Come and explore the provincial parks of Manitoba! There are lots of parks and trails to choose from. Here are five great trails to get you started:

1. Lakeview Trail

   (Paved 3 km and 7 km), Birds Hill Provincial Park
   This park is close to Winnipeg. It is 30 kilometers away from downtown Winnipeg (heading North-East), and 17 km from the Perimeter Highway. It was made in 1967 to celebrate Canada’s 100th birthday. It has prairie, bog, and forest environments. The Lakeview Trail is paved and good for wheelchairs, strollers, and rollerblades. You can also swim in the lake. There are picnic tables and a beach.



Birds Hill Provincial Park map. Contains information from the Government of Manitoba, licensed under the OpenMB Information and Data Use License (Manitoba.ca/OpenMB)

2. Cedar Bog

   (Unpaved, 3.5 km/1.5 hours), Birds Hill Provincial Park
   This trail goes through a cedar bog and a boreal forest. There is a bench and a bird feeder on the trail. The trail is not paved, but it is easy to walk on. Wear waterproof shoes in spring as it may be wet.



Birds Hill Provincial Park map. Contains information from the Government of Manitoba, licensed under the OpenMB Information and Data Use License (Manitoba.ca/OpenMB)

3. Pine Point Rapids

   (Unpaved, 5.1 km and 7.9 km), Whiteshell Provincial Park
   This is one of the best trails in Whiteshell Park. It is a one hour forty five minute drive (139 km) from Winnipeg (heading East). You will see the forest, a river, and large rocks. There are ducks and, rarely, otters in the Whiteshell River, and birds in the forest.



Pine Point Rapids, Robert Linsdell from Flickr. CC-BY

Here is a video of the whole trail:

Pine Point Trail Hiking, William’s Outdoor Adventures in Manitoba.

4. Spirit Sands

   (Unpaved, 3.6 km), Spruce Woods Provincial Park
   Spruce Woods is a park in Manitoba where you can see a desert. It gets enough rain each year for plants to grow on the sand dunes. It’s a two hour drive (180 km) from Winnipeg (heading South-West). You can also see the Devil’s Punch Bowl, a small lake that glows bright green. Bring water and watch the temperature – it’s hot in the desert! There is a campground near to the Spirit Sands, with different types of campsites.



Photos taken by Brett Halajko. Permission to use granted by creator.



Spirit Sands Trail map. Contains information from the Government of Manitoba, licensed under the OpenMB Information and Data Use License (Manitoba.ca/OpenMB)

5. Lighthouse Trail

   (Unpaved 1.5 km), Hecla Provincial Park
   Hecla Provincial Park is two hours away from Winnipeg (heading North). It’s home to a large number of pelicans. For thousands of years, the Anishinaabe people have held ceremonies and gathered resources on Black Island. In 1876, settlers from Iceland came to make “New Iceland”. The Lighthouse Trail is a Manitoba classic! There is a campground, a resort, two beaches for swimming, and good fishing.

Hecla Island Lighthouse. Photo by Jasonbook99 from Wikimedia Commons. CC-BY-SA.

Hecla Provincial Park Map. Contains information from the Government of Manitoba, licensed under the OpenMB Information and Data Use License (Manitoba.ca/OpenMB)

Before you go on a hike, it’s important to check the weather. Make sure you bring plenty of water and wear a hat.

Have a great time hiking!
 
By Nastashya Wall