First pick
Parc Saint-Jacques
Park or garden
25 ha2.2 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.2 km of path
6.0 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: SaguenayMaville · CC BY-SA 4.06%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Saguenay · parks, protected land & trails
A provincial park at Saguenay’s edge: Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park
The 10 km around town hold 29 protected areas. For a swim, Battures aux Loups Marins is the nearest of 11 beaches within 5 km. 6% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%).
Protected land
6%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
29
within 10 km, 25 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park
Beaches
11
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
Where Saguenay stands out outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
A provincial park at the edgeSaguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park reaches the townMany protected areas25 public areas within 10 kmBeaches11 beaches within 5 km
What Saguenay has most to offer outdoors is a provincial park at its edge, with the number of public protected areas close by close behind.
Against other towns
Saguenay against 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. This page carries no grade, because Canada’s grading doesn’t cover the outdoors; the comparisons are the point.
Protected within 10 km6%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town6.1%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas25Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches11Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Saguenay has the 14th most protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (103,888 to 222,031 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
Saguenay6%
Towns its size3.9%
Towns in Quebec4.9%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Saguenay25
Towns its size15
Towns in Quebec10
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Saguenay0
Towns its size2
Towns in Quebec0
Typical Canadian town0
Saguenay beats most towns its size for public protected areas; 10 of 39 do better. On walking routes it is behind: 32 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maple Ridge BC | 26% | 21% | 101 | 1 | 41 |
| 2 | Coquitlam BC | 25% | 28% | 130 | 5 | 69 |
| 3 | Delta BC | 24% | 17% | 181 | 9 | 19 |
| 4 | Kamloops BC | 14% | 13% | 16 | 0 | 11 |
| 5 | Kelowna BC | 13% | 3.8% | 36 | 0 | 42 |
| 6 | Chilliwack BC | 11% | 7.7% | 36 | 4 | 26 |
| 7 | Saanich BC | 11% | 9.4% | 43 | 7 | 56 |
| 8 | Strathcona County AB | 9.4% | 1.4% | 38 | 7 | 6 |
| 9 | Trois-Rivières QC | 8.4% | 1.2% | 44 | 1 | 10 |
| 10 | Cape Breton NS | 8.2% | 8.6% | 176 | 1 | 74 |
| 11 | Victoria BC | 8% | 0.9% | 20 | 4 | 34 |
| 12 | Pickering ON | 7.6% | 11% | 46 | 1 | 11 |
| 13 | Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury ON | 6.7% | 3.5% | 43 | 5 | 18 |
| 14 | Saguenay QC | 6% | 6.1% | 29 | 0 | 11 |
| 15 | Kingston ON | 5% | 6.2% | 54 | 2 | 5 |
| 16 | Ajax ON | 4.9% | 5.8% | 31 | 1 | 8 |
| 17 | Lévis QC | 4.1% | 0.6% | 62 | 1 | 8 |
| 18 | Sherbrooke QC | 4.1% | 0.8% | 23 | 2 | 3 |
| 19 | Whitby ON | 3.9% | 4.7% | 37 | 1 | 3 |
| 20 | Abbotsford BC | 3.9% | 0.5% | 37 | 2 | 10 |
| 21 | Terrebonne QC | 3.8% | 3.6% | 60 | 0 | 3 |
| 22 | Langley BC | 3.5% | 2.9% | 144 | 8 | 10 |
| 23 | Barrie ON | 2.6% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 8 |
| 24 | Burlington ON | 2.5% | 1.6% | 27 | 2 | 17 |
| 25 | Oshawa ON | 2.4% | 0.3% | 30 | 1 | 4 |
| 26 | St. John's NL | 2.2% | 1.2% | 6 | 1 | 41 |
| 27 | Richmond Hill ON | 1.9% | 8.4% | 51 | 1 | 0 |
| 28 | Nanaimo BC | 1.9% | 6.7% | 42 | 2 | 33 |
| 29 | Cambridge ON | 1.7% | 0.4% | 33 | 10 | 2 |
| 30 | Bowmanville ON | 1.6% | 3% | 25 | 2 | 9 |
| 31 | Milton ON | 1.3% | 0% | 38 | 15 | 3 |
| 32 | St. Catharines ON | 1.2% | 1.7% | 15 | 4 | 7 |
| 33 | Niagara Falls ON | 1.1% | 1.7% | 15 | 3 | 4 |
| 34 | Chatham ON | 1% | 1% | 21 | 0 | 8 |
| 35 | Guelph ON | 0.9% | 3.1% | 15 | 10 | 5 |
| 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
Where the green is in Saguenay
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 Saguenay: 30 named parks and woods
The biggest is Parc Saint-Jacques, 25 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
30 named parks and woods, 139 ha in all
Parks & gardens 139 ha
It is shared out: the largest place is only 18% of the whole.
