec), 27 km away
The Montée du Paradis Hike is the one mapped walking route close by. OpenStreetMap shows 2 unnamed beaches within 5 km. The nearest national park is more than 100 km away.
Protected land
1.3%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
25
within 10 km, 6 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
27 km
Jacques-Cartier National Park (Québec)
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
2
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
How Des Châtels 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. Outdoors isn’t graded in Canada. The page compares each figure with other towns and leaves it there.
Protected within 10 km1.3%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 areas6Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes1Named 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
Des Châtels sits 15th from last of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (14,590 to 15,083 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
Des Châtels1.3%
Towns its size2.2%
Towns in Quebec4.9%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Des Châtels6
Towns its size6
Towns in Quebec10
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Des Châtels1
Towns its size1
Towns in Quebec0
Typical Canadian town0
For protected land nearby, Des Châtels lags towns its size: 25 of 39 are ahead.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arbutus Ridge BC | 15% | 0% | 12 | 2 | 62 |
| 2 | Rivière-Gatineau QC | 13% | 0% | 38 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | Mont-Laurier QC | 9.7% | 4.6% | 29 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | Vieux-Montréal QC | 8% | 0% | 28 | 1 | 6 |
| 5 | Dupéré QC | 7.7% | 0% | 23 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 | Middle Sackville NS | 6.4% | 6.5% | 25 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 | Vieux-Bourg QC | 6.1% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 5 |
| 8 | Saint-Louis QC | 6.1% | 0.1% | 19 | 1 | 3 |
| 9 | Bécancour QC | 6% | 1.1% | 42 | 1 | 13 |
| 10 | Peace Village ON | 5.7% | 0.6% | 44 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Powell River BC | 5.5% | 0.1% | 5 | 6 | 9 |
| 12 | Vales of Castlemore ON | 5.2% | 21% | 15 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | Guildford BC | 4.5% | 4% | 125 | 4 | 5 |
| 14 | Buttonville ON | 3.2% | 0% | 34 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Royal Orchard ON | 3% | 0% | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | Long Sault ON | 2.6% | 2.5% | 14 | 0 | 9 |
| 17 | Orsainville QC | 2.5% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 6 |
| 18 | Taylor-Massey ON | 2.3% | 13% | 12 | 1 | 15 |
| 19 | Doon South ON | 2.3% | 16% | 22 | 2 | 0 |
| 20 | Springbrook ON | 2.2% | 15% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Hyde Park ON | 2.2% | 0.6% | 15 | 2 | 0 |
| 22 | South London ON | 2% | 1.2% | 15 | 2 | 0 |
| 23 | North Battleford SK | 1.9% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Lawrence Park South ON | 1.7% | 0% | 15 | 2 | 1 |
| 25 | Lawrence Park North ON | 1.5% | 0% | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| 26 | Des Châtels QC | 1.3% | 0% | 25 | 1 | 2 |
| 27 | Pont-Viau QC | 1.3% | 0% | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Roncesvalles ON | 1.3% | 0% | 10 | 4 | 17 |
| 29 | Lakewood SK | 1.3% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 3 |
| 30 | Ingersoll ON | 1.1% | 0% | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| 31 | Briar Hill-Belgravia ON | 1% | 0% | 13 | 2 | 0 |
| 32 | Windermere AB | 1% | 2.3% | 12 | 2 | 0 |
| 33 | Chappelle AB | 0.8% | 0% | 12 | 1 | 1 |
| 34 | Carleton Place ON | 0.6% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 35 | Rockwood ON | 0.5% | 0.4% | 27 | 15 | 5 |
| 36 | Lacombe AB | 0.5% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Truro NS | 0.1% | 0.3% | 10 | 4 | 0 |
| 38 | Mountain View County AB | 0.1% | 0.1% | 11 | 0 | 1 |
| 39 | Cooksville NHD (West) ON | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 40 | Portage la Prairie MB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Des Châtels on the map: green space, protected land and paths
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
20 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Des Châtels
Parc Chauveau is the largest, at 101 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
20 named parks and woods, 217 ha in all
Parks & gardens 212 haWoods 5.4 ha
Between them, Parc Chauveau and Parc linéaire de la rivière Saint-Charles cover 88%.
