Fall is one of the most beautiful times of year in Manitoba and hiking is a fantastic way to explore the stunning colours of all the changing leaves. There are plenty of provincial and national parks to put on your list of adventures. Here are a few:
Crow Wing Trail
This section of the Trans Canada Trail in Manitoba connects Winnipeg to Emerson, at the Canada and U.S. border. You can experience the historical route via oxcart, bike, on horseback or of course, on foot.
“If you’re a bit of a hardcore history buff … this is how people came into Canada and went north. You get to see how people did this in the 1800’s,” said Travel Manitoba president and CEO Colin Ferguson.
Grey Owl Trail
Riding Mountain National Park features a unique trail made famous by Grey Owl, who was the first naturalist hired by the Canada’s national parks system, according to Travel Manitoba.
“Riding mountain is a jewel, it’s a national park for a reason … it’s not that far away and it’s fantastic in the fall.”
“You can take his trail, you can see his little campsite that he had many, many years ago,” Ferguson said. “Wildlife viewing is speculator, everything from muskrats and beaver at one end all the way up to beaver and moose at the other.”
The trail leads to a cabin built by Grey Owl. You may be able to spot beavers, muskrats, moose, waterfowl, coyotes and white-tailed deer on the way there.
Clearwater Lake Caves and Karst Spring Trail
Not only is the water crystal clear at Clearwater Lake, there are caves with a self-guiding trail that leads to rock masses reflecting 400 million years of natural change in landscape.
Karst Spring Trail starts at nearby Grass River and it features a pretty spring about halfway through the hike.
Pisew Falls to Kwasitchewan Falls Trail
Many Manitobans haven’t seen the province’s mighty waterfalls yet and Ferguson suggests adding them to your travel list.
“Everybody talks about the falls, these are the two highest waterfalls in the province, they are absolutely spectacular,” he said.
Pisew falls can be found off Provincial Highway 6 in Northern Manitoba. They mark the start of a 22 km trail through the Grass River all the way to the Kwasitchewan Falls, which is Manitoba’s highest waterfall. This is not an easy adventure though.
“You’ve got to be a bit more of an accomplished hiker,” Ferguson added.
“Manitoba’s north is spectacular and there’s a lot of people in the city who have never been there.”
Spirit Sands and Devil’s Punchbowl
Did you know there’s a desert in the middle of Manitoba?
“A lot of people don’t know,” Ferguson said. “You can go out and you can see the devil’s punch bowl which is really cool or you can climb the 30-meter high sand dunes.”
Spruce Woods Provincial Park is about two hours west of Winnipeg. The main trail features a hill top view of the Devil’s Punch Bowl, which is a crater shaped lake near the Assiniboine.
WATCH: More Manitoba hiking ideas to put on your list
You can find free inspiration for adventures in the province at Travel Manitoba’s visitor information centre at The Forks.
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