First pick
Parc Le Rocher
Park or garden · 150 m outside town
123 ha11.9 km of path
2 h 40 minto walk all 11.9 km of path
8.0 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Pymouss · CC BY-SA 4.09.3%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Varennes · parks, protected land & trails
Protected land around Varennes beats 8 in 10 Canadian towns
A provincial park, Îles-de-Boucherville National Park (Québec), lies 0.7 km away. 56 protected areas lie within 10 km. OpenStreetMap shows 2 unnamed beaches within 5 km.
Protected land
9.3%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
56
within 10 km, 22 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
0.7 km
Îles-de-Boucherville National Park (Québec)
Beaches
2
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
The outdoors in Varennes, in short
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Protected land all round9.3% of the land within 10 km, more than 84% of Canadian townsMany protected areas22 public areas within 10 km
Varennes’ best card is protected land around it, with the number of public protected areas close by close behind.
Against other towns
Each figure for Varennes, 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 one of Canada’s graded subjects, so there’s no letter here: each figure is set against other Canadian towns instead.
Protected within 10 km9.3%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town6.2%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas22Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named 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
Varennes has the 9th most protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (21,062 to 22,026 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
Varennes9.3%
Towns its size2.1%
Towns in Quebec4.9%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Varennes22
Towns its size6
Towns in Quebec10
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Varennes0
Towns its size1
Towns in Quebec0
Typical Canadian town0
Among its peers, Varennes’ strong point is protected land nearby, where 8 of 39 top it. On walking routes it is behind: 20 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dorval QC | 20% | 0.2% | 38 | 0 | 6 |
| 2 | Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac QC | 19% | 0.1% | 28 | 0 | 7 |
| 3 | Dunbar-Southlands BC | 17% | 0.9% | 12 | 1 | 62 |
| 4 | Mont-Bleu QC | 17% | 12% | 33 | 2 | 3 |
| 5 | Cornell ON | 12% | 16% | 9 | 2 | 1 |
| 6 | Upper Lachine QC | 12% | 0% | 23 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 | South End NS | 11% | 4.5% | 19 | 6 | 22 |
| 8 | South Frontenac ON | 9.4% | 13% | 89 | 18 | 5 |
| 9 | Varennes QC | 9.3% | 6.2% | 56 | 0 | 2 |
| 10 | Colchester County, Subdivision B NS | 9% | 4.9% | 84 | 10 | 5 |
| 11 | Rivière-des-Prairies QC | 8.8% | 8.6% | 41 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Petite-Bourgogne QC | 8.4% | 0% | 24 | 1 | 5 |
| 13 | Ile-des-Soeurs QC | 7.8% | 8% | 24 | 0 | 7 |
| 14 | Parcours-du-Cerf - Du Tremblay QC | 6.9% | 0% | 32 | 0 | 1 |
| 15 | Old Barrhaven West ON | 6% | 0% | 18 | 2 | 0 |
| 16 | Cole Harbour NS | 4.4% | 6.9% | 22 | 2 | 17 |
| 17 | Sandalwood East (mountainash) ON | 4.3% | 11% | 12 | 0 | 1 |
| 18 | Black Creek ON | 2.7% | 1% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | East L'Amoreaux ON | 2.2% | 0% | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | L'Amoreaux West ON | 2.2% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Port Colborne ON | 2% | 2.1% | 10 | 0 | 8 |
| 22 | Chameran/Montpellier QC | 1.9% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | The Beaches ON | 1.9% | 0% | 11 | 3 | 44 |
| 24 | Carling ON | 1.7% | 3.5% | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 25 | Englemount-Lawrence ON | 1.4% | 0% | 13 | 2 | 0 |
| 26 | Sunningdale ON | 1.4% | 1.6% | 18 | 2 | 0 |
| 27 | White Oaks ON | 1.4% | 0.1% | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| 28 | South Parkdale ON | 1.3% | 0% | 10 | 4 | 22 |
| 29 | Kingsview Village-The Westway ON | 0.9% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Oakdale-Beverley Heights ON | 0.9% | 0% | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| 31 | Sturgeon County AB | 0.8% | 0.7% | 25 | 8 | 1 |
| 32 | Middlesex Centre ON | 0.5% | 0.5% | 22 | 5 | 0 |
| 33 | Lloydminster (Part) AB | 0.5% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Tillsonburg ON | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 35 | Lakeview ON | 0.2% | 0.8% | 5 | 1 | 7 |
| 36 | Forest Glade ON | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 37 | Steinbach MB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 38 | Riverside ON | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 39 | Evanston AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Saddle Ridge AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Varennes
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
22 named parks and woods to walk in near Varennes
Parc Le Rocher is the largest, at 123 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
22 named parks and woods, 230 ha in all
Parks & gardens 230 ha
Parc Le Rocher plus Parc Saint-Charles account for 71% of the green.
