Top 8 things to do in Riding Mountain National Park

Riding Mountain National Park rises from the prairie of southwestern Manitoba on the Manitoba Escarpment, a forested upland that stands like an island above the farmland around it. Three worlds meet on it: the aspen parkland and grassland of the prairie, the spruce and fir of the boreal forest, and the oak, elm and maple of the eastern woods, and they shelter elk, moose, black bears, wolves and a herd of plains bison. The park’s lakes, and the summer village of Wasagaming on Clear Lake, have made it Manitoba’s favourite getaway for a century. These are the eight outings we would put first. The order starts with what the park is known for, then goes by what an outing gives back for the time and effort it takes. Distances are approximate; times are our estimates and do not include stops.

This is black bear country, and wolves, elk and moose roam the park: keep your distance, never feed wildlife, and store food securely when you camp. Stay in your vehicle at the bison enclosure. Mosquitoes and ticks are thick in early summer, and the weather can turn fast, with thunderstorms on summer afternoons and deep cold in winter.

1. Spend a day at Clear Lake and Wasagaming

Clear Lake, true to its name, is a long, deep, spring-fed lake with unusually clear water, and on its south shore stands Wasagaming, a summer village of log buildings, cottages and shops dating from the 1930s. The main beach is the place to swim, paddle or rent a boat, and a paved trail follows the shore through the woods. Stop at the park’s visitor centre, a log building from the 1930s that is one of the first built in the park.

• Allow: a day
• Start: Wasagaming, off Highway 10 at the park’s south entrance
• When: June to September for the beach; all year for walking
• Suits: everyone

2. See the bison at Lake Audy

Since the 1930s, the park has kept a herd of plains bison in a large fenced range of meadow and aspen near Lake Audy, on the park’s western side. A gravel road loops through the enclosure, with viewing areas where you can watch the herd graze, wallow and, in summer, tend their calves, against a backdrop of rolling grassland. It is the surest place in Manitoba to see bison.

• Allow: 1 to 2 hours, plus the drive
• Start: Lake Audy Bison Enclosure, on Lake Audy Road west of Wasagaming
• When: spring to fall; early morning and evening
• Suits: everyone; stay in your vehicle in the enclosure

3. Climb the escarpment to Bald Hill

On the park’s eastern edge, the escarpment drops steeply to the prairie, cut by deep, wooded ravines. The Gorge Creek Trail follows one of them up through a forest of oak, ash and elm, crossing the creek again and again, and with the Bald Hill Trail it makes a loop to a lookout on the brow of the escarpment, with the farmland of Manitoba spread out to the horizon far below. It is the park’s most dramatic hike, and the fall colours here are among the best in the province.

• Distance: about 4 miles (6.4 km) one way on the Gorge Creek Trail, longer with the loop to Bald Hill
• Allow: half a day
• Start: Gorge Creek trailhead, on the east side of the park off Highway 19
• When: May to October; late September for colour
• Suits: fit hikers

4. Hike or bike to Grey Owl’s Cabin

In 1931 Grey Owl, the writer and early conservationist who became famous for living with and protecting beavers, came to Riding Mountain to make a home for his pets. He stayed only a few months before moving to Prince Albert National Park, but the cabin built for him still stands on the shore of Beaver Lodge Lake. The trail to it is long and quiet, through boreal forest and past lakes and meadows, and many people ride it on a mountain bike.

• Distance: about 10.5 miles (17 km) each way
• Allow: a full day on foot; half a day by bike
• Start: Grey Owl trailhead, off Highway 19 east of Wasagaming
• When: June to September
• Suits: fit hikers and cyclists

5. Walk the boardwalk across Ominnik Marsh

On the edge of Wasagaming, a boardwalk crosses Ominnik Marsh, a wetland of cattails and open water where beavers, muskrats, ducks, grebes and red-winged blackbirds are easy to see, especially early and late in the day. The loop returns through aspen forest. It is a quiet walk minutes from the busy village, and a good one for children.

• Distance: about 1.2 miles (2 km) loop
• Allow: 45 minutes
• Start: Ominnik Marsh trailhead, at the west edge of Wasagaming
• When: May to October; dawn and dusk for wildlife
• Suits: everyone

6. Drive Highway 10 at dusk for elk and moose

Highway 10 crosses the park from Wasagaming north through forest and meadows to the boreal north, past small lakes such as Moon Lake, where a short trail loops through spruce and fir. In the evening, elk, moose, deer and black bears come out to feed along the road edges. In September and early October, the bull elk bugle in the meadows at dusk, one of the great wildlife sounds of the prairies. Drive slowly and watch the ditches.

• Distance: about 30 miles (50 km) across the park
• Allow: 1 to 2 hours at dusk
• Start: Wasagaming, heading north on Highway 10
• When: spring to fall; September and early October for the elk rut
• Suits: everyone

7. Swim at Lake Katherine

East of Wasagaming, Lake Katherine is a smaller, quieter lake with a sandy beach, a campground and a picnic area in the forest, and warmer water than Clear Lake. It is the best place in the park for a lazy summer afternoon of swimming and paddling, away from the crowds of the village.

• Allow: half a day
• Start: Lake Katherine day-use area, east of Wasagaming
• When: July and August for swimming
• Suits: everyone

8. Ski, snowshoe and skate in winter

In winter Riding Mountain is a snowy forest, and many of its trails are track-set for cross-country skiing or packed for snowshoeing and fat biking, while Clear Lake freezes for skating and ice fishing. You may see wolves’ tracks in fresh snow and moose browsing in the willows. Bring warm clothing: temperatures often fall far below freezing.

• Allow: half a day
• Start: Wasagaming and the trailheads along Highway 10
• When: December to March, when there is snow
• Suits: everyone dressed for deep cold

Before you go

This list covers what stays the same from year to year. Closures, trail conditions, boating rules and wildlife warnings change, and Parks Canada posts them on its own site. The link is on our Riding Mountain National Park guide, with the map and how to get there.