Top Things to Do in Riding Mountain National Park in Winter: A Nature and Adventure-Filled Getaway in Manitoba
There are few things that feel more Canadian than taking a winter road trip, and Riding Mountain National Park is the perfect destination for a memorable nature getaway like this in Manitoba. We took a friends’ getaway to the town of Wasagaming. It’s an easy drive from Winnipeg, with everything from adrenaline-filled outdoor adventures to relaxing nordic spas in small-town charm.
Cold as they may be, to make the most out of living or travelling in Canada, you just have to embrace the coldest of its four seasons—winter. As much as Chris and I love a warm, sunny day, we’ve enjoyed every opportunity we’ve had to acquaint ourselves with winter destinations in our beautiful country.
From visiting Canadian cities in winter like Quebec City and Toronto, to enjoying more natural and restorative winter retreats in our home province of Ontario, bundling up in the right clothing for the weather really helps us enjoy so much of what makes Canada’s longest season so magical.
So when the temperatures on our winter trip to Winnipeg and Riding Mountain reached feeling like -50C, instead of retreating indoors and watching these sunny, snowy days pass us by, we made the most of it. Nearly every local we met on this trip reminded us that this was the coldest it had been in weeks and even months during our visit, so winters in “Mani-snow-ba” are not always this cold.
But somehow the cold climes made our trip with friends to Riding Mountain National Park all the more memorable. My goal in this article is to make help you plan for your next memorable getaway to this beautiful corner of Manitoba in the winter.
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Taking a Manitoba Road Trip to the Park & Where to Stay
Car Rentals, Road Trip Goodies & Getting to R.M.N.P.
You’ll need to rent a car from Winnipeg to enjoy your trip fully. We picked up our rental from the Winnipeg Airport, but there are several options in town.
We just so happened to take this road trip with our dear friends Scott and Megan (from Bobo and Chichi), so we were looking forward to a good road trip together. I’d recommend grabbing a few local road trip snacks and goodies to bring to your cabin, especially since there’s more in the way of options in Winnipeg than in the park in winter.
We were heading to the park from The Forks Market in Winnipeg, so a few things we grabbed were:
Butter tarts from the Butter Tart Lady, who just so happened to have a pop up in the market.
Local craft cider, beer and wine for the cabin. We popped into Ellement Wine + Spirits and picked up a few local and naturally-sourced ciders and wines. I always like to get a sense for local flavours, and the Dead Horse Cider Co. Sour Cherry cider was a fun find.
Of course there’s plenty more in the market worth shopping around for. I always love bringing local goodies on a road trip!
It’s a comfortable three hour drive to get from Winnipeg to the park, especially if it’s a clear day. (Always check Manitoba road conditions and weather alerts before driving in the winter in Canada!)
On the way, make sure you take some time to stop at some of Manitoba’s roadside attractions. There are actually over one hundred large roadside stops along the Trans Canada Highway in Manitoba! We stopped at the World’s Largest Coke Can and Canada’s Largest Great Grey Owl in Portage la Prairie, and Happy Rock in Gladstone. We could have stopped at more, but our winter daylight was waning, and we wanted to get to the park before dark.
Where to Stay in the Park
Arrowhead Family Resort cottage living space
There are a few different areas to stay in the park, but your options become narrower in the winter since some places are closed. Staying in the main townsite of Wasagaming is your best bet on a winter trip here.
We stayed in one of the new cottages at Arrowhead Family Resort. The resort is steps away from the centre of Wasagaming, and it has four cottages in total—one of which is pet-friendly. For our road trip with friends this was a great way to stay in a shared accommodation together. Each cottage has two bedrooms and two full bathrooms, making it a perfect option for couples or small families.
Each cottage also has a full, compact kitchen, a cozy wood stove, and a nice shared living and dining space. We loved getting a fire going, playing games and hanging out in the front room at the end of each day here!
Arrowhead Family Resort has some other accommodation options, which you can check out on their website. Another great accommodation option in town for a winter trip is The Lakehouse. It’s a boutique hotel in the heart of Wasagaming, with different types of suites and cottages available. They also have a restaurant on site, which I cover later in this post.
The Indigenous History of the Park: Wasagaming & Treaty 2 Territory
Supporting Indigenous-owned businesses like Turtle Village has become a priority in the park. Owner Ashley Smith (right), and her daughter Jaylee (left) are pictured here outside their Turtle Village ice fishing village. The village is on pause for the upcoming winter season.