Parc Saint-Charles
Park or garden
40 ha3.5 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.5 km of path
1.0 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Parc de la Commune
Park or garden
22 ha2.8 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.8 km of path
1.1 km westfrom the centre
La Riveraine
Directionsto a point inside
Parc du Pré-Vert
Park or garden
9.0 ha2.2 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.2 km of path
Centralin the middle of Varennes
Directionsto a point inside
Parc du Carrousel
Park or garden
8.1 ha1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
1.0 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Parc du Portageur
Park or garden
4.4 ha1.5 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.5 km of path
2.0 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Parc Pierre-Payet
Park or garden · 240 m outside town
3.9 ha0.5 km of path
4.7 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Parc du Bout-de-l'Île
Park or garden · 330 m outside town
3.3 ha0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
5.0 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 22 named parks and green spaces
Parc Le RocherPark or garden · 123 ha · 11.9 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsParc Saint-CharlesPark or garden · 40 ha · 3.5 km of path
DirectionsParc de la CommunePark or garden · 22 ha · 2.8 km of path
DirectionsParc du Pré-VertPark or garden · 9.0 ha · 2.2 km of path
DirectionsParc du CarrouselPark or garden · 8.1 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsParc du PortageurPark or garden · 4.4 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsParc Pierre-PayetPark or garden · 3.9 ha · 0.5 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsParc du Bout-de-l'ÎlePark or garden · 3.3 ha · 0.6 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsParc-école De La SourcePark or garden · 2.9 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsParc du VallonPark or garden · 3.0 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsPlage de l'EstPark or garden · 1.8 ha · 0.6 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsParc des ScoutsPark or garden · 2.2 ha
DirectionsParc Pierre-BoucherPark or garden · 0.9 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsParc-école La RoseraiePark or garden · 1.2 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsParc-école Marie-VictorinPark or garden · 1.5 ha
DirectionsParc des MoussaillonsPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsParc Ki-RiPark or garden · 0.7 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsParc des AncêtresPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsParc les MargueritePark or garden · 0.5 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsParc de la Petite-PatriePark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsParc-école J.-P.-LabarrePark or garden · 0.4 ha
DirectionsParc canin Entre-Quatre-PattesPark or garden · 0.4 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
A park is within a short walk for 8 in 10 in Varennes
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 (75%)Further (25%)
Varennes75%
Towns in Quebec52%
Typical Canadian town83%
For about 5,000 people, the nearest park is over 400 m away. The typical Canadian town does better, at 83%.
Protected areas
56 protected areas around Varennes
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Varennes6.2%
Within 10 km9.3%
Towns in Quebec4.9%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public ownership covers 22 of the 56. fleuve Saint-Laurent (Îles de Verchères) Water Fowl Gathering Area is the biggest, 2,095 ha. 21 areas belong to private owners or land trusts and aren’t named here.
fleuve Saint-Laurent (Îles de Verchères) Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 2,095 ha · reaches Varennes
fleuve Saint-Laurent (Île Sainte-Thérèse / et Ci) Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 411 ha · reaches Varennes
fleuve Saint-Laurent (Île Bellegarde) Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 346 ha · reaches Varennes
fleuve Saint-Laurent (Emb Rdp) Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 326 ha · reaches Varennes
fleuve Saint-Laurent (Île Sainte-Thérèse) Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 322 ha · reaches Varennes
Îles de Boucherville (fleuve Saint-Laurent) Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 283 ha · reaches Varennes
fleuve Saint-Laurent (Île Sainte-Thérèse Sud) Muskrat HabitatWildlife area · 24 ha · reaches Varennes
fleuve Saint-Laurent (Île de Varennes) Muskrat HabitatWildlife area · 24 ha · reaches Varennes
Fl St-Laurent (Île aux Canards) Muskrat HabitatWildlife area · 22 ha · reaches Varennes
Fl St-Laurent (Ilot Vert) Muskrat HabitatWildlife area · 9.5 ha · reaches Varennes
9 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 nearest big park: Îles-de-Boucherville National Park (Québec), 0.7 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)
Îles-de-Boucherville National Park (Québec)
0.7 km south-west8.1 km²since 1984
Québec national park (provincial)
Mont-Saint-Bruno National Park (Québec)
4.7 km south8.8 km²since 1985
No national park lies within 100 km of Varennes; the provincial parks are the big protected land within reach. There are 2 provincial parks within 10 km. 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.
