Riding Mountain National Park

Riding Mountain National Park, one of four parks in Canada chosen as a Biosphere Reserve under the United Nations Biosphere Reserve, is a forest oasis surrounded by agricultural land. On a raised plateau that stretches to the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, the grasslands meet the forests and lakes, providing three distinct habitats for elk, deer, moose, and wolves as well as 230 species of birds including Manitoba’s official bird, the Great Grey Owl. Roughly 30 bison range year-round at Lake Audy. In 1933 when the park opened, Grey Owl, an Englishman named Archibald Belaney who had assumed an Aboriginal persona, gave nature talks and shows with ...

Riding Mountain National Park, one of four parks in Canada chosen as a Biosphere Reserve under the United Nations Biosphere Reserve, is a forest oasis surrounded by agricultural land. On a raised plateau that stretches to the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, the grasslands meet the forests and lakes, providing three distinct habitats for elk, deer, moose, and wolves as well as 230 species of birds including Manitoba’s official bird, the Great Grey Owl. Roughly 30 bison range year-round at Lake Audy. In 1933 when the park opened, Grey Owl, an Englishman named Archibald Belaney who had assumed an Aboriginal persona, gave nature talks and shows with his pet beavers, Jellyroll and Rawhide. It’s eastern edge is part of the Manitoba Escarpment, a long 1,000-mile ridge that slashes across North Dakota, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Some of Canada’s healthiest and biggest moose, elk and black bear thrive here. Wasagaming townsite includes accommodations, shops, restaurants, an interpretive center and beach site. More than 400 kilometers of trails transect the mix of eastern and western forest, high meadows and deep valleys, accessible by foot, bike, horseback or horse-drawn wagon, as well as ski and snowshoe in winter.

About the Expert

Catherine Senecal is the author of Pelicans to Polar Bears, a wildlife viewing guide to Manitoba, and has written about Alberta, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and other places for Michelin Guides, Rand McNally, and Reader’s Digest Atlas.