Length of stay: 2 days
Visited: September 2024
Riding Mountain National Park is located in southwestern Manitoba along the Manitoba Escarpment. It protects a diverse landscape, including boreal forest, aspen parkland, meadows, grasslands and wetlands. It’s also home to black bears, moose, elk, wolves, and even a bison herd. There are nearly 370 kilometres of hiking trails within the park, many of which are used in the winter for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
Day 1: Bison
It was overcast, cold and windy outside, which was quite the contrast from the day before when it reached a high of 30°C in Winnipeg. We stayed overnight in Dauphin, which is located near the northern entrance of Riding Mountain. From there it’s about an hour drive to get to the visitor centre located near the southern entrance.
Along the way to the visitor centre we went on a detour to the Lake Audy Bison Enclosure which holds a captive herd of about 40 plains bison. They were reintroduced in the 1940s using 10 plains bison from Elk Island National Park in Alberta to help restore and protect the prairie ecosystem within the park. It’s a long drive to get there along a narrow gravel road, but it was in pretty good condition. Shortly after we drove over the cattle grate and reached the enclosure we had our first bison sighting. There was no one else around so we pulled over to watch them in action.
The enclosure is designed to support a herd of around 35 to 40 plains bison. Every few years, when the herd exceeds 50 bison, surplus animals are sold to maintain a healthy ecosystem within the grassland enclosure. The enclosure is also divided into two sections, a winter pasture and summer pasture. When the herd is transferred between the two enclosures they are tested for common diseases.
To get to the visitor centre we could have driven back the way we came, but according to our GPS, it was faster to go south and then head to Clear Lake. So that’s what we did. Except we had to pull over a couple of times to help move some fallen branches and trees off the road.
We typically buy an annual Parks Canada Discovery Pass which covers admission to our national parks and historic sites. Our current pass was actually set to expire at the end of September, which worked perfectly as today was September 30. Except we left our pass in our rental car when we visited Nova Scotia in August. Not ideal. But if we waited another day, our new annual pass would expire at the end of October, essentially giving us an extra month. The lady at the counter suggested we buy a day pass and that she could refund it and count it towards our annual pass if we come back the next day before 1pm. And so we got a day pass.
We also picked up a map of the park and inquired about the trail conditions. We planned to hike the Ominnik Marsh Trail, but the lady advised against it because of the strong winds. Apparently someone fell off the boardwalk into the marsh earlier in the morning. Instead we settled on a couple of trails nearby that would be more sheltered from the wind.
We started with the Brûlé Trail (4.2km loop, rated easy). The trail winds through an aspen forest, showing glimpses from a series of fires that have swept through this area over the past century. This included charred logs and stumps along the trail, but also the type of vegetation that now grows here. The trail is wide enough for us to walk side-by-side. It consists of two connected loops where at the midway-point there’s an option to take a shortcut back to the parking lot, which cuts off about two kilometres from the hike.
The wind was fierce and we were thankful to be in the forest. We watched the leaves swirl around us as we made our way towards Kinosao Lake. Once we got to the water there’s an option to hike the Kinosao Trail (4.1km one-way, rated moderate), but we had another trail in mind so we continued on the main path back towards the parking lot.
The wind brought darker clouds and some sprinkles. This was good motivation to walk fast. Once we got back to the car we took a break to escape the wind and eat some lunch.
Next up was the Arrowhead Trail (3.4km loop, rated moderate) which weaves through the dense forest, passing through several aspen stands and meadows. Despite the wind there were still quite a few leaves clinging on the trees. There were a couple of blow downs on the trail though.
Just before the halfway point the trail passes Pudge Lake. Much of the rest of the hike weaves through the forest and along a few rolling hills. The path is wide, easy to navigate and there were no big obstacles like rocks or roots to watch out for. There’s a small viewing platform closer to the end, but the views really weren’t any better compared to the few steps from down below on the trail. Either way, all the golden leaves everywhere were beautiful.
By the time we wrapped up it was later in the afternoon and the wind seemed to be getting feistier. There was a wind warning in effect with the forecast calling for peak gusts of up to 90km/hour in the afternoon. And it was getting colder. And so we decided to head back to our accommodations for an early dinner. On the drive out we had to maneuver around a few trees that had fallen across the road.
