Positioned in Southwestern Manitoba, Driving Mountain Nationwide Park is a haven for nature, wildlife, and historical past. The park sits on a big escarpment overlooking greater than 700,000 acres of windswept grasslands and boreal forest.
As soon as an integral a part of the fur commerce led by the Hudson Bay Firm, Driving Mountain now serves as out of doors journey capital. It’s identified for its nice mountain climbing trails, sprawling lakes, and magical night sunsets. The park protects three totally different ecosystems and is residence to numerous wildlife like moose, black bear, and a resident bison herd.
Driving Mountain is certainly one of solely two Manitoba Nationwide Parks and is properly well worth the go to. We explored the park on our cross-country street journey and had been pleasantly shocked by this distinctive vacation spot.
Listed below are the high issues to do in Driving Mountain Nationwide Park. We hope that a few of them will encourage you to plan a go to to this distinctive vacation spot.
Driving Mountain Nationwide Park
Get to Driving Mountain Nationwide Park, Manitoba
This nationwide park is positioned 100 km (62 miles) north of Brandon, Manitoba, and is definitely accessible by way of Freeway 10. When you’re travelling from Winnipeg, you’ll observe the Trans Canada Freeway west to Minnedosa and head north on Freeway 10 from there. The drive from Winnipeg takes simply over 3 hours.
For a extra scenic drive, enter by way of the east gate by way of Freeway 19. And don’t neglect to snap a photograph of the doorway! The East Gate Registration Advanced is the one remaining Nineteen Thirties-style Parks Canada entrance.
Driving to Driving Mountain Nationwide Park
Get Round Driving Mountain Nationwide Park
Having your personal automobile is one of the best ways to discover all of the websites and pure great thing about the park. There isn’t any public transportation throughout the park and a few elements of the park usually are not accessible on foot.
The principle street, Freeway 10, is paved whereas different lake entry roads are principally gravel.
Finest Time to Go to Driving Mountain Nationwide Park
Driving Mountain Nationwide Park is open year-round with a roster of actions accessible every season. Summer season is the preferred time of the yr to go to Driving Mountain Nationwide Park. The park is a well-liked vacation spot for locals from Winnipeg in addition to guests from different Canadian provinces. The lakes and easy accessibility to nature make it a vacation spot to not miss in the summertime!
We prefer to keep away from the crowds on our travels, so we’d advocate visiting the park in late Spring or early Fall, to line up your go to with the shoulder season.
We visited in late fall as part of our cross-Canada street journey. The climate was good however now not appropriate for swimming. Regardless, the keep was nonetheless nice!
Driving Mountain Nationwide Park Charges and Opening Hours
Entrance to the park requires a each day payment of CAD $8.50 per grownup or CAD $16.75 for a bunch of as much as 7 folks. Even should you’re tenting, you’ll must pay this each day admission on high of any tenting charges.
When you plan on spending various days within the park or are visiting as a household, we extremely advocate buying a Canada Parks Cross. The cross prices $72.25/grownup or $145.25 for a Household/Group of as much as 7 folks in a automobile provides you free admission to greater than 80 Nationwide Parks throughout Canada for 12 months.
The park is open 24 hours year-round with sure services solely open seasonally. For up-to-date park entry info, verify the present hours of operation right here.
Finest Issues to Do in Driving Mountain Nationwide Park, Canada
Spend the journey within the nice outdoor absorbing nature, wildlife, and journey.
Go to the Lake Audy Bison Enclosure
Some of the common Driving Mountain Nationwide Park actions is wildlife viewing. Together with moose, elk, and black bears, the park is residence to a herd of 40 plains bison. These animals as soon as roamed freely on the prairies of Western Canada however suffered near-extinction in Canada’s early days.
Due to conservation efforts within the Nineteen Thirties, plains bison had been re-introduced to Driving Mountain. Now, the 40 resident bison have a 500-hectare enclosure to roam at their leisure.
The enclosure is positioned simply off the shores of Lake Audy. Guests can observe the street by way of the enclosure and consider the bison from their automobile. There isn’t any assure you’ll see the bison instantly however be affected person and also you’ll be rewarded with a fantastic sighting.
Bison in Lake Audy Bison Enclosure in Driving Mountain Nationwide Park
Bison in Lake Audy Bison Enclosure
Bison in Lake Audy Bison Enclosure in Driving Mountain Nationwide Park
Bison in Lake Audy Bison Enclosure
Spend the Day at Clear Lake
Driving Mountain has a number of stunning lakes which might be nice for swimming, kayaking, and fishing. Clear Lake is the biggest, with a beautiful seashore and loads of water actions accessible.
The principle seashore is true within the city of Wasagaming and has out of doors showers, loos, and a seashore volleyball court docket. You’ll see boats within the water in addition to kayaks and canoes across the peaceable shores. Each might be rented by the hour. Clear Lake is ideal for teenagers and households desirous to spend the day constructing sandcastles and splashing within the lake.
Clear Lake is thought to get very busy in the summertime however boasts enjoyable actions in the course of the winter months too. It’s a preferred spot for ice fishing and likewise hyperlinks up with lots of the park’s cross-country snowboarding trails.
Clear Lake, Driving Mountain Nationwide Park
Seashore on the Clear Lake
Clear Lake
Verify Out the Wishing Properly
When you’re itching for some peace and tranquillity, head to the japanese shore of Clear Lake to go to the Wishing Properly. This beautiful little backyard is lined with aromatic flowers and a trickling stream resulting in a wishing properly.
