![Couvent de Saint-Alban . - [1930]](https://images.townratings.com/ca/town_images/52434097/f52ea2553f88b099ecd7.jpg)
Photo: Unknown Unknown · Public domainWalk from Saint-Alban: 11 mapped routes
29% of the town lies within a protected area. For a national park, La Mauricie National Park is 43 km away. Of the country within 10 km, 7.5% lies in protected areas; the median Canadian town has 2.3%.
What sets Saint-Alban apart outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Out of doors, Saint-Alban leads with its choice of walking routes, with protected land around it close behind.
Each figure for Saint-Alban, 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. Outdoors isn’t graded in Canada. The page compares each figure with other towns and leaves it there.
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Saint-Alban comes 6th of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (1,264 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.
Among its peers, Saint-Alban’s strong point is protected land nearby, where 5 of 39 top it.
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 | Saint-Alban QC | 7.5% | 29% | 8 | 11 | 5 |
| 7 | Roberval QC | 6.1% | 1.2% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague QC | 5.8% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | North Frontenac ON | 5.7% | 5.2% | 13 | 6 | 4 |
| 10 | Cap-Chat QC | 5.3% | 0.4% | 13 | 0 | 10 |
| 11 | Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards ON | 4.4% | 1.5% | 9 | 0 | 4 |
| 12 | Saint-Polycarpe QC | 4.2% | 0% | 11 | 0 | 2 |
| 13 | Macassa ON | 4.1% | 0% | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| 14 | Saint-Damien QC | 4% | 3.2% | 22 | 1 | 9 |
| 15 | Unity SK | 3.4% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Sherwood ON | 3.4% | 0% | 19 | 2 | 0 |
| 17 | McNab SK | 2.6% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 18 | Mandeville QC | 2.5% | 1.8% | 19 | 4 | 7 |
| 19 | Esterhazy SK | 1.8% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | City Commercial Core ON | 1.8% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 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 |
Where the green is in Saint-Alban
Green space, woods, protected areas and footpaths in and around the town.
Most of Saint-Alban is more than 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.
For about 1,300 people, the nearest park is over 400 m away. Most towns do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%.
7.5% of the country within 10 km of Saint-Alban is protected
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Public ownership covers 6 of the 8. Biggest of the named areas: Long-Montauban White-Tailed Deer Yard, 7,430 ha. 2 areas belong to private owners or land trusts and aren’t named here.
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.
La Mauricie National Park is 43 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.
La Mauricie National Park
Jacques-Cartier National Park (Québec)
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.
Saint-Alban has 78 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 · km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Paths are thinner on the ground than in 71% of Canadian towns. For woods, it beats 90% 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.
Where to walk from Saint-Alban
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Among local routes, the Sentier Montauban is longest at 16.5 km. 3 are short walks under 3 km.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
The best months for walking in Saint-Alban: May, June, August and September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Fortierville (30 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 | 10 | 18 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 20 | 12 | 5 | -3 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 81 | 69 | 79 | 94 | 92 | 108 | 133 | 103 | 95 | 105 | 82 | 100 |
Some 253 cm of snow falls each winter. Summer brings the most rain: 133 mm in July; February gets 69 mm. Summer highs reach 26 °C in July; in January they stay near -7 °C. The climate in Saint-Alban →
5 beaches within 5 km of Saint-Alban, 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.
11 viewpoints near Saint-Alban
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 viewpoints: 11 on the map.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 11
Plus 11 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 3
Playgrounds 5
Plus 5 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 6
Plus 1 campsite without a name on the map.
Slipways 4
Plus 1 slipway without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next to Saint-Alban
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint-Alban | 7.5% | 8 | 11 | 5 |
| Saint-Marc-des-Carrières 8.6 km | 10% | 16 | 0 | 1 |
| Saint-Casimir 9.6 km | 7.5% | 12 | 0 | 1 |
| Saint-Ubalde 11 km | 7.5% | 4 | 7 | 8 |
| Deschambault-Grondines 16 km | 9.4% | 26 | 0 | 6 |
| Portneuf 17 km | 9.8% | 29 | 5 | 6 |
Around Saint-Alban, nobody nearby has double its protected land.
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. The share is of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s outline, from CPCAD’s mapped areas; marine areas count, so a coastal town can score high on water.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
- 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. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
Questions about the outdoors in Saint-Alban
When should you visit Saint-Alban for the outdoors?
On the normals, May, June, August and September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
What is the nearest national park to Saint-Alban?
La Mauricie National Park is closest, at 43 km.
What is the largest protected area near Saint-Alban?
It is Long-Montauban White-Tailed Deer Yard, a protected area covering 7,430 ha.
Are there protected areas near Saint-Alban?
Yes: 7.5% of the land within 10 km is protected.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Saint-Alban?
Jacques-Cartier National Park (Québec), 62 km from the edge of town.
What walking routes are near Saint-Alban?
OpenStreetMap maps the Sept Merveilleux, Des Chutes à Marcotte and Des Sommets close by, with others.
Where can you swim near Saint-Alban?
There are beaches within 5 km, none of them named.
Sources for this page on Saint-Alban
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).