Day 2: Lakes and Ridges
The wind died down overnight, but it was pretty chilly the next morning. It was -2°C outside when we woke up so we took our time getting ready in the morning in the hopes that it would warm-up a bit by the time we got to it. We headed out as the baby was getting ready for her morning nap. We headed to the visitor center so we could now purchase an annual park pass.
We planned to hike the Ominnik Marsh Trail, but it was closed as it sustained some damage from the high winds from the day before. No big deal as there are plenty of other trails to choose from. We settled on Bead Lakes (3.9km loop, rated moderate), which passes by three small lakes. The path is narrow, mostly grassy and a bit overgrown in places. It would likely be extremely wet and muddy after a rainfall, but thankfully it’s been dry the past few days. There were a few fallen trees to scamper over, under and around.
We saw some signs of wildlife on the trail, including moose prints and beavers hard at work, but we didn’t actually see any animals. There were lots of mushrooms though.
Once we circled back to the parking lot we ate lunch before hiking Beach Ridges (3.4km loop, rated easy). The trail winds through a forest of trembling aspen, bur oak and poplar. It contains a series of storyboards that explain more about the geology of the area.
As the glaciers melted thousands of years ago, they left behind great hills of gravel, huge boulders and vast areas of meltwater that turned into the glacial Lake Agassiz, the largest freshwater lake at the time. The eastern edge of the Manitoba Escarpment was part of its shoreline. As the glacial lake retreated and drained, it left behind these ancient beach ridges, a series of parallel beaches along the slope of Riding Mountain.
The trail follows along an ancient beach ridge. The path is mostly flat and grassy and leads through the forest. The sand is no longer visible as it’s covered by plants, but it’s resulted in more of an open forest. While the beach ridges are made of coarse sand and gravel and are well-drained, the land behind each ridge has relatively poor drainage, creating wet meadows of marsh grasses. There’s a short wooden boardwalk that passes through one of these poor drainage areas. There surprisingly were a few bugs, mostly dragonflies and gnats. No mosquitoes though. Good.
The trail is located near the northern entrance of the park. So once we completed the trail we headed back to our accommodations in Dauphin.
Day 3: East Gate
We planned to spend another day in Riding Mountain to hike Ball Hill (10.3km, rated difficult), which was already ambitious. But it rained overnight and the ground was wet. Considering the trail typically takes an average of 4 hours to complete, that was a hard pass for us if we couldn’t sit down somewhere to take a break and let the baby out of her carrier. Instead we headed to Spruce Woods Provincial Park. But on the drive we decided to pass by the East Gate, the last of the three log structures that served as an entrance into the park. It was constructed in 1933 and was built by local craftspeople with local materials.
After a quick stop to take a picture, we were back on the road.
L
Nice post🌅🌅
Thanks for your kind words. Despite the wind, we had a wonderful time exploring the trails and enjoying the fall colours in Riding Mountain.
Looks like another beautiful park. Your photos have captured the beauty, particularly the one of the walkway through the tall grass. Lovely post!
You are too kind. It’s always nice to explore a new national park, especially during the shoulder season when it’s not too busy. We pretty much had most of the trails all to ourselves (and there weren’t any bugs), which is just how we like it!
That sounds idyllic. I hope you have a lovely holiday!
Happy holidays to you as well. I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas. Where does the time go!?
