I get it. Manitoba isn’t exactly the first place you might think of to road trip around. Especially in Canada. And if you live there, like I did for most of my life, you might even have a chuckle and think ok sure, but what is there to even see and how the heck do I make a road trip out of it.
I can tell you there is plenty. More than plenty! Sure places arn’t exactly situated close to eachother, which means a bit of driving time but the destinations you end up in totally make up for it. If there’s one thing I regret, it’s not exploring more of my own backyard when I lived in Canada. Now, everytime I’m back for a visit I have this long list of things I want to see and places to go.
Manitoba is a huge province and much of it is covered in lakes and forests. I was pretty shocked to hear that 115 million acres of the province is covered in forest and it’s Lake Winnipeg is the 14th largest lake in the world. The more northern you get in the province the more remote and more forested the land becomes which is pretty cool but doesn’t make for the most feasible road trip.
But, have no fears because I put together the best southern Manitoba Road trip or at least an option for one! I’ve broken it into 5 days but you can easily make it longer. 5 days is going on the assumption that you live in Winnipeg and may not spend as much time there as you would the other places. I have added a few bonus stops in the ‘itinerary’ as well as options to help you plan. You could also make it shorter but I suggest taking a few weekend trips from Winnipeg instead so you really get the best experience in all the places!
When to go
I highly suggest taking a road trip in Manitobain the late spring (May/June), summer (July/August) or early fall (September/early October). Each season gives you a different experience but I think these seasons are better than going in Winter. This way you can avoid the infamous late snowfalls, chilling temperatures, frozen lakes and icy roads. You can’t really go wrong at any other time of the year. Everythings in bloom in spring, the water is perfect to swim in, in summertime and fall puts out those beautiful colours.
Whichever time you choose, your road trip will be great and I can bet you’ll see things you had no idea even existed there! Alright lets get to it, your Manitoba Road trip itinerary.
DAY 1- Winnipeg- Falcon Lake/Caddy Lake-Rainbow falls- whitemouth falls-pinawa-tulabi falls
Total travel time for the day: approximately 5 hours
Winnipeg to Falcon- 1.5 hours, Falcon to Rainbow Falls-1 hour, Rainbow Falls to Whitemouth Falls-50 mins, Whitemouth to Pinawa- 20 minutes, Pinawa to Tulabi Falls- 1 hour
Kms covered:~360km
Day one, time to hit the road! Holy heck, I know there’s a lot of stops for the first day but bear with me, keep reading!
First off, if you want a great Canadian experience, be sure to grab your Timmies on your way out of Winnipeg. Of course, if you’re a local you’ve already got that covered. Steep tea and a sour cream donut, yes please!
Falcon Lake
The first half of the one and half hour drive to Falcon Lake is not too exciting to be honest. It is straight highway though so a pretty easy drive and it goes rather quick. Once you get about half way you start getting into boreal forest landscape. I always get excited for the change of scenery and it means I’m that much closer to the lake. One that I spent a lot of my childhood on and have the best memories!
The town is pretty much situated right by the water and has a grocery store, amazing ice cream and a few shops. There are two campgrounds and a bakery with the yummiest cinnamon buns. If you didn’t fill up on Timmies before, be sure to stop at the bakery and fill up on treats!
There is a lot you can do at Falcon lake. If you want you can chill by the beach, swim, rent a dingy, floaty or even a boat and cruise the lake. There is a stable there for trail riding, mini-golf, a golf course, tennis, and a few trails to walk including the Hunt Lake Trail. You can easily make a full day here.
Caddy Lake
If you’re into canoeing or kayaking and getting on the water though, I suggest heading 20 minutes up to Caddy Lake. It has a really unique and cool water route with tunnels that had been blasted out from the railway sometime in the twentieth century. The first tunnel is one and a half miles from shore, the second 3 miles from that. If you did both tunnels it would be a full day adventure. You can go to the first tunnel though, pull up on shore for snack and paddle back which would be about a 3 hour round trip.
This is an activity that really depends on water levels. If they’re too high, you can’t go through them but instead, have to portage over them. I highly suggest giving the Green Bay Resort a call beforehand to check on the levels. You can also rent equipment there as well.
rainbow falls
Once the fun is done at Caddy Lake or Falcon, whichever you choose, this trip takes you north through the Whiteshell Park and many of its beautiful lakes. A lovely spot to stop is Rainbow Falls which is about an hour from Falcon. Manitoba doesn’t really do waterfalls but this is probably the closest you can get in southern Manitoba. I’ll be totally honest here, don’t expect anything cascading or grand but it is a lovely spot to get out and stretch your legs along the short path to the falls.
whitemouth falls
Next is one of my favs, Whitemouth Falls. You’ll often find flocks of American pelicans here, beavers and sometimes eagles. There is a little picnic area but if you’re not too interested in the birds or photographing them you can bypass this stop and head straight to Pinawa.
Pelicans at Whitemouth Falls 
Pinawa
Pinawa is a really cool spot to explore. The area has an old dam no longer in use. You can walk along the rocks and all over a site that was Manitoba’s first hydroelectric station. I find this spot so relaxing and very cool to learn about such an important part of Manitoba’s history. It’s also pretty fascinating the sheer size of the equipment.
