It’s hard to overstate the beauty of Riding Mountain National Park. To start, there’s a crystal clear lake surrounded by a unique forest of birch, poplar and spruce. Sunrises and sunsets add drama to a vast sky overhead, and the calls of loons on the lake are enchanting. This happens to be one of Manitoba’s best-loved destinations, and it’s an hour directly north of my hometown!
Despite the proximity, I don’t have a long history with Riding Mountain National Park. I spent the summers of my youth on another nearby lake. In fact, I think this was only my second visit!
This visit occurred in the summer of 2015 when Kent and I were visiting my family. Shortly after our race with my younger sister, we leapt at the opportunity to accompany my older sister and her family on a trip to Riding Mountain National Park. So in mid-August, we drove up to spend a couple of nights together in celebration of my brother-in-law’s birthday.
Reeve’s Ravine Trail
Kent and I being, well, Kent and I, we were itching to try out one of the great hikes in Riding Mountain National Park. There were many to choose from, but we had to choose a way-out-of-the-way one that also happened to be the park’s newest.
For this endeavor, we somehow convinced my sister to drive us 55 kilometers out to the park’s east entrance. While Jil and Georgia opted for a shorter hike on the Burls and BitterSweet trail, Kent and I set out on our longer loop.
It was a beautiful sunny day, a dirt path beckoned to unknown adventures, and we had a backpack full of snacks and water. We set off excitedly down the Reeve’s Ravine Trail.
We barely made it a kilometer before we were calling for help. After recent heavy rains, the mosquito population of the local area had absolutely exploded. When we hit the bottom of a small gully, they completely engulfed us in a buzzy, bloodthirsty, black cloud. I actually regret not getting out the camera then and taking a photo of how intense it was, because it was quite an experience.
Poor Kent is always the preferred target for insects, but even I was overwhelmed. Despite our packed picnic, we felt extremely underprepared for the bugs. Perhaps this was just a bad spot and we would soon be in the clear. But a few meters further on, another cloud descended like thousands of tiny vampires, eager for my husband’s life force.
We wondered if my niece and sister were similarly besieged. But after a few calls with no answer, we figured they didn’t have service. So we were forced to conclude that we were on our own in the bush – just us and the bugs!
With no choice but to carry on, we did have one decision to make: how to feel about it. Kent and I decided to make this the best hike ever, despite the circumstances. And we soon figured out a way to do just that!
All it seemed to take was a brisk walk or jog through the shady areas. On hills or in other sunny sections, the mosquitoes were less numerous and their attacks less vicious. And luckily, our route featured a big ascent with lots of exposure.
‘Big ascent’ might not be exactly apt – nor is it likely to be what springs to mind when you picture hiking in Manitoba. But Riding Mountain National Park does have hills! And we were climbing one of them.
In fact, this 200 meter hill is so prominent it has a name: Bald Hill! And Bald Hill is one of the highest points on the Pembina Escarpment (also colloquially but incorrectly referred to as the Manitoba Escarpment). From this high vantage point, we had awesome views out over the prairies.
And this is exactly why Riding Mountain National Park is such a special place. The middle of Canada is famous for being flat farmland. What a delight it is, then, to visit this vast, protected forest in the middle of the country! The woodland immersion is unique, and so are the views above the prairie. There’s literally nowhere else like it.
With these thoughts in mind and a reduction in bites, we carried on to complete an enjoyable 9k loop of the scenic Reeve’s Ravine Trail. And then we kept going. When we returned to the dark, late afternoon shade of the dense forest, the bugs came back with a vengeance!
Reaching once again for my phone to tell my family we had finished, I discovered that we no longer had cell service. So, we ran for it! We ran out of the forest, and down the the lightly used gravel highway #19.
Finally, we made a connection, and soon got picked up. In the car, we slapped ourselves free of bugs and tried not to scratch our numerous bites. Then we had a good laugh over what was a surprisingly eventful little adventure!
Clear Lake
During the rest of our short stay, we stuck a little closer to civilization. We were staying in Wasagaming, the small town on the southern shores of Clear Lake.
We secretly went skinny-dipping, got our butts kicked by our nephew playing his first game of crib and did two gorgeous early morning fun runs on the lakeshore.
It was idyllic, and we never wanted to leave.
Leave we eventually did, but it was with hopes that we will one day return to enjoy more terrific trails and the splendid scenery in Riding Mountain National Park!
Would you believe this is our only Canadian National Park so far? That’s got to change – and I’m welcoming suggestions for where we should go next.
However, I’m also eyeing a return to this park. There’s a lot of trail fun to be had in Riding Mountain National Park – and a lot of other fun besides. Bison and black bear sightings, enjoying the Wasagaming beach and backcountry skiing/snowshoeing spring to mind. If you want to start planning your own adventure, head here!
Or if you’re headed straight to Reeve’s Ravine yourself, here’s a handy map!
Thanks for being here. Happy hiking!