Looks like you hit the park at prime autumn colours time Linda, except for the wind and cold. Nice to see our Elk Island bison being shared to keep healthy populations around the west. I have been to this park several times as a child and yeah, that was a long time ago. My Mom’s family lived near here and my Dad was actually working with a logging crew near RMNP when he met and married my Mom. I have not been back there in a long time. Happy Thursday. Allan
The timing worked out well as we got to enjoy the fall colours without any of the bugs or crowds. It was neat to hear how the bison herd in Riding Mountain came from Elk Island. We attended a ranger program about the history of bison conservation when we were in Elk Island a few years ago and learned that many bison in Canada can trace their origins to the bison from this park. How lucky to have visited Riding Mountain several times when you were younger. Perhaps a return trip is in order? Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful weekend. Linda
So many beautiful photos and such a wonderful introduction to this beautiful part of Canada, Linda. I love how the park is home to so many gorgeous lakes, a good choice of picturesque hiking trails and opportunities to get up close to iconic Canadian wildlife! For me, the highlight would be seeing the mighty bison. It’s sad to think that Bison were once everywhere in Manitoba but were hunted to near extinction in the nineteenth century. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
Thanks for your lovely comment Aiva. The scenery in Riding Mountain is beautiful, especially in the fall when all the aspen leaves are turning a golden yellow. Seeing the bison was such a highlight. They’re such majestic creatures. And agreed, it’s sad to hear how they were hunted to near extinction. Parks Canada has been instrumental in their conservation. They’ve recently reintroduced them to a couple other national parks in Alberta. Thanks for reading. Happy Friday. Linda
Happy Friday, Linda! In Ireland, today was the last day at school – now we can relax and wait for the arrival of Santa xx
Fun! Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and happy holidays!!
One of my favourite spots in my home province 🤗 Glad you got to the buffalo area.
I can see why Riding Mountain is one of your favourite places. The hiking is fabulous. And then there’s the bison!
Yes! It’s a wonderful area including communities of Clear Lake and Onanole.
I would love to go back someday and spend a bit more time in Riding Mountain. Plus it would be neat to explore more of northern Manitoba as well. I’d love to see the polar bears in Churchill someday.
Riding Mountain Park is a wonderful place to view 🌷🙏👍🏻All the trees and plants it’s 🍁 leaves coloured and
remind us that the Autumn season is over , all beautiful photos there’s beauty of nature very awesome !!
Beautiful and loving photo mom and daughter looking so gorgeous, sending lots of love my sweet friend 💞🖖🙏
Thanks for your kind words. The fall is my favourite time of the year. It was nice to see the beautiful display of golden yellow leaves in Riding Mountain. Our little one loves being outside, which works out well for us! Have a wonderful weekend. Linda
Yes, your all posts in WordPress very wonderful places to view 😍 thank you so much for sharing my lovely friend 💞🌷🙏
Many Blessings 🖖🌹
You are too kind. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
Beautiful photos, Linda, the photo of you and the baby is so beautiful! God bless your family. ❤️ I have read about Lake Agassiz before, it’s so amazing how the glaciers shaped the landscape and created such beautiful places!
Thanks for your lovely comment. Agreed, it’s pretty incredible how much of an impact the glaciers had on the terrain and environment as they melted and retreated. I found the landscape here very similar to that of southern Ontario.
You are welcome! 🙏🏻 I think there was a giant lake covering Ontario and much of lower Michigan then too, amazing!
Yup! It’s neat how even though it happened thousands of years ago, the effects of those glaciers are still visible today.
Yes! ❤️
Stunning photos. What an incredible adventure. Thank You for Sharing.
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. We had a fabulous time exploring the trails and enjoying the fall colours here in Riding Mountain.
This is my old stomping grounds. I grew up in Brandon until junior high and we had a family cabin on a small lake just south of RMNP. I have spent many summer days getting ice cream in Wasagaming, or at summer camp along Clear Lake. I missed your Winnipeg post so I’ll have to go to it now too. Maggie
Oh nice! It’s such a lovely area and I can see why you have so many fond memories of it. After Riding Mountain we headed towards Brandon and spent some time in Spruce Woods Provincial Park. I must admit, Manitoba wasn’t high on our list of places to visit, but I was pleasantly surprised at how many scenic trails and parks there are. I’m so glad we visited later in the fall though as I heard the bugs can be awful!
I understand why it’s low on the priority list, but there are some really nice spots with all of the parks and lakes. Glad you found some good spots. Yes, the bugs can be horrendous!!
Totally! We even talked about returning at some point as the parks in Ontario have become way too crowded in the summer for our liking.
I can send some recommendations when you’re ready.
Fabulous! I’m always ready for recommendations. Even if we don’t return for a few years, I like to keep a list of ideas handy in case we have some time for last minute trip!
