First pick
Parc de l'Île-Melville
Park or garden
39 ha2.8 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.8 km of path
4.8 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Fairchild Aviation Limited (d'après l'inscription dans le coin inférieur droit de la photo) · Public domain24%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Shawinigan · parks, protected land & trails
La Mauricie National Park surrounds Shawinigan
Within its own boundary, 61% of the town is protected. Out to 10 km from the town’s edge, 24% of the land is protected; 2.3% is typical for a Canadian town. For walks, 16 named routes run within 2 km, such as the Sentier 3 and Sentier Wabenaki.
Protected land
24%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
40
within 10 km, 18 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
Inside
La Mauricie National Park
Nearest provincial park
64 km
Mont-Tremblant National Park (Québec)
Walking routes
16
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
10
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
Where Shawinigan stands out outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Inside a national parkShawinigan lies inside La Mauricie National ParkProtected land all round24% of the land within 10 km, more than 97% of Canadian townsWalking routes16 named routes within 2 kmBeaches10 beaches within 5 km
Shawinigan is strongest on La Mauricie National Park all around it, with protected land around it close behind.
Against other towns
How Shawinigan 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 one of Canada’s graded subjects, so there’s no letter here: each figure is set against other Canadian towns instead.
Protected within 10 km24%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town61%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas18Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes16Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches10Beaches 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, Shawinigan ranks 3rd for protected land within 10 km
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (43,877 to 60,874 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
Shawinigan24%
Towns its size2.9%
Towns in Quebec4.9%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Shawinigan18
Towns its size8
Towns in Quebec10
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Shawinigan16
Towns its size0
Towns in Quebec0
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Shawinigan does best for protected land nearby: 2 of the other 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dollard-Des Ormeaux QC | 27% | 3.7% | 40 | 0 | 6 |
| 2 | Langford BC | 27% | 18% | 41 | 7 | 19 |
| 3 | Shawinigan QC | 24% | 61% | 40 | 16 | 10 |
| 4 | Vaudreuil-Dorion QC | 20% | 0.7% | 73 | 0 | 10 |
| 5 | Châteauguay QC | 19% | 0.8% | 34 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 | Mission BC | 19% | 3.5% | 28 | 3 | 33 |
| 7 | Newton BC | 15% | 7.3% | 174 | 6 | 1 |
| 8 | Sault-Saint-Louis QC | 11% | 10% | 24 | 0 | 4 |
| 9 | Saint-Eustache QC | 9.9% | 0% | 42 | 0 | 7 |
| 10 | Pointe-aux-Trembles QC | 9.5% | 7.3% | 38 | 0 | 2 |
| 11 | Rimouski QC | 8.8% | 3.6% | 43 | 10 | 48 |
| 12 | Salaberry-de-Valleyfield QC | 8.8% | 1.9% | 27 | 0 | 2 |
| 13 | West Vancouver BC | 8.6% | 21% | 56 | 10 | 132 |
| 14 | Vernon BC | 8.4% | 1.9% | 17 | 0 | 27 |
| 15 | Whalley BC | 8.2% | 1% | 125 | 5 | 7 |
| 16 | Stouffville ON | 5.9% | 0.5% | 51 | 1 | 1 |
| 17 | Fabreville QC | 5.8% | 3% | 39 | 0 | 4 |
| 18 | Mascouche QC | 4% | 0% | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Port-Maurice QC | 4% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Spruce Grove AB | 3.1% | 0% | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Timmins ON | 2.7% | 1.8% | 7 | 0 | 6 |
| 22 | Alliston ON | 2.1% | 0.4% | 36 | 2 | 3 |
| 23 | Charlottetown PE | 2% | 2% | 15 | 25 | 13 |
| 24 | Quinte West ON | 1.4% | 0.6% | 22 | 3 | 1 |
| 25 | Bradford ON | 1.1% | 1.3% | 28 | 5 | 1 |
| 26 | Brandon MB | 1.1% | 0.9% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Saint-Hyacinthe QC | 0.7% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Keswick ON | 0.7% | 0.9% | 13 | 1 | 14 |
| 29 | Roseborough ON | 0.7% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Hurontario ON | 0.7% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Rocky View County AB | 0.5% | 0.6% | 20 | 9 | 19 |
| 32 | Paris ON | 0.4% | 0.2% | 26 | 7 | 3 |
| 33 | Woodstock ON | 0.4% | 0% | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 34 | Lakeshore ON | 0.4% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 35 | Churchill Meadows ON | 0.4% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Innisfil ON | 0.3% | 0.1% | 6 | 1 | 17 |
| 37 | Victoriaville QC | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 38 | Caledonia ON | 0.2% | 0.4% | 17 | 4 | 7 |
| 39 | St. Thomas ON | 0.2% | 0% | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 40 | Cornwall ON | 0.1% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Shawinigan
The town’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 named parks and woods to walk in near Shawinigan
Parc de l'Île-Melville is the largest, at 39 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
30 named parks and woods, 226 ha in all
Parks & gardens 136 haWoods 90 ha
Even the biggest has just 17% of the total.