We advocate popping by within the late afternoon so you’ll be able to seize a spot on the Clear Lake Pier for sundown. The backyard is positioned beside the Clear Lake Golf Course proper off of Freeway 10.
Wishing Properly, Driving Mountain Nationwide Park
Discover the City of Wasagaming
Driving Mountain is certainly one of solely 5 nationwide parks in Canada with a resort townsite throughout the park. This city of Wasagaming is a small vacation spot that comes alive within the summertime with eating places, cafés, and lodging leases.
Spend the day strolling alongside Wasagaming Dr, popping into distinctive outlets like Chocolate Fox or grabbing an ice cream at The Boardwalk. Simply understand that issues are fairly seasonal right here so most locations are solely open in the summertime.
Wasagaming can be the place you’ll discover the Nationwide Park Customer Centre for interpretative displays, souvenirs, and park info.
Having fun with the park close to Clear Lake
Go Climbing
This nationwide park has over 400 km (250 miles) of trails excellent on your subsequent journey. An in depth path system is a superb place for mountain climbing, biking, cross nation snowboarding, and horseback using contained in the park.
The Bald Hill Path affords panoramic views over the escarpment for a number of the greatest lookouts within the province. It’s a difficult 11 km (6.8 mile) return trek however the views are definitely well worth the climb.
Kinosao Path (3.9 km / 2.4 mile) is a shorter possibility, providing a simple hike that ends on the peaceable dock of Kinosao Lake.
Climbing in Driving Mountain Nationwide Park
Kinosao Lake
Go to Ominik Marsh
Observe the brief stroll from the Customer Centre to the marshy grasslands of Ominik Marsh. A winding boardwalk hovers above lakes and bogs lined with tall marshland grass. Preserve your eyes peeled for bugs, birds, and beavers swimming within the water.
Finest Eating places in Driving Mountain Nationwide Park
It’s not typically you’ll see restaurant suggestions for nationwide parks however Driving Mountain is exclusive. Because it has a city contained in the park, there are eating places and lots of different services in Wasagaming.
Every part was closed once we visited on the finish of the season, however listed here are some common eating places to strive primarily based on different customer’s suggestions.
Canoe TapHouse
This laidback lakeside spot is a perfect place to seize a craft beer and wood-fired pizza. Canoe TapHouse makes a speciality of pizzas, bruschetta, and native brews greatest loved on the out of doors patio.
T.R. McKoys Italian Restaurant
T.R. McKoys serves up a stacked menu of pastas, pizzas, and recent salads alongside refreshing cocktails and Italian wines. Make sure you make a reservation as a result of this place fills up quick!
Whitehouse Bakery
When you’re a fan of recent espresso and heat cinnamon buns, you’ll want to take a look at Whitehouse Bakery. The enduring constructing is the proper breakfast spot with many vegan and gluten-free choices as properly.
1929 Eating and Lounge
In-built 1929, 1929 Eating and Lounge affords a contemporary menu in a historic setting. From nachos to burgers to bison hangover soup, it’s a fantastic spot to settle in for a scrumptious dinner.
Ice Cream at The Boardwalk on Clear Lake
No summer time park go to is full and not using a little bit of ice cream. The Boardwalk on Clear Lake has an extended record of ice cream flavours together with pizzas, burgers, and scorching canines.
The place to Keep in Driving Mountain Nationwide Park
Tenting
There are 5 totally different campgrounds in Driving Mountain Nationwide Park for tents, RVs, and motorhomes. Tent tenting is barely accessible from Could-October however oTENTik tenting is accessible year-round. You’ll wish to e book your Driving Mountain Nationwide Park tenting reservations forward of time right here because the park will get very busy.
Wasagaming Campground
The most important and hottest of the 5 campgrounds is Wasagaming Campground. It’s near the seashore and city centre and affords over 400 campsites starting from unserviced to full hook-ups. And should you’re not an enormous camper, there are yurts, oTENTiks, and Micro-Cubes for a little bit of rustic luxurious. Tenting charges vary from CAD $30-40 per night time primarily based on services or CAD $106-130 for glamping.
Different Frontcountry Driving Mountain Tenting
The opposite 4 campgrounds are thought-about “primitive” as they don’t provide any water or electrical hookups.
- Whirlpool Lake is geared for tents and is near trails and water actions within the lake.
- Deep Lake affords peaceable, distant tenting within the western a part of the park.
- Moon Lake accommodates tents and RVs in search of forest and lake entry.
- Lake Audy Campground has three oTENTiks and 19 unserviced websites overlooking the attractive Lake Audy.
All 4 primitive campgrounds are CAD $16.75 per night time or $106.50 for an oTENTik. Reservations might be made right here.
Different Lodging in Driving Mountain Nationwide Park
Moreover tenting, there are lots of Driving Mountain Nationwide Park Lodging on the town.
Lakehouse
Keep in certainly one of 15 luxe cabin-chic guestrooms at Lakehouse with an on-site restaurant, espresso store, and retailer. It’s open year-round and options in-floor heating and 0 waste bathe dispensers. Rooms begin at CAD $154 per night time.
Elkhorn Resort & Spa
For a dose of rest, Elkhorn Resort affords cozy rooms and chalets with an on-site restaurant and Nordic spa. There’s additionally a kid-friendly pool, full with a waterslide and scorching tub. Rooms begin at CAD $140 per night time.