Wow, it was so windy it blew someone off the boardwalk into the marsh? Yikes! I think I’d be hightailing it out of there. I’m glad you guys found some things to do despite the less than ideal weather. It looks like fall is a good time to visit with all the yellow leaves!
Ha! I know! How awful! They ended up closing the boardwalk later in the day as it sustained quite a bit of damage from the wind. While it would have been nice to hike that trail (I’m such a sucker for boardwalks), there was no shortage of other options to chose from. And yes, the fall was definitely a good call. I’ve heard Manitoba becomes a mosquito apocalypse in the spring and summer.
Oh gosh, maybe my mom and I need to rethink the timing of our visit.
Depends when you were going to visit. But yah, I’d just do a quick google search and see what people say … honestly sounds terrifying!
Beautiful pictures of this little-known national park. We were thinking of going there in May when we were driving back from Ontario but the weather was terrible with freezing rain. Despite the colder temperatures it seems like you visited at an excellent time. Lovely photo of you and Baby M!
Thanks for your lovely comment. It’s too bad the weather was miserable when you were driving through here in the spring. We really lucked out with the weather. Sure, it was windy, but at least it wasn’t raining! I have no interest in hiking in the rain, especially if it’s freezing rain!
Beautiful pictures from around the park, even with some less than great weather. Merry Christmas to you and your family 🙂
Thanks! I always forget how feisty the wind can be in the fall. We ended up buying a toque/beanie from the visitor centre which helped quite a bit. Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and happy holidays as well!
Cold starts and windy days…with the scenes looking more and more like what my Mum used to call the “back end”. Once again, merry Christmas to all!
And to think, we were actually debating whether to stay in a few cabins and yurts this trip! I’m so glad we didn’t as having to step outside first thing in the morning to walk to the washrooms doesn’t seem all that appealing in the cold. Wishing you guys a very merry Christmas and happy holidays as well. Here’s hoping for many more fun adventures in 2025! Cheers. Linda
Oh wow! You saw bison! That is fabulous and your photos are beautiful. Thank you for sharing and enjoy the beauty!
Thanks for your kind words. The scenery in Riding Mountain is beautiful, especially in the fall when the leaves were changing colour. But seeing the bison was easily the highlight of our trip. They’re so majestic.
I’ve always found it fascinating to watch bison from close range, to see them move peacefully despite their mass, even the protection of a car would be illusory.
Oh I know! I could have easily stayed there all day just watching the bison roam around. They’re such majestic creatures.
Looks like a nice park. I miss hiking in the parks. We had been going mostly to city tours.
The fall is my favourite season, especially for hiking. Despite the wind, we really lucked out with the weather and didn’t get much rain. Otherwise exploring some of the parks in southern Manitoba wouldn’t have been as fun (and I’m not sure what else we would have done). Hopefully you’re able to spend a bit more time in nature in 2025!
Love your sweet hiking buddy. She looks very comfortable. I have a desire to see bison in the wild and missed out when we went to Waterton and then again in southern Saskatchewan at a Buffalo Pound Park…perhaps I’ll have to make it to Manitoba. I love how peaceful all the trails look…advantages of off-season travel 🙂
She’s the best. She loves being outside, just like her mama. It was such a highlight to see the bison in Riding Mountain. It’s too bad you missed out on them in Alberta and Saskatchewan. They’re such majestic creatures. Hopefully the third time’s the charm! Enjoy the rest of the weekend. Linda
You got some fantastic bison photos! You were so fortunate no one else was around, it’s always nice to enjoy wildlife at your own pace. Love that cute baby smile. ❤️
Thanks!! It was nice to visit Riding Mountain in the fall while the leaves were changing colour and there were no crowds or bugs. Seeing the bison was such a highlight. I could have watched them all day.
Glad to see there is a bison preserve. Good photos. Baby looks like she is enjoying the outdoors!
Thanks!! Baby M definitely loves being outdoors. I’m looking forward to when she can start hiking on her own though as she’s getting pretty heavy! Seeing the bison was such a highlight of our trip to Manitoba. I could have stayed and watched them all day.