Parc de la Rivière-Grand-Mère
Park or garden
23 ha2.9 km of path
40 minto walk all 2.9 km of path
5.8 km northfrom the centre
Sentier Parc de la Rivière-Grand-Mère
Directionsto a point inside
Parc Jacques-Plante
Park or garden
12 ha1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
3.1 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Parc multisport Réal-Dufresne
Park or garden
8.5 ha
6.7 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Parc du Saint-Maurice
Park or garden
4.6 ha1.3 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.3 km of path
3.8 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Parc de l'Île-MelvillePark or garden · 39 ha · 2.8 km of path
DirectionsParc de la Rivière-Grand-MèrePark or garden · 23 ha · 2.9 km of path
DirectionsParc Jacques-PlantePark or garden · 12 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsÎle des HêtresWood or forest · 34 ha
DirectionsÎles MarchesseaultWood or forest · 29 ha
DirectionsParc multisport Réal-DufresnePark or garden · 8.5 ha
DirectionsParc du Saint-MauricePark or garden · 4.6 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsParc du Domaine-LaflèchePark or garden · 5.6 ha
DirectionsParc TurcottePark or garden · 5.4 ha
DirectionsParc GervaisPark or garden · 4.5 ha
DirectionsParc Frank-GauthierPark or garden · 4.2 ha
DirectionsParc Ludger-GerbeauPark or garden · 4.0 ha
DirectionsParc BellevuePark or garden · 3.7 ha
DirectionsÎle aux TourtresWood or forest · 12 ha · just outside town
DirectionsParc Antoine-St-OngePark or garden · 3.3 ha
DirectionsParc Pierre-GarceauPark or garden · 3.2 ha
DirectionsParc du Centenaire-de-ShawiniganPark or garden · 2.1 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsÎle Anselme-FayWood or forest · 4.4 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsParc des Trois-LPark or garden · 2.5 ha
DirectionsParc FormanPark or garden · 2.3 ha
DirectionsParc de la Rivière-Shawinigan - Place du CentenairePark or garden · 1.2 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsParc multisport Manfredo-de-VitoPark or garden · 2.0 ha
DirectionsParc Etienne-bellemarePark or garden · 1.2 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsParc LafondPark or garden · 1.3 ha
DirectionsÎle FrigonWood or forest · 4.4 ha
DirectionsParc Maurice-BeaudoinPark or garden · 0.5 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsParc Alphonse-DésaulniersPark or garden · 1.0 ha
DirectionsÎle BananeWood or forest · 3.3 ha
DirectionsÎle des PilesWood or forest · 3.1 ha
DirectionsParc MorinPark or garden · 0.8 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
About 5 in 10 of Shawinigan’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 (49%)Further (51%)
Shawinigan49%
Towns in Quebec52%
Typical Canadian town83%
The typical Canadian town reaches 83%. That leaves about 27,000 people more than a short walk away.