Zone portuaire de Chicoutimi
Park or garden
11 ha2.8 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.8 km of path
3.7 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Parc Pyramide des Ha!Ha!
Park or garden
6.4 ha1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
20 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Parc de la Rivière-aux-Sables
Park or garden
4.8 ha1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
12 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Parc Bon-Air
Park or garden
6.4 ha0.4 km of path
5.1 km north-eastfrom the centre
Sentier parc bon-air
Directionsto a point inside
Parc de Mars
Park or garden
4.6 ha1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
18 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Parc Saint-JacquesPark or garden · 25 ha · 2.2 km of path
DirectionsZone portuaire de ChicoutimiPark or garden · 11 ha · 2.8 km of path
DirectionsParc Saint-AntoinePark or garden · 13 ha
DirectionsParc Pyramide des Ha!Ha!Park or garden · 6.4 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsParc de la Rivière-aux-SablesPark or garden · 4.8 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsParc Bon-AirPark or garden · 6.4 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsParc de MarsPark or garden · 4.6 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsParc J.-Alcide-ReidPark or garden · 5.3 ha
DirectionsParc Saint-LaurentPark or garden · 4.9 ha
DirectionsPlace de Saint-PhilippePark or garden · 4.8 ha
DirectionsParc Rosaire-GauthierPark or garden · 4.1 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsParc Alonzo-GravelPark or garden · 3.9 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsParc de la CollinePark or garden · 4.2 ha
DirectionsParc Jean-BéliveauPark or garden · 4.1 ha
DirectionsParc des VétéransPark or garden · 2.9 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsParc Gaston-GagnonPark or garden · 3.1 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsParc des HirondellesPark or garden · 2.5 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsCRFM de BagotvillePark or garden · 2.9 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsParc Sainte-MariePark or garden · 2.6 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsParc Saint-Jean-BaptistePark or garden · 2.9 ha
DirectionsParc Victor-GuimondPark or garden · 2.7 ha
DirectionsParc DeschênesPark or garden · 2.4 ha
DirectionsParc de la CharentePark or garden · 2.2 ha
DirectionsParc MurdockPark or garden · 2.2 ha
DirectionsParc du BassinPark or garden · 1.5 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsParc Jean-AllardPark or garden · 1.5 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsParc Sainte-ClairePark or garden · 1.5 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsParc Saint-JoachimPark or garden · 1.7 ha
DirectionsParc Saint-AlfredPark or garden · 1.5 ha
DirectionsParc de FatimaPark or garden · 1.5 ha
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
5 in 10 people in Saguenay 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 (49%)Further (51%)
Saguenay49%
Towns in Quebec52%
Typical Canadian town83%
In the typical Canadian town the share is 83%, higher than here. About 78,000 residents live further than 400 m from one.
Protected areas
Around Saguenay, protected areas make up 6%
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Saguenay6.1%
Within 10 km6%
Towns in Quebec4.9%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Of the 29, 25 are public land; the others are privately held. Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park is the biggest, 124,600 ha. 4 more areas within 10 km are private land, held by landowners or conservation groups: counted here, not named.
Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine ParkProvincial park · 124,600 ha · reaches Saguenay
Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine ParkMunicipal park · 124,600 ha · reaches Saguenay
Saguenay Fjord Upstream ClosureNature reserve · 10,850 ha · reaches Saguenay
Rang Saint-Martin Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 290 ha · reaches Saguenay
Cap à la Loutre Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 232 ha · reaches Saguenay
02352R026 Biological RefugeWildlife area · 227 ha · reaches Saguenay
02351R065 Biological RefugeWildlife area · 172 ha · reaches Saguenay
02351R304 Biological RefugeWildlife area · 128 ha · reaches Saguenay
Grande Baie Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 79 ha · reaches Saguenay
Battures du Cap Saint-François Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 27 ha · reaches Saguenay
14 more named areas within 10 km are in the figures.
1 area recorded only by its type (a provincial layer such as wildlife habitat areas) is counted, not listed.
