Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba, Canada - map, photos and visitor information

Riding Mountain National Park rises above the Manitoba plains around forests, grasslands, and lakes. Wasagaming, beside Clear Lake, is the main visitor base. It offers a practical starting point for short walks, while the park's longer trails reach quieter backcountry camps. A winter visit requires different arrangements from a summer campground stay.

Highlights around Clear Lake and the escarpment

• Walk the Clear Lake waterfront from Wasagaming.
• Explore wetland habitat on the Ominnik Marsh route.
• Look for the park's enclosed bison herd in the Lake Audy area, subject to road access.
• Visit the historic East Gate area on Highway 19.

Know before you visit Riding Mountain

Fees, hours, and seasonal access

Use the official fee schedule to check pass and overnight charges. Confirm hours before a long drive.

Wildlife, roads, and trail safety

Keep at least 30 m from large animals such as elk and moose, and at least 100 m from bears, wolves, coyotes, and cougars. Carry accessible bear spray and learn its use before hiking. Travel together, make your presence known, and leave your route and return time with someone.

Winter roads can have ice and poor visibility. Do not interpret year-round highway access as a promise of easy driving. Cell coverage is unreliable in the backcountry. Carry the equipment and supplies needed for delays.

Check trail conditions and closures before choosing a route. The Crawford–Edwards area has construction closures. Strathclair Trail is closed between Kinnis Creek Camp and Vermillion Camp because of flooding.

Protect lakes and wildlife

Keep dogs leashed and secure food, garbage, toiletries, and other scented items in a vehicle or designated storage. Do not feed wildlife or fly a recreational drone.

Watercraft rules apply beyond motorboats. Inspections and permits cover nonmotorized boats and specified water equipment. A Clear Lake permit and an Outlying Lakes permit authorize different waters. A provincial inspection does not replace the park's process. Equipment used in prohibited whirling-disease areas cannot simply enter after a routine inspection.

Read the current watercraft instructions before bringing a boat. Ask staff about nonmotorized inspection arrangements after the summer station closes.

Reserve a campsite for the correct season

Reserve backcountry camps before arrival. For Wasagaming, select accommodation that is actually offered for your travel dates. The winter list includes oTENTiks 728–734, 736, and 737, plus campsites 537–541. Most summer units are unavailable.

Follow the winter self-check-in instructions sent by email. Confirm the site's power, access, and equipment requirements before booking. A summer accessibility listing does not establish that the same unit is open in winter.

Maps, location, and road access

The park is in western Manitoba. Highway 10 connects the Wasagaming entrance with Brandon to the south and continues through the park toward Dauphin. Highway 19 approaches the eastern escarpment. Use a park map to distinguish Wasagaming, Lake Audy, and northern trailheads; they are separate destinations.

The visitor center is at 135 Wasagaming Drive. Highway 19 can have seasonal weight restrictions. Choose a route suited to your vehicle and check conditions before crossing the park.

Nearby parks to add to a road trip

• Rainbow Beach Provincial Park: A regional option near Dauphin, on the southwest shore of Dauphin Lake. It fits a trip leaving Riding Mountain on its northern side.
• Rivers Provincial Park: A southern regional option beside Lake Wahtopanah, near the town of Rivers. Check the local approach and seasonal services when planning your onward drive.

Walk, camp, or explore on winter trails

Start with the Wasagaming waterfront for a visit centered on Clear Lake. Ominnik Marsh adds wetland habitat to a short outing. Longer hikes require a route-specific check, especially where construction or flooding affects northern trails.

Winter activities include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and fat biking on appropriate routes. Match the activity to the designated trail and current snow conditions. Summer cycling and horseback routes also have their own permitted uses.

For a historical stop, the East Gate complex offers context for the park's early road development. Its Highway 19 location can suit an eastern approach, provided road restrictions allow your vehicle.

Visitor services and winter camping facilities

Wasagaming has the visitor center, campground, and waterfront paths. The main beach and pier have paved approaches. Regular and all-terrain wheelchairs are available on a first-come basis when the visitor center operates. A photo-ID deposit is required. Ask staff about the route and chair that suit your needs.

Winter campers must bring water or obtain it in Onanole. There is no on-site water service in the winter camping offer. Washroom building 10 remains open. Check the camping instructions for the specific site before packing.

About Riding Mountain National Park

Anishinabe homelands and park history

The park was established in 1930 and formally opened in 1933. Its creation displaced Anishinabe people from their homelands. Land at Clear Lake that had been wrongly included in the park was returned to Keeseekoowenin Ojibway First Nation in 1994.

Parks Canada now works with the Coalition of First Nations. A 2006 agreement formalized the coalition and the Riding Mountain Forum. The East Gate, built in 1933–1934, also preserves evidence of the park's early development.

Forest, grassland, and wetland animals

Boreal forest, deciduous forest, grassland, and wetlands meet here. These habitats support moose, elk, black bears, wolves, and many birds. The Lake Audy bison herd lives in an enclosure. Wildlife sightings elsewhere depend on animal movement and season; keep your distance even beside roads.

Contact Riding Mountain National Park

Call 204-848-7275 or email [email protected] for trip planning. For an emergency in the park, call Parks Canada dispatch at 1-877-852-3100. Ask the visitor center to confirm current services, closures, and accessible accommodation.