Tulabi falls
From Pinawa, the next stop is Tulabi Falls in Nopiming Provincial Park. This is a good example of Manitoba not being super road trip friendly as you have to go off on a bit of a detour. I think it’s worth it though and Nopiming Provincial Park has become one of my favourite parks. It has a beautiful relaxing remote feeling and gorgeous views of the Canadian Shield landscape. There are a few short walks that I suggest doing as well. Dip into the parks office for a map of where to go. One track takes you to Tulabi Falls, the other up high to get a great view of the lake. If you’re lucky you might see a moose or black bear! The park has newly built yurts which I personally loved staying in. It’s just such a beautiful Manitoba experience. Can you tell how much I love it there? Oh except remember bug spray! The sandflies were pretty bad until I got on the water. You can make a yurt or campground reservation here.
Now, like I said, that is A LOT to fit into one day. You could manage it if you didn’t stay at one place too long or maybe skipped out on canoeing on Caddy Lake and/or spending too much time at Falcon Lake. To extend your time, you could stay a night at Falcon Lake which if you do, you have to head over to Falcon Trails Resort. I had the best time in the lovely cabins there. They each have a dock onto the water, an outdoor fire. It was just magical!
DAY 2- Grand Beach- Gimili- Hecla
Total travel time for the day: approximately 5 hours
Tulabi Falls to Grand Beach- 1.5 hours, Grand Beach to Gimil-1 hour, Gimli to Hecla-50 mins
Alternatively: Tulabi Falls to Gimli- 1.5 hours, Gimli to Hecla-50 mins,
Kms covered:~350 km
Up and at it for day 2! If you’re renting a yurt by the lake, I 100% encourage you to get up for sunrise. Hopefully, the weather plays ball and is nice and calm so you’ll get the beautiful lake reflections and morning glow. I have to say sitting on the deck with a cup of coffee, or tea is so peaceful there and is the best way to start your day!
If you didn’t pack breakfast food, Lac do Bonnet has a few places you can stop for breakfast, not a huge selection. The best bet would be Drifter’s Inn. They seem to be open the earliest as you’ll want an early start to fit your day in.
grand beach
If it’s a beautiful day, you can carry on over to Grand Beach/Grand Marais and spend the morning to early afternoon soaking in the beach vibes. Grand Beach is a pretty cool spot in Manitoba. White sand beaches, grass-topped dunes that reach 8 meters high and the water is so warm in the summer. There are also a few walking trails called Spirit Rock Trail and the Ancient Beach Trail that are really nice. Be aware that these are shared tracks with bikers, and also a home for bears too so just keep your ears open, make lots of noise and you’ll be fine.
gimli
You can also just carry on to Gimil instead of stopping off at Grand beach. The town has a good selection for places to eat as well, if you can hold on to your hunger for that long! Gimli is really unique in that it has the largest Icelandic community outside of Iceland and is so rich in culture. The community celebrates and holds on to their heritage. There are art galleries, museums, spots to eat and it’s right on the shores of Lake Winnipeg which is so big you could pretend it’s the ocean. I’ve heard Manitoba’s version of fish and chips (pickerel) is pretty good!
Now, depending on how you’re doing for time and if you don’t mind snakes, like me, but no spiders AT ALL please, the Narcisse snake dens is unlike anything you’ll ever see. It has the largest gathering of snakes in the world during mating season in May. It is about a 40 minute drive west though so a bit ‘out of the way’.
Heading to Gimli first thing would be a better option if the weather wasn’t looking too great in the morning. If it cleared up in the afternoon there are a few beaches in Gimli to relax on.
hecla/grindstone provincial park
Hecla/Grindstone Provincial Park is the next stop. Another restored Icelandic community. It is also a great spot for bird watching and wildlife viewing. If you reach Hecla later afternoon, you can walk on some of their self-guided trails, visit the wildlife viewing tower in the evening and watch the sunset over the lighthouse. This is a great photography spot as you have the lighthouse, the water, rocky beaches and possibly wildlife.
There is a campground there to stay at or you can treat yourself at Lakeview Resort. They have a restaurant, pool, spa and golf course! They are even pet-friendly and the rates start at $135 for queen rooms which for a spot like that isn’t too bad!
DAY 3- Steep Rock- Riding Mountain
Total travel time for the day: approximately 5.25 hours
Hecla to Steep Rock- 2.25 hours, Steep Rock to Riding Mountain- 3 hours
Kms covered:~456 km
Day three! Yet again, a bit of a detour but Steep Rock is the next stop and another unique spot in Manitoba. One many Manitobans have never heard of let alone been to. The cliffs around the lake are made of limestone and with erosion over thousands of years, they have formed these cool caves and cliffs. There are trails along the cliffs and some lead straight down to the water.
You can rent kayaks and paddle out to the nearby island. It’s also pretty cool going along the shore to get a good look at the cliffs and cool geological formations. Because of all the limestone as well, the lake on a sunny day looks quite turquoise, not like the typical dark waters of most lakes in Manitoba. I know my first time to Steep Rock I couldn’t believe I had lived in Manitoba my whole life and had never been to visit such a cool area! This is an area where people have made their homes so like anywhere be sure to respect the area.
