Wilderness Retreats
Photo Credit George Fischer Photography
Manitoba is a diverse place, with golden plains, broad tundra and lush forests that offer incredible opportunities for outdoor adventure within close reach of the city of Winnipeg. Here, you’ll find the experiences – from amazing wildlife viewing to dramatic heritage sites and out-of-this-world fishing – plus the accommodations and amenities to meet your needs.
Photo Credit George Fischer Photography
Interlake
With Lake Winnipeg to the east and Lake Manitoba to the west, it’s no surprise that Manitoba’s Interlake region is a place rich in both natural wonders and cultural traditions.
Photo Credit Max Muench
Hecla/Grindstone Provincial Park is a collection of islands on Lake Winnipeg. A causeway provides easy access to the park and its array of landscapes: lush forests, rugged shorelines, scenic beaches and bountiful marshes. Hike or bike the park’s trails and keep your eyes peeled for wildlife. At the top of the wildlife viewing tower, see if you can spy a moose. Along the dikes in the Grassy Narrows Marsh, count the species of waterfowl and other birds you spot. Stay at a full service resort, featuring a restaurant, lounge and spa. The resort is also right next to one of Manitoba’s finest golf courses along the shore of Lake Winnipeg. Enjoy a sunset stroll along the shores to the iconic lighthouse or take the self-guided trail through the historic Hecla Village.
Another great destination for bird watching and other wildlife viewing in the Interlake is Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre, just a short drive north of Winnipeg. There are over 300 species of birds recorded at the marsh, along with 30 species of mammals, plus fish, amphibians, reptiles and all kinds of invertebrates. Bring your binoculars or join an interpreter on a guided hike, paddle or wade through the marsh, admiring some of last remaining patches of tall grass prairie in Manitoba.
Just as abundant as wildlife in the Interlake are the region’s cultural treasures. Head to Gimli, the heart of New Iceland, for Islendingadaurinn or the Icelandic Festival of Manitoba. But you don’t need to visit during the festival to get a sense of the town’s Icelandic roots, present in its Viking Park and the New Iceland Heritage Museum.
Photo Credit Wildhouse Media
Riding Mountain National Park/Clear Lake Country
Start your adventure in Riding Mountain National Park. The park, including its townsite Wasagaming, and the surrounding areas have been given the moniker Clear Lake Country after the park’s largest and most visited lake. Clear Lake is often called the hub of Riding Mountain National Park. The Anishinabe of the area have called these lands home for generations. Today, Clear Lake is a year round location for visitors from Manitoba, Canada and around the world.
Photo Credit Parks Canada
The park’s lakes and trails bring wildness enthusiasts together with lake life lovers who enjoy the cottage-chic vibe of the shops and restaurants of the Wasagaming townsite. From Wasagaming, you can walk the Lake Shore trail around most of Clear Lake, while stumbling upon secluded public docks that make the best spot to catch a sunset. Starting in Wasagaming, the Riding Mountain Parkway goes right through the park almost reaching neighbouring town of Dauphin. The Parkway is lined with more than a dozen trails and lakeside picnic spots. It’s also the best place to catch a glimpse of a bull moose or mother bear with her cubs.
Photo Credit Parks Canada
Your stay in Clear Lake Country can range from glamping, cozy cabins, boutique hotel to a full service resort and conference centre complete with a spa.
Photo Credit @pauleppic
Whiteshell
The eastern side of the province is dominated by rocky outcrops and forest-ringed lakes and is home to Whiteshell Provincial Park. The Whiteshell has thousands of kilometres of trails ranging from rugged multi-day treks, to easy hikes to see waterfalls. In the winter, the park is a top snowmobiling destination, with hundreds of kilometres of groomed trails.
Photo Credit Travel Manitoba
Embark on a paddling adventure – try Caddy Lake where you can paddle through tunnels blasted through the rock when the railway was built. Then make your way to Lily Pond. This spot is a treat for senses – breathe in the fragrance and delight at the bursts of happy yellow and white water lilies. The bedrock cliffs that rise dramatically over this pond were formed by ancient glaciers scooping away the soft rock.
Photo Credit Travel Manitoba
The park’s Bannock Point Petroforms are an important Indigenous site known as the place where the Creator sits. The petroforms are stones laid out on the bedrock in the shapes of turtles, snakes, geometric designs and a Thunderbird. It is believed these shapes were made centuries ago by Indigenous people as a means for teaching and healing. This sacred place is still used by Indigenous people today for ceremonial purposes.
Photo Credit Dan Harper
Stay at a year-round resort located on one of the park’s main 13 lakes, including options like an eco-cabin located on a secluded lake. Go on a horseback riding adventure to the site of a famous UFO sighting or ski down Falcon Ridge slopes to a charming vintage ski chalet.
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Photo Credit Travel Manitoba
Gangler’s Eco Adventures
Manitoba’s north is wilderness at its purest. Out here roam bears, moose, caribou, wolves, eagles and all manner of impressive wildlife. Here also stands Gangler’s Eco Lodge. Located close to the northern edge of Manitoba’s border with Nunavut, this fly-in lodge stands on Lake Egenolf. Private cabins are complemented by a beautiful wooden lodge, where you’ll spend numerous hours reliving the day’s adventures and digging into an array of gourmet food. The main geological attraction here are the eskers, huge sand bars were left behind 8,000 years ago when 4 km-thick glaciers receded. Cross the eskers by RTV, foot or fat bike.
This area, once a regular route for the first people of Canada, is veritably strewn with artifacts like arrowheads, tools and remnants of the past. Items are recorded, marked by location and then returned to their place for the next adventurers to discover.
The lakes in this area teem with fish, known for its constant action for walleye, trout and pike. After a morning spent on the water, it’s time for a quintessential Manitoba shore lunch. Your fishing guide will prepare your catch, along with a set of tasty sides prepared over an open flame.
The last piece of the adventure includes a float plane ride, a further 100 km north, past the tree line. In the fall, this is where the caribou come, awaiting the shutter clicks of eager photographers angling for that perfect shot.