Hiking the Bald Hill trail in Manitoba

I finally did it. I hiked in Manitoba and I hiked one of the most popular trails, Bald Hill in Riding Mountain National Park.  A dear friend and I have been wanting to do it for a while, so we just picked a day and went!

I don’t normally associate Manitoba with hiking.  Many don’t.  If you think of Canada and hiking your mind most likely wanders to our distant neighbours in Alberta and BC. Where I come from the only ‘hill’ you may climb is when winter rolls in full blown and you have to get through the snowbank to open your front door.

That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but I did have to travel about 3 hours to get to a place where the elevation decided to change.  I won’t complain too much because it is in one of the most beautiful parks in Manitoba and the trail was more than I what I expected.  The name does leave a bit to the imagination, but I can promise you it is a hike that should be on your list when visiting the prairie province.

It’s of course very different hiking to the walks in New Zealand.  Speaking from a praire girl, I would say Bald Hill is a good challenge for an afternoon walk. It is about an 11 km return walk and has a nice balance of walking on the flat and inclines to get your heart rate up.  It is very scenic taking you through rich boreal forest and is one of the finest examples of Manitoba’s natural beauty.

There are over 250 miles of trails in Riding Mountain National Park but if you had to choose one, I would say start with Bald Hill.  Gorge creek is a nice forest walk and the Burl’s and bittersweet trails is quite popular, but nothing beats the views from Bald Hill of the park and the prairies in the distance.

The trail is properly named.  As you walk down the trail only to go up again to be greeted with the finest views over Riding mountain National Park you will quite literally be standing on a bald hill.  The hill is a pile of shale rock from what I can only imagine is the effects of thousands of years of erosion.  It is quite impressive to know that this is all within Manitoba.

There are a few different options on this trail.  We came in the park from the East gate and started the track at the parking lot that you’d start the Burls and Bittersweet trail at.  Follow that trail, don’t turn off to do the Burl’s and Bittersweet track, instead continue on to the first junction.  Head west or left on that trail. By this point the track will have gotten steeper from the start.  There are plenty of places with a great view to have a breather and a few sips of water.  You’ll come to one more junction, ‘Reeve’s Revine south junction’ and here’s where you’ll want to pay attention. 

This is the one time you’ll want to follow the directions of someone’s chicken scratch on a sign!  The track to get up to Bald Hill is directly behind the sign which someone has been kind enough to mark on it.  This track will take you downhill for about 15 minutes before going up again, you’ll reach a set of stairs and that’s when you know you have reached Bald Hill!

If I’m being honest, be prepared to let out a holy $@!#. The view is amazing and the landscape is like nothing you will have seen in Manitoba before.

A few things to note, and one of the biggest differences from hiking trails in New Zealand to those in Canada, there are things in the forest that will get you!

Ok maybe not quite like that but you do have to be very mindful of ticks to start off.  Make sure you’re wearing long pants, even in summer if you can.  I wouldn’t really suggest hiking this trail in the heat of summer anyways.  Try going in the morning or evening as opposed to in the middle of the afternoon.  If you must wear shorts you may want to check from time to time if there’s any crawlies.  I only say this because ticks in the last few years have become quite dangerous with the diseases they carry.  Don’t worry though this is not enough that should keep you from getting out there.

Also be mindful that Riding Mountain is home to a variety of beautiful wildlife.  It’s not uncommon to hear a bear rustling through the bush or see bear scat but it isn’t a sure thing either.  We didn’t’ see any on the trail but instead on the side of the road on the way out.  Manitoba only has black bears which are more times than not very timid animals.  They have a great sense of smell and sharp hearing, so they often hear people coming before you know they are there and they run away.  Sometimes they might be having a snooze or maybe the wind has carried a scent the wrong way so be sure to make noise on the trail so you don’t startle them.  It’s not something I would worry about but be mindful the park is there home.

Have you hiked Bald Hill before?

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