Once you’re paddled out, it’s on to one of Manitoba’s National Parks (there’s two in the province)- Riding Mountain. I suggest leaving Steep Rock later afternoon (can push it in the summer) so you can get to Lake Audy Bison Enclosure in Riding Mountain National Park in the evening as this is the best viewing time. If you’ve never seen these beautiful beasts before, you’re in for a treat! They are huge and fuzzy and just super cool! The bison in the enclosure is a display herd of 30 plains bison. The herd is a vital part of protecting the prairie ecosystem.
You can drive through the area at any time as a self-drive tour. Take care of the animals around you sometimes they can get quite close in curiosity. When you see the size of a bison though you will not want to get in its way! It is possible to see other wildlife in the enclosure as the park tries to make sure the fence does not cause a disturbance.
Evening is also a great time to look out for wildlife such as bears, moose and dear. Quite often you’ll see them right on the side of the road. It’s so important to give them space and not stress them. I was happily viewing a momma and two cubs once when a big diesel truck drove in front of me, got too close, stopped and left the truck running. The sound of the truck scared momma bear enough to shoot her babies up a tree.
There are quite a few places to stay in Riding Mountain National Park. The Lakehouse and Arrowhead Family Resort are nice and close to the water. There is also a very large campground and a lot more stays about 10 minutes from the water.
Option: If you want to extend your time, you could travel up further to Little Limestone lake. One of Manitoba’s most hidden gems. If you haven’t heard of the lake, check out my post for more details. A detour up there though has pretty significant driving time and is a go back the same way you came kind of route. It adds 6 hours onto driving time (there and back from Steep Rock).
DAY 4- Riding Mountain National Park
I’ve put RMNP as another day and night by itself on this Manitoba road trip. The park is huge and such a good place for outdoor lovers.
First of all there’s Clear Lake. This is the main lake in the park and it’s closest to the amenities. There is a small but lovely beach and grassy area to relax on and you can rent paddleboards, pedal boats and kayaks at the Clear Lake Marina. There are other lakes in the area like Grayling Lake and Moon Lake that are a bit further away from Clear Lake. If you go through the park from the north you will pass them. These lakes are more backcountry lakes and don’t have the amenities that Clear Lake does. There is also a higher presence of wildlife around these lakes. The first time I went to check out Grayling Lake, at the beginning of summer there were signs posted that a bear was frequenting the area!
If you’re into biking, The Old Surrey station and fuel station have bike rentals for the 130km of trails in the area.
The park also has some pretty great tracks to walk. Ominick marsh is a popular one and located in town. Boardwalks take you through the marsh and it’s a great spot to see lots of birdlife and critters swimming around like beavers! Early morning walks are the most peaceful. Some other popular tracks are Bald Hill and Gorge Creek Trail on the east side of the park. A nice easy loop in the same area is the Burls and Bittersweet trail. It is a 2.2 km track crossing over a cool little bridge. It’s quite picturesque!
This park has so much to offer it would be hard condensing anything to half a day. Of course if you plan on visiting again you can always go back and revisit some things! It would easy to spend a full weekend here!
DAY 5- Spruce Woods- Winnipeg
Last day of your Manitoba road trip! I’ll admit the rest of the drive back isn’t too exciting once you get out of the park. Again, a nice easy drive though and if you are going through closer to end of the summer you’ll probably see some beautiful colours from the farmer’s fields.
The next stop is Spruce Woods Provincial Park to get some hiking in. Two of the most well known and unique tracks in the park that I highly suggest doing are the Spirits Sands and Devil’s Punchbowl tracks. They’re both fairly easy tracks. You can walk the tracks in an hour and half but if you want to take your time and stop to easy I would allow three hours. Also, the sand you walk in was not hauled in that is part of the landscape! It’s pretty cool!
I think of this area as the Manitoba desert because of all the sand dunes even though it’s not. It gets twice as much rain as an actual desert and has a wide range of plant species. One being a few kinds of cacti which are pretty cool as you don’t find many growing in Canada let alone native species.
Once you’re hiked out it’s onwards to Winnipeg. If you have time, I always love stopping at the Forte Whyte Center and Assiniboine Park Zoo. Forte Whyte is a super spot for bird watching and taking a bison safari learning about these amazing animals. The zoo is lovely to wander around in flower gardens, duck ponds and learn about the zoo’s animal species especially the ‘Journey to Churchill’ exhibit. I know zoo’s are always a bit touch and go. The Assiniboine Zoo partakes in many conservation projects and work hard in supporting, protecting and restoring species populations in their natural habitats. They are doing a lot of work with the polar bears in the north and stepping in to save orphaned cubs.
If you’re traveling further into the Winnipeg, the Forks is a super place to stop for some food and shopping. There are some cool and quirky shops in there, beer tasting, bakeries and lots of goodies! Otherwise, it’s home time and alas, a good Manitoba road trip has come to an end.
Have you been on a Manitoba road trip? What were your stops?
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