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
From the edge of Saguenay, Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park begins
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
Provincial park
Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park
At the edge1,246 km²since 1998
Québec national park (provincial)
Fjord-du-Saguenay National Park (Québec)
1.7 km east327 km²since 1983
For a national park, people in Saguenay travel more than 100 km. There are 2 provincial parks within 10 km. Note that Québec calls its provincial parks parcs nationaux; Sépaq manages them.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
935 km of paths in and around Saguenay
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
935 km
in and around the town (1,506.1 km²)
Woodland
58%
about 876.8 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
SaguenayTowns in QuebecTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.6
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
SaguenayTowns in QuebecTypical Canadian town
Woodland58%
0%50%100%
For path density, 64% of Canadian towns do better. Woods cover more of it than in 87% 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 named walking route passes Saguenay on the map
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
No named route shows within 2 km of the town; volunteers map trails unevenly from one region to the next.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
May is the best month for walking in Saguenay
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Bagotville (11 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) | 8.7 | 10.1 | 11.7 | 13.6 | 15.2 | 16.1 | 15.7 | 14.3 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.1 | 8.3 |
| High (°C) | -10 | -7 | -1 | 7 | 17 | 22 | 25 | 23 | 18 | 10 | 2 | -5 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 58 | 48 | 58 | 61 | 78 | 89 | 112 | 100 | 102 | 92 | 66 | 64 |
Rain peaks with the heat: 112 mm in July, against 48 mm in February. From -10 °C in January to 25 °C in July: that is the range of daytime highs. The yearly snowfall is near 302 cm. The climate in Saguenay →
Beaches
11 beaches within 5 km of Saguenay
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Battures aux Loups Marinsin town
DirectionsLes Batturesin town
DirectionsPlage de La Baiesand · in town
DirectionsPlage de la zone portuaire de Chicoutimimixed · in town
DirectionsOpenStreetMap shows 7 more, nameless. Beach water tests aren’t published as open data across Canada, so swimming advisories come from the local health unit.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Viewpoints and waterfalls near Saguenay: 30 and 3
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
30Viewpoints3Hills and peaks3Waterfalls4Nature reserves6Picnic sites33Playgrounds17Campsites7Slipways
Mont Bélu, 190 m, is the high point nearby. 33 playgrounds top the list.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 30
Belvédere Descôteauxin town
Directionsparois d’escaladein town
DirectionsCap à l'Aigle0.5 km from town
DirectionsPlus 27 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 3
Waterfalls 3
Chute-à-Caronin town
DirectionsChutes à Martelin town
DirectionsPlus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 4
Centre de plein air de Bec-Sciein town
DirectionsParc Mont Jacobin town
DirectionsParc Rivière-du-Moulinin town
DirectionsRéserve naturelle du Boisé-Verdonein town
DirectionsPicnic sites 6
Plus 6 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 33
McDonald's PlayPlacein town
DirectionsParc du Chemin De La Batturein town
DirectionsParc Louis-Hémondin town
DirectionsParc Marsin town
DirectionsPlus 29 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 17
Camping au Jardin de mon pèrein town
DirectionsCamping de Jonquière Inc.in town
DirectionsCamping la Rocaillein town
DirectionsCamping Saguenayin town
DirectionsCentre touristique du Lac-Kénogamiin town
DirectionsCamping Cyriac Buckell0.5 km from town
DirectionsCamping Inukshuk0.6 km from town
DirectionsCamping Pikauba0.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 9 campsites without a name on the map.
Slipways 7
La Baiein town
DirectionsMarina Saguenayin town
DirectionsRoute de Portage-Lapointein town
DirectionsChemin de la Rive0.4 km from town
DirectionsSaint-Fulgence1.8 km from town
DirectionsPlus 2 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Saguenay
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Saint-FulgenceSaint-HonoréSaguenay
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saguenay | 6% | 29 | 0 | 11 |
| Saint-Fulgence 14 km | 28% | 25 | 3 | 2 |
| Saint-Honoré 14 km | 5.5% | 14 | 0 | 5 |
Saint-Fulgence has the most mapped walking routes nearby: 3. Around Saint-Fulgence the protected share is at least double.
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.
- 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. National parks are Parks Canada’s; provincial parks are the province’s or territory’s, Québec’s parcs nationaux among them.
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
Questions about the outdoors in Saguenay
Is Saguenay near a national park?
No national park lies within 100 km of Saguenay.
When should you visit Saguenay for the outdoors?
On the normals, May: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
Are there protected areas near Saguenay?
Yes: 6% of the land within 10 km is protected.
Which is the biggest protected area near Saguenay?
Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park, a provincial park of 124,600 ha.
What is the nearest beach to Saguenay?
Battures aux Loups Marins, in town, is the nearest mapped beach.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Saguenay?
Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park touches the town.
Sources
The sources behind Saguenay’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.
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).