Riding Mountain Adventure

Day 01

Welcome to Winnipeg

I’ve just arrived in Winnipeg and am so excited for my Riding Mountain Adventure tour! Tonight I’ll be spending the night at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, which is just a quick walk from the Winnipeg airport. I check into my room and have some time to settle before heading to my scheduled meet and greet with my Frontiers North Interpretive Guide and the rest of the tour group to go over our itineraries and to ask any last minute questions.

Day 02

Wildlife Safari in Riding Mountain National Park (RMNP)

Following an early breakfast, we depart Winnipeg on a three-and-a-half-hour drive to RMNP, but first, we make a stop in Neepawa, Manitoba to visit Farmery Estate Brewery for a brewery tour and lunch at their delicious on-site food truck. Driving through the prairie grasslands to the rolling hills of the Manitoba Escarpment, we arrive in RMNP via the historic East Gate and enjoy an introduction to the park. Prior to checking into our hotel we have a chance to enjoy an evening wildlife drive in the park – our first chance to search for moose, black bear and other wildlife!

Our accommodations for our time in RMNP is the beautiful Lakehouse Boutique Hotel, located in the heart of downtown Wasagaming – a townsite inside the national park.

Photo © Handcraft Creative

Day 03

RMNP Bison Enclosure

We wake up to a bright sunny morning and are ready for a wildlife adventure! After breakfast, our group climbs aboard our bus and head out on a morning wildlife drive in Riding Mountain National Park. After our drive in the park, we go to the captive bison enclosure to learn about the history of the enclosure and its significance to the area. Our next stop is a family-run café for lunch.

In the afternoon, we board The Martese for an afternoon cruise through Clear Lake, located just steps away from downtown Wasagaming. The water is so clear, you can actually see the sand and pebbles that sit beneath the water – now I know why it's called Clear Lake!

Next we enjoy some free time to relax or explore the town of Wasagaming before dinner. Tonight is our last night staying at the lovely Lakehouse; we're sad that our time in Riding Mountain National Park is coming to an end, but we're happy to have experienced it!

Photo © Taylor Cole

Day 04

Final Wildlife Safari

Our day starts off with one last morning wildlife drive through the park to spot wildlife and then an interpretive hike through Ominik Marsh.

We board the bus for our return to Winnipeg, making a stop in Neepawa again; this time it's to visit the Margaret Laurence Home, a historical house where celebrated author, Margaret Laurence, grew up. 

We return to Winnipeg and check into the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel for the evening.

Photo © John Gunter

Day 05

Depart Winnipeg

My adventure has come to an end, and I head home with hundreds – if not thousands– of photos to commemorate my incredible wildlife safari in southern Manitoba.