Protected areas
Within 10 km of Shawinigan, 24% is protected land
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Shawinigan61%
Within 10 km24%
Towns in Quebec4.9%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Governments hold 18 of the 40, and private owners the rest. Biggest of the named areas: La Mauricie National Park, 53,610 ha. Another 22 are privately owned conservation land; they count in the figures but aren’t named, as private land isn’t a place to visit.
La Mauricie National ParkNational park · 53,610 ha · Shawinigan lies inside it
Lac-à-la-Tortue Ecological ReserveNature reserve · 566 ha · reaches Shawinigan
04151R088 Biological RefugeWildlife area · 539 ha · reaches Shawinigan
Tortue des Bois (Riv. Matawin) Habitat of A Threatened Or Vulnerable Wildlife SpeciesWildlife area · 524 ha · reaches Shawinigan
04151R013 Biological RefugeWildlife area · 279 ha · reaches Shawinigan
04151R079 Biological RefugeWildlife area · 96 ha · reaches Shawinigan
04151R041 Biological RefugeWildlife area · 69 ha · reaches Shawinigan
04151R965 Biological RefugeWildlife area · 129 ha · 0.2 km from the edge of town
Marie-Jean-Eudes Ecological ReserveNature reserve · 832 ha · 0.6 km from the edge of town
Proposed Grandes-Piles Biodiversity ReserveNature reserve · 3,629 ha · 2.3 km from the edge of town
8 more named areas within 10 km are in the 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
The parks within reach of Shawinigan
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
National park
La Mauricie National Park
Shawinigan lies inside it536 km²since 1970
Québec national park (provincial)
Mont-Tremblant National Park (Québec)
64 km west1,510 km²since 1981
A Québec parc national belongs to the province, not to Parks Canada.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
284 km of paths in and around Shawinigan
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
284 km
in and around the town (1,020.4 km²)
Woodland
79%
about 806.9 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
ShawiniganTowns in QuebecTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.3
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
ShawiniganTowns in QuebecTypical Canadian town
Woodland79%
0%50%100%
It has fewer paths per km² than 73% of Canadian towns. More of it is wooded than in 95% 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
16 mapped routes to walk from Shawinigan
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
LocalOther waymarked
Sentier 314.8 km
Sentier Le Trapeur14.1 km
Sentier Père-Jacques-Buteux13.1 km
Sentier Wabenaki10.9 km
Sentier Chute-du-Diable10.0 km
Sentier Roland-Leclerc9.8 km
Sentier du Ruisseau-Bouchard8.3 km
Lac Reid7.7 km
Sentier Chute Parker4.1 km
Sentier 73.6 km
Sentier Les Falaises3.6 km
Sentier de la Tourbière de Saint-Narcisse2.6 km
Plus 4 more waymarked walks on the map.
The longest of the rest is the Sentier 3, 14.8 km. 5 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.