Riding Mountain National Park got its name from being on a “mountain” by plains standards, and the horseback riding trails and neighbouring ranches that developed around the park in its more recent history. But you’ll find that the park is often referred to by alternate names, like “Wasagaming” and “Clear Lake,” because the history here extends far beyond its establishment as a national park.
Indigenous communities have lived on these lands for centuries. The largest lake in the area has been called “washagama saageygun” (an Anishanabe term meaning “clear water lake”) for generations. The lake and main townsite are still known as Wasagaming and Clear Lake today, and offer access to one of the deepest and clearest water sources in the region.
When the federal government began to parcel off Indigenous lands in Canada under the Indian Act, Indigenous communities were assigned land here. A good example of this was when the Keeseekoowenin nation were told to live along the shores of Clear Lake in 1906. That all changed when the park was established in 1930, when communities like the Keeseekoowenin nation and seven other Indigenous communities were forced and burned off of the land that was promised to them.
These are the seven First Nations who were forced from the park in the 1920s and 1930s:
Keeseekoowenin Ojibway First Nation
Ebb and Flow First Nation
Waywayseecappo First Nation
Rolling River First Nation
Tootinaowaziibeeng First Nation
Gambler First Nation
Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation
As a result of its violent history, today the park acknowledges its location within Treaty 2 Territory, and now works with Treaties 2, 4 and 1. Between its coalition of the seven First Nations listed above and Indigenous business owners now being able to operate within the park lands, the focus is on the future.
Winter Activities to Enjoy in Clear Lake
There are plenty of activities to consider on a winter trip to Clear Lake. And the best part is after spending so much time outside, you can feel good about cozying up for a winter’s night by the fire once the day is done.
Fat Biking at Northgate Trails
Chris and Scott at Northgate Trails
Chris and Scott had the incredible opportunity early on a crisp, cold winter morning to hop onto the Northgate Trail System (often simply just called Northgate Dauphin).
It’s a 26km system of stacked loop, multi-use trails that are perfect for mountain biking, trail running, gravel biking and more. Alex Man, who has spearheaded so much of the growth and development of this park was out on the trails with Chris and Scott, and they both noted that they could sense the passion he had for this trail system immediately.
Beyond that passion, from a technical perspective, the trails were nothing short of a masterpiece. What’s beautiful about this is that it’s year-round in many respects. They were fat biking, making the most of ripping along the snow-laden paths and trees, but you could see how this would be a mecca for riders of all kinds in the warmer months.
It’s the perfect way to not only view, but really be a part of this stunning “North Escarpment.” You can find full details about visiting the trails here.
Get Out on the Park’s Other Trails
Megan and me snowshoeing on Clear Lake
Megan and I went showshoeing while Chris and Scott went fat biking. You can rent showshoes from the Friends of Riding Mountain National Park centre in town.
There are a few hiking trails you can take in the winter, like the short Ominik Marsh Boardwalk Trail on the edge of the townsite of Wasagaming, or just head out in the middle of winter when Clear Lake is safely frozen over and go from Wasagaming to Deep Bay Beach. Double check with park staff at the Visitor Centre or the volunteers at Friends of Riding Mountain National Park to make sure conditions are safe before you head out on the lake.
You can rent a few other fun items from the FoRMNP folks, too. They rent out fat bikes, kicksparks (kind of like scooters for the snow), snow tubes and sleds.
If you’re keen for more, there are several much longer cross country ski and snowshoe trails in the park.
Take Advantage of The Free Outdoor Winter Programming in Wasagaming
Enjoying hot chocolates and s’mores at Friends of Riding Mountain National Park’s outdoor fire pit
There are a lot of free things to do in Wasagaming in winter:
Skating Trails: There are some skating areas and trails set up close to the Parks Canada Visitor Centre—you just have to bring your own skates, as there are no rentals in the park. They go through the forest, and are really beautiful on a snowy winter day. The cookshack shed is connected to the trails and has two woodburning stoves going at all times, making it a great place to warm up on a cold day.
Parks Canada Visitor Centre: You can come to this historic log cabin to learn a little bit about the park, and maybe warm up on a cold day.
Clear Lake Country Winter Pavilion: This is set up annually near the Visitor Centre. You can check out a variety of ice and snow sculptures, shelters and outdoor seating areas for a fun winter photo op.
Friends of Riding Mountain National Park Events: They put on a lot of winter programming throughout the season. During our visit, they set up a cute hot chocolate and s’mores station beside their building. You can check out their website for the latest in winter programming and events.