Parc linéaire de la rivière Saint-Charles
Park or garden
90 ha7.2 km of path
1 h 35 minto walk all 7.2 km of path
10 km eastfrom the centre
Parc Linéaire des Rivières Saint-Charles et du Berger
Directionsto a point inside
Parc de la Chanterelle
Park or garden · 70 m outside town
7.4 ha1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
4.3 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Parc Véga
Park or garden
2.8 ha0.4 km of path
Centralin the middle of Des Châtels
Directionsto a point inside
Parc des Musiciens
Park or garden
1.8 ha0.5 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.5 km of path
1.4 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Parc de conservation Jordi Bonet
Wood or forest
5.4 ha0.3 km of path
2.1 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Terrain de jeu Montchâtel
Park or garden
1.2 ha0.1 km of path
2.3 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Parc Saint-Luc
Park or garden · 240 m outside town
1.0 ha0.2 km of path
1.0 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 20 named parks and green spaces
Parc ChauveauPark or garden · 101 ha · 12.3 km of path
DirectionsParc linéaire de la rivière Saint-CharlesPark or garden · 90 ha · 7.2 km of path
DirectionsParc de la ChanterellePark or garden · 7.4 ha · 1.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsParc VégaPark or garden · 2.8 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsParc des MusiciensPark or garden · 1.8 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsParc de conservation Jordi BonetWood or forest · 5.4 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsTerrain de jeu MontchâtelPark or garden · 1.2 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsParc Saint-LucPark or garden · 1.0 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsParc du Père-JoguesPark or garden · 0.8 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsParc des SureauxPark or garden · 0.8 ha
DirectionsParc des CapucinsPark or garden · 0.7 ha · just outside town
DirectionsParc Marguerite-BourgeoysPark or garden · 0.6 ha · just outside town
DirectionsParc VanierPark or garden · 0.4 ha
DirectionsParc de MexicoPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsParc Denise-PelletierPark or garden · 0.5 ha
DirectionsParc BoivinPark or garden · 0.4 ha · just outside town
DirectionsParc Pierre-LaportePark or garden · 0.3 ha · just outside town
DirectionsParc AdagioPark or garden · 0.4 ha · just outside town
DirectionsParc CourtelinePark or garden · 0.4 ha · just outside town
DirectionsParc des ChevaliersPark or garden · 0.3 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 7 in 10 in Des Châtels
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 (73%)Further (27%)
Des Châtels73%
Towns in Quebec52%
Typical Canadian town83%
That leaves about 4,000 people more than a short walk away. Most towns do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%.
Protected areas
1.3% of the land around Des Châtels 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 Des Châtels0%
Within 10 km1.3%
Towns in Quebec4.9%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
6 of the 25 belong to a government or an Indigenous nation. The largest named one is Saint-Nicolas (Anse Méthot) Water Fowl Gathering Area, at 250 ha. Another 19 are privately owned conservation land; they count in the figures but aren’t named, as private land isn’t a place to visit.
Cap-Rouge Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 94 ha · 8.0 km from the edge of town
Plage Saint-Laurent Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 250 ha · 8.9 km from the edge of town
Saint-Romuald Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 194 ha · 9.3 km from the edge of town
Île à Gagnon Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 118 ha · 9.8 km from the edge of town
Baribeau Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 130 ha · 9.9 km from the edge of town
Saint-Nicolas (Anse Méthot) Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 250 ha · 10.0 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
Jacques-Cartier National Park (Québec) is 27 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)
27 km north671 km²since 1981
There is no national park within 100 km; for big parks, Des Châtels has its province’s. Despite the name, a Québec parc national is a provincial park.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Des Châtels has 118 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
118 km
in and around the town (37.6 km²)
Woodland
28%
about 10.3 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
Des ChâtelsTowns in QuebecTypical Canadian town
Footpaths3.1
024 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Des ChâtelsTowns in QuebecTypical Canadian town
Woodland28%
0%50%100%
Paths are denser here than in 73% of Canadian towns. For woods, it beats 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
1 walking route near Des Châtels
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
Montée du Paradis Hike0.4 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 Des Châtels: May and August
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Quebec Jean Lesage (Airport), 4.6 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 | 8.5 |
| 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 |
Winter brings about 299 cm of snow. The warmest days come in July (25 °C highs), the coldest in January (-7 °C). July brings both the warmest days and the most rain (119 mm); February is driest (66 mm). The climate in Des Châtels →
Beaches
2 beaches within 5 km of Des Châtels, none named
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
This page can’t show water quality: no open, Canada-wide record of beach testing exists. Check local advisories first.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Viewpoints and waterfalls near Des Châtels: 3 and 2
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
The map shows 79 playgrounds, ahead of the rest.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 1
Mont Châtelin town
DirectionsNature reserves 2
Parc de Montchâtelin town
DirectionsRéserve naturelle de l’Échappée-Belle0.3 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 5
Plus 5 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 79
Plus 79 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Camping Québec en Ville0.2 km from town
DirectionsSlipways 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 Des Châtels
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
LorettevilleWendakeL'Ancienne-LoretteNeufchatel Est—LebourgneufVal-BélairSaint-ÉmileDes Châtels
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Châtels | 1.3% | 25 | 1 | 2 |
| Loretteville 1.7 km | 1.1% | 21 | 1 | 2 |
| Wendake 3.1 km | 1.1% | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| L'Ancienne-Lorette 4.1 km | 3.9% | 29 | 1 | 1 |
| Neufchatel Est—Lebourgneuf 4.2 km | 3.2% | 26 | 1 | 4 |
| Val-Bélair 4.6 km | 1.7% | 27 | 2 | 12 |
| Saint-Émile 4.7 km | 2% | 25 | 1 | 3 |
For protected land, L'Ancienne-Lorette and Neufchatel Est—Lebourgneuf have twice as much or more.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- 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.
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
- 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. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
Questions about the outdoors in Des Châtels
When is the best time for walking in Des Châtels?
On the normals, May and August: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
Is Des Châtels near a national park?
None within 100 km of Des Châtels.
What is the nearest provincial park to Des Châtels?
Jacques-Cartier National Park (Québec), 27 km away.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Des Châtels?
It is Saint-Nicolas (Anse Méthot) Water Fowl Gathering Area, a wildlife area covering 250 ha.
Where can you walk near Des Châtels?
OpenStreetMap maps the Montée du Paradis Hike close by.
Is there a beach near Des Châtels?
The beaches mapped within 5 km have no names on the map.
Are there protected areas near Des Châtels?
Protected areas cover 1.3% of the land within 10 km.
Sources
Where Des Châtels’ 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).