Footpaths and woods
Paths to walk: 68 km in and around Varennes
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
68 km
in and around the town (160 km²)
Woodland
13%
about 20.7 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
VarennesTowns in QuebecTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.4
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
VarennesTowns in QuebecTypical Canadian town
Woodland13%
0%50%100%
Paths are thinner on the ground than in 68% of Canadian towns. For woods, it beats 58% 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
OpenStreetMap shows no walking route near Varennes
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
OpenStreetMap lists no walking route near the town, though paths on the ground may well exist.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Get out in Varennes in May to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Montreal Trudeau (Airport), 34 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) | 9.1 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 14.9 | 15.7 | 15.4 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°C) | -6 | -4 | 2 | 11 | 19 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 21 | 13 | 5 | -2 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 86 | 66 | 77 | 90 | 86 | 84 | 91 | 94 | 89 | 103 | 84 | 92 |
Highs peak near 27 °C in July and fall to -6 °C in January. Expect 103 mm in October, the wettest month, and 66 mm in February. Snow totals about 217 cm a year. The climate in Varennes →
Beaches
2 beaches within 5 km of Varennes, none named
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
No open data on beach water quality covers every province, so check with public health before a swim.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Varennes has 3 viewpoints within 2 km
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Count 59 playgrounds, the biggest group.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 3
Observatoire à Balbuzards1.0 km from town
DirectionsPlus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 3
Parc des Étangs Antoine-Charlebois0.6 km from town
DirectionsRéserve naturelle des Quatre-Temps0.8 km from town
DirectionsParc de la Coulée-Grou1.9 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 8
Halte Claude-Hunault-dit-Deschamps1.6 km from town
DirectionsPlus 7 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 59
Plus 56 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 3
Parc canin Entre-Quatre-Pattesin town
DirectionsPointe-aux-Trembles dog park0.9 km from town
DirectionsParc a chiens du parc de la Traversée1.4 km from town
DirectionsSlipways 6
Plus 6 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
A garden to visit near Varennes: Montréal Botanical Garden, 12 km away
Gardens and arboretums within 15 km of the town’s edge, and the historic gardens, parks and estates in the town itself, nearest first.
Montréal Botanical GardenNational Historic Site · 12 km from town
Its pageOne is a National Historic Site.
Sources: 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 Varennes
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Pointe-aux-TremblesCharlemagneMontréal-EstBouchervilleRepentignyRivière-des-PrairiesVarennes
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Varennes | 9.3% | 56 | 0 | 2 |
| Pointe-aux-Trembles 5.7 km | 9.5% | 38 | 0 | 2 |
| Charlemagne 7.4 km | 11% | 34 | 0 | 2 |
| Montréal-Est 7.9 km | 7.7% | 38 | 0 | 1 |
| Boucherville 8.6 km | 7.1% | 53 | 0 | 1 |
| Repentigny 9.7 km | 8.3% | 41 | 0 | 2 |
| Rivière-des-Prairies 10 km | 8.8% | 41 | 0 | 1 |
Its neighbours have no more than twice Varennes’ protected share.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Private land. Land owned by individuals, companies or conservation groups counts toward the figures but is never named: a person’s land isn’t a place to visit.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
- National and provincial parks. A park at 0 km touches or overlaps the town’s outline; directions point from the town’s centre.
- Protected land. The 10 km band starts at the town’s outline, not its centre, so a large municipality reaches further than a small town.
- Walking routes. Only named route relations count; a park’s own path network may not show unless it is mapped as a route.
Questions about the outdoors in Varennes
What is the nearest national park to Varennes?
The nearest national park is more than 100 km from Varennes.
What is the nearest beach to Varennes?
There are beaches within 5 km, none of them named.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Varennes?
fleuve Saint-Laurent (Îles de Verchères) Water Fowl Gathering Area: 2,095 ha, a wildlife area.
Is there protected land near Varennes?
Protected areas cover 9.3% of the land within 10 km.
Is there a provincial park near Varennes?
Îles-de-Boucherville National Park (Québec), 0.7 km from the edge of town.
What is the best season to get outdoors in Varennes?
On the normals, May to September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
Sources
Sources for this page on Varennes
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).