When to get out
The best months for walking in Shawinigan: May, June, August and September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Trois-Rivieres, 29 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) | 9.0 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.6 |
| High (°C) | -6 | -4 | 1 | 9 | 17 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 20 | 12 | 5 | -2 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 83 | 66 | 76 | 87 | 83 | 105 | 125 | 96 | 97 | 101 | 88 | 95 |
Rain peaks with the heat: 125 mm in July, against 66 mm in February. The warmest days come in July (25 °C highs), the coldest in January (-6 °C). Winter brings about 274 cm of snow. The climate in Shawinigan →
Beaches
10 unnamed beaches near Shawinigan
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
No national or provincial register of beach water quality is published as open data, so check the local health unit before swimming.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Viewpoints and waterfalls near Shawinigan: 66 and 11
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
66Viewpoints4Hills and peaks11Waterfalls7Nature reserves41Picnic sites33Playgrounds2Dog parks68Campsites13Slipways
The highest named peak nearby is Mont Georges, at 110 m. There are 68 campsites, more than of anything else.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 66
Belvédère des Chutes de Shawiniganin town
DirectionsBelvédère Île-aux-Pinsin town
DirectionsBelvédère Lambertin town
DirectionsBelvédère Le Passagein town
DirectionsBelvédère Vide-Bouteillein town
DirectionsGrande Maisonin town
DirectionsLac aux Chevauxin town
DirectionsLac Parkerin town
DirectionsPlus 58 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 4
Le Calvairein town
DirectionsMont Georges110 m · in town
DirectionsMontagne de Sainte-Florein town
DirectionsPointe à la Mine0.8 km from town
DirectionsWaterfalls 11
Chute Parkerin town
DirectionsChutes de Shawiniganin town
DirectionsChutes Waberin town
DirectionsChute à Madeleine0.5 km from town
DirectionsChute à Hélène0.6 km from town
DirectionsPlus 6 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 7
La Mauricie National Parkin town
DirectionsParc des Chutes-de-Shawiniganin town
DirectionsParc national du Canada de la Mauriciein town
DirectionsRéserve écologique de Lac-à-la-Tortuein town
DirectionsRéserve Faunique Saint-Maurice0.1 km from town
DirectionsAccueil Zec Chapeau de Paille0.2 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve more.
Picnic sites 41
Place-de-la-Grande-Maisonin town
DirectionsPlus 40 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 33
Plus 33 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 2
Plus 2 dog parks without a name on the map.
Campsites 68
Baie Martinin town
DirectionsCamping de groupe de la Clairièrein town
DirectionsCamping de l'Île-Melvillein town
DirectionsCamping de la Rivière-à-la-Pêchein town
DirectionsCamping Douce Évasionin town
DirectionsCamping et Chalets Rouillardin town
DirectionsCamping Mistagancein town
DirectionsCamping Otamacin town
DirectionsPlus 60 campsites without a name on the map.
Slipways 13
10e rue Shawiniganin town
DirectionsAvenue du Beau-Rivage Shawiniganin town
DirectionsChemin de la Baie0.3 km from town
DirectionsPlus 10 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Shawinigan
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Notre-Dame-du-Mont-CarmelSaint-BonifaceHérouxvilleSaint-Mathieu-du-ParcSaint-Étienne-des-GrèsSaint-NarcisseShawinigan
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawinigan | 24% | 40 | 16 | 10 |
| Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel 11 km | 5.7% | 22 | 1 | 1 |
| Saint-Boniface 11 km | 3.1% | 13 | 5 | 4 |
| Hérouxville 12 km | 12% | 15 | 0 | 2 |
| Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc 13 km | 29% | 17 | 12 | 6 |
| Saint-Étienne-des-Grès 16 km | 2% | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| Saint-Narcisse 19 km | 7% | 14 | 5 | 3 |
Shawinigan holds its own on protected land: no neighbour has twice its share.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Private land. Private conservation land is in the totals, not the lists. Many such areas are easements on working farms or woodlots.
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
- 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.
- 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.
Questions about the outdoors in Shawinigan
What is the best season to get outdoors in Shawinigan?
May, June, August and September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
What is the nearest national park to Shawinigan?
Yes: La Mauricie National Park reaches the edge of Shawinigan.
What is the largest protected area near Shawinigan?
La Mauricie National Park, a national park of 53,610 ha.
Is there protected land near Shawinigan?
Within 10 km, 24% of the land lies in protected areas.
Are there hiking trails near Shawinigan?
The Sentier 3, Sentier Wabenaki and Sentier du Ruisseau-Bouchard, among the routes mapped within 2 km.
Is there a beach near Shawinigan?
There are beaches within 5 km, none of them named.
What is the nearest provincial park to Shawinigan?
Mont-Tremblant National Park (Québec), 64 km away.
Sources
Where Shawinigan’s 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).