Embrace the Nordic Climes at Klar So Nordic Spa
Klar So is an outdoor Nordic spa at Elkhorn Resort, located just outside of Riding Mountain National Park. It offers an amazing opportunity for relaxation and warming up after a good day spent outside in the park.
Named after the Danish translation for “Clear Lake”, Klar So features many Scandinavian spa rituals, including a steam sauna, dry sauna, relaxation pavilion, two hot tubs, a temperate pool, and a cold plunge. I definitely had to catch myself falling asleep in the cozy relaxation room—it’s the perfect way to cap off a winter day.
You can also have a meal at the spa’s restaurant. I’d recommend making a reservation for your meal in advance, or pop up to the restaurant a few hours ahead of time to put your name down, since there is limited seating inside, and it can get busy on weekends in the winter.
Grab a Bite in Town
The Lakehouse & Spruce Hut in Wasagaming
Although several places are closed in town during the winter months, there are still some good options in and around the park to grab a bite during your visit:
The Lakehouse is a favourite. They have a nicely sized dining space, bar and cafe inside with upscale pub fare and a coffee shop. You can cozy up by the fire with a warm cup of coffee or a cocktail for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They sometimes offer unique outdoor winter dining experiences, so keep an eye out for any upcoming events!
Clear Lake Trading Post is a small grocery and provisions store in town with a fresh bakery and rotisserie chickens. We loved the breakfast sandwiches we ordered from here to start off a great day outside.
Buffalo Bar at Elkhorn Resort is a good place to come for breakfast, lunch or dinner. You can expect classic pub fare and a selection of beer and spirits to cap off a good day.
Go Ice Fishing With Indigenous-Owned Turtle Village
Note: This experience has been put on pause for the time being. We’re hopeful they’ll open again in the future! You can feel free to learn more about their other experiences and spring to fall pods on their website.
Chris and I loved this experience so much that it was featured in my weekly travel newsletter right after our visit. Turtle Village is an Indigenous- and woman-owned business that offers a unique blend of guided ice fishing experiences inside of glamping-style tents on frozen Clear Lake.
Clear Lake has been an essential site for Indigenous communities for centuries. Owner Ashley Smith and her fellow Gambler First Nation ancestors fished here in the winter using fires to melt holes in the ice, and built snow barriers to protect against the wind. They’d catch White Suckers, Lake Whitefish, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Walleye, and Northern Pike, all of which can still be caught here today.
Ice fishing at Turtle Village is much more comfortable than it was in generations past. Ashley, her partner Jason, and their kids Jaylee, Keeson and DawnJae have built four glamping-style fishing tents to make up Turtle Village, each equipped with a wood-burning stove, solar-powered lighting, pre-drilled fishing holes, and cozy seating for up to six people.
Add-ons like bannock-making kits or Indigenous-led fishing lessons deepen the experience, making it both an educational and memorable adventure. The warm atmosphere—literally and figuratively—ensures a fantastic day on the ice. And yes, I even caught a fish!
Making the Most of Your Winter Getaway to Riding Mountain National Park
During your winter trip, I’d definitely also recommend keeping an eye out for the northern lights. Unfortunately they weren’t active during our trip, but I can guarantee the views would have been incredible from our cabin in Wasagaming if they were.
I’d love to return on a summer trip to the park when more roads are clear and easy to use. It would be great to come back and see the East Gate (a National Historic Site) in clearer conditions, spend a little more time checking out some of the other lakes in the area like Kinosao Lake, or see the plains bison at Lake Audy. But that’s the thing about seasonal-specific travel in Canada—you visit one season, and you start thinking about all of the ways your experience of a place will be enriched when you come during a different time of year.
Being able to experience the best of winter in a place like this with friends like Scott and Megan is a truly Canadian experience that’s good for the soul. I hope you’ve found this guide helpful—feel free to check out the video I put together all about our winter trip to Manitoba below!
I want to thank Travel Manitoba for hosting Chris and me as media for our winter trip to the province. All opinions expressed are completely my own.
Bri Mitchell
Bri Mitchell (@brimitchelltravels) is a travel writer and content creator from Toronto, Ontario. She loves to highlight all things nature, food, wellness, sustainability and adventure in her work. Bri writes and shares her travel experiences from across Canada, North America and around the world on Instagram and TikTok; in her articles for travelingmitch, Ultimate Ontario, and We Explore Canada; and in her weekly travel newsletter, The Weekly Traveller.