I love what they did with the bison reintroduction program, and it sounds like it’s a very successful one. The wind sounds like something not to mess around with! I’m sorry to hear that you had to cancel the hike to Ball Hill. But as you were traveling with the baby, I think it was a good decision to look elsewhere. Maybe one day the three of you can go back to this place to attempt hiking Ball Hill.
Oh I know! Parks Canada has been pretty active at reintroducing plains and wood bison across our national parks in Canada. They’re considered a keystone species and are an integral part of the natural ecosystem. Seeing them was such a highlight of our visit to Riding Mountain. And agreed, even if the weather was nice, in retrospect, Ball Hill would have been way to difficult with baby M! And yes, that just means we’ll have to come back someday when she’s a bit older and can hike the trail herself!
Gorgeous photos, park, baby, and everything else 😊 Have a wonderful holiday season and a great new year!
Thanks!! Wishing you and yours a merry Christmas and happy holidays as well. Hope all is well and that you got your WP issues figured out.
Lovely to see the bison preserve (amazing shots!) and the autumnal foliage from your hikes. Baby M seems quite happy hiking! Apple doesn’t fall…, etc. The wind must’ve been ferocious having caused someone to fall off the boardwalk and into the marsh. I have to say that we braved very strong winds to see some mud volcanoes earlier this week. At times it was difficult to keep one’s balance and just imagine if one of us ended up falling into a mud volcano. 😊 Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Thanks for your kind words. It was so special to see the bison up close, especially since we were the only ones there. And yes, baby M has really taking a liking to the outdoors. It was insane how windy it was. I’m so glad we asked about the trail conditions before we started hiking. It’s too bad the boardwalk sustained damage so we couldn’t even hike it the next day either. Oh well, there were plenty of other trails to chose from.
Mud volcanoes … sounds intriguing! But I wouldn’t want to fall into one of them either!
Wishing you a very merry Christmas as well and happy holidays!
Oh those bison are absolutely amazing 🙂 It looks like a wonderful hike, the colours are beautiful and Baby M is just too cute 🙂
Oh I know! They’re such majestic creatures. Parks Canada has done such a fantastic job of reintroducing them to several national parks across Canada. And yes, it was nice to visit when all the leaves were changing colour, even if it was a bit cold and windy.
Baby M is getting so big. What a year of adventure she’s had and has experienced in one year more than most kids will in their childhood. So way to go! 🥰
Coming across those bison must have been such a sight to behold. They are beautiful animals up close!
Oh I know! We’re certainly getting her used to travelling and making the most of her flying for free before she’s two!
Seeing the bison in Riding Mountain was such a highlight of our trip to Manitoba. Agreed, they’re so majestic. They’re also considered a keystone species and play such an important role in our ecosystem in North America. Parks Canada has been reintroducing bison at a few national parks in recent years, including Banff. It’ll be interesting to hear about the results.
Thanks for reading. Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and happy holidays! Hopefully T doesn’t get a lump of coal in his stocking this year!
Wow!!! What a fun adventure! Your little looks so happy too. Bison are majestic and awe inspiring so I’m glad to see a healthy population of them. And those trails! What beautiful vistas. I’m so glad you had this trip!
Thanks! It was a bit of a last minute trip and we weren’t sure whether it was even going to happen because of the Air Canada strike. But thankfully it worked out well. It was pretty amazing to watch the bison up close. Parks Canada has made tremendous efforts in terms of their conservation and has been reintroducing them to several of our national parks in the prairies and out west. It’s neat how many of them, including the ones at Riding Mountain, can trace their origins back to the herd at Elk Island National Park in Alberta. Thanks for reading. Hope you had a Merry Christmas yesterday.
Oh gosh! For a last minute trip, it sure does sound like a good one! I appreciate the conservation efforts they have made. To be good stewards today, is an investment in tomorrow but not everyone sees it that way. Good for Parks Canada!
I hope you had a good holiday as well! 🎄
For sure. They actually purchased one of the last and largest herds of plains bison back in the early 1900s. It’s remarkable how much they’ve contributed to bison conservation in Canada. Parks Canada does such great work! As you can probably tell by now, I’m a huge fan of our national parks and historic sites!
