An island of boreal forest rising from the Manitoba plains, with free crown land camping nearby.
Riding Mountain National Park is a forested plateau rising 1,500 ft above the surrounding prairie — bison, bears, moose, and lake country with surprisingly few people. Surrounding crown land has free dispersed options.
Why it's special
Genuine wilderness in a region people drive past on the way to somewhere else. Almost no one outside Manitoba has heard of it.
Best time to go
June through September.
Getting there
Highway 10 north from Brandon, MB.
Know before you go
- National park entrance fee for the park itself; crown land outside is free.
- Black bears and (rarely) cougars.
- Mosquitoes and ticks in early summer.
- Cell service decent in the town of Wasagaming.
Pro tips from boondockers
- Lake Audy bison enclosure for guaranteed bison sightings.
- Wasagaming townsite has groceries and a real beach.
- Drive the Bison Loop for surprising wildlife encounters.
- Combine with a Winnipeg stop on the way in or out.
Combine with
Winnipeg (3 hours), Spruce Woods PP, Saskatchewan border.