As you should be. I have never visited any of your parks. I once traveled through Windsor to Toronto and then down to Niagara Falls on our way home but we stuck to museums, shopping and traditional sightseeing.
Which park is your favorite?
All the more reason for you to come back to Canada to explore some of our national parks!! There’s a lot of great ones to chose from and I love how varied the landscape is in the west compared to the east and everything in between. It would be tough to pick my favourite so I’ll give you my top three (in no particular order): Jasper (in Alberta), Cape Breton Highlands (in Nova Scotia), and Kluane (in the Yukon).
I spent about a week in your country and absolutely loved it. Someday I wish to see Prince Edward Island since LM Montgomery has long been a favorite author. I’ll make note of these places as well!
I would go back to PEI in a heartbeat. I’d love to spend a few weeks there in the summer. We went to the Green Gables Heritage Place a couple years ago, which was really neat. We passed by LM Montgomery’s birthplace too, but didn’t have enough time to go inside. Next time.
I have got to prioritize that trip. I grew up with the Anne books and movies and am dying to visit Montgomery’s birthplace!
You’ll love it there. It’s a small province, but there’s so much to see!
What a beautiful place. Would love to visit some day. Those boardwalk trails seem interesting. The bison reminds me of our visit to the Elk & Bison Prairie in Kentucky..
Riding Mountain is incredibly scenic, especially in the fall when all the aspen leaves are turning a golden yellow. I’m such a fan of a trail with a boardwalk. It’s too bad the main boardwalk was closed because of the wind though. I had no idea there were bison in Kentucky. All the more reason for us to visit! Thanks for putting Elk & Bison Prairie on my radar. Enjoy the rest of the holidays. Linda
Lovely scenery for walking. These bisons are impressive must be so nice to see them that close.b
For sure. And the trails were all well signed and easy to navigate. We did have to scamper up, under or around a few fallen trees, but it wasn’t too bad. Seeing the bison was such a highlight.
What a fun selection of hikes! I particularly like the photos of the aspen trees. They are so beautiful in the fall and the quaking sound their leaves make in a breeze is so relaxing and peaceful. Happy New Year! Looking forward to reading about your wanderings in the year to come.
Thanks so much for your lovely comment. The fall is my favourite time of the year to go hiking. I’m glad we were able to plan a last minute trip to Manitoba and explore some new trails. Wishing you all the best in 2025! Cheers! Linda
This looks like a fun hiking adventure for the family, and that is really neat that you all saw bison!
The fall is my favourite time of the year to go hiking. I’m glad we went to see the bison first thing in the morning as we had the enclosure all to ourselves. They’re such majestic creatures.
That’s pretty close range to photograph a temperamental bison. I’ve kept my distance from them in Yellowstone for example
We lucked out when we visited the bison enclosure as the herd was so close to the road. There’s no way I would have gotten out of my car! I’ve seen what happens to the stupid tourists who try to get too close to them!
I would also like to see a bison with my own eyes one day – in the meantime I enjoy it through your camera lens! The typical autumn colours of the trees and leaves are beautiful. And seeing so many different mushrooms on a trail is always fun too. Lovely photo of you and your little one.
Thanks! I hope you’re able to see some bison in person someday as they’re such majestic creatures. The weather can be a bit wild in the fall, but the scenery is beautiful.
Canada has the best places to visit for hikes and culture. I’m always impressed by your posts and photos. 🙂
You are too kind. And agreed, Canada does have some pretty amazing parks and places to hike!
That’s great that the lady at the counter worked with you guys so you could get refunded . It also makes me happy to hear how they protect the Bison 🦬 and try to keep them from getting sick and keep the ecosystem running with natural means. Great photos and great info! You and baby M look so great in that picture. Her smile is precious . So happy for you
Oh I know! It worked out well. And this way we get our national park pass for 13 months. Seeing the bison was such a highlight. It’s been neat to learn about their conservation and how many plains bison in Canada can trace their origins back to the same herd that’s in Elk Island National Park in Alberta.