In 2024, we spent 2½ months on the road, traveling nearly 17,000 miles. By the time we began the long drive home, we were ready to slow down, so we broke up the journey with a four-night stay at Lois’s Airbnb, a charming old farmhouse on the outskirts of Ochre River. This little town sits just 20 minutes from the north entrance to Riding Mountain National Park, one of only two national parks in Manitoba.
You can find the Airbnb listing here:
Mountain view – Houses for Rent in Ochre River, Manitoba, Canada – Airbnb
Our time in Riding Mountain was short, but the park left a lasting impression. The scenery was beautiful, the wildlife abundant, and every outing seemed to bring another unexpected sighting. We left knowing we had only scratched the surface.
Fast-forward to 2026. After six weeks spent photographing the harvest across southwest Manitoba, we brought our road trip full circle with another visit to Riding Mountain. Lois’s Airbnb in Ochre River was available and the perfect way to end our time in Canada—returning to a place we had enjoyed two years earlier and giving ourselves a chance to see what we had missed the first time.
With more than 250 miles of hiking trails winding through the park, we had more options to choose from than a weeks’ time would allow. We picked several that promised a little bit of everything—a chance to spot wildlife, beautiful landscapes, and enough distance to give us a good workout.
After the recent stretch of heavy rain, though, we knew some of the trails might be muddy and challenging, so we decided to tackle what we could and see what the road gave us.
One that consistently gets positive reviews is the Moon Lake trail, a 6-mile loop described as having “some wet crossings” and known for its wildlife.
The trail hugged the shoreline of Moon Lake, although it was often hidden from view by thick vegetation. We saw—and heard—plenty of signs of bear activity, but the only wildlife we actually spotted was a bald eagle.
We stopped at the halfway point, where Parks Canada’s iconic red chairs offered a view of the lake.
Beyond there, the trail became increasingly difficult to navigate, with downed trees and tall grass. About a mile farther on, we came to a creek with no way across.
After debating whether to wade through the thigh-deep water and continue, we decided the better option was to turn back the way we had come. In the end, we hiked considerably farther than the advertised six miles and rewarded ourselves with a hearty lunch in Wasagaming before heading back to Lois’s.
After three full days of searching, our wildlife-sighting list remained stubbornly short: coyotes, white-tailed deer, bison, and multiple birds. We had yet to lay eyes on a single bear, moose, or elk—all animals we had come expecting to see, and all supposedly in season.
Then a chance conversation at The Boardwalk in Wasagaming sent us in a new direction: the old Agassiz Ski Resort.
The resort operated for many years, but beginning in the 1990s, visitor numbers declined and the owner eventually filed for bankruptcy. In 2007, Parks Canada took over the property and began the process of returning it to its natural habitat.
A clerk had suggested it was a good place to spot bears, and once we arrived, we could see why. The trail network is accessed off Highway 5, far from the bustle of 10, the main highway through the park. It felt quieter, wilder, and just remote enough to make us think there might be wildlife around every curve of the road.
It turned out that clerk was right—and we were very glad we listened! We spotted five bears. Five! We had finally cracked the bear code. 🐻
We also enjoyed the sublime beauty of the Oak Ridge Trail, a smooth, grassy path through groves of oak and paper birch trees. It was the kind of trail that makes you slow your pace and look around without even realizing it. The forest was peaceful and the scenery beautiful.
We saw several white-tailed deer, multiple birds, and at one point a bald eagle flew directly in front of us.
The bison enclosure at Lake Audy is huge—1,235 acres, or roughly two square miles, of natural grassland.
About 40 bison call it home, roaming freely across the enclosure in search of food, water, and shade.
And bison aren’t the only ones using the space. Even though there’s a fence around the enclosure, other wildlife can come and go. Parks Canada has added openings and modified sections of the fence so animals such as elk, deer, bears, coyotes, and foxes can move through the area. This keeps the fence from becoming a barrier to the rest of the ecosystem.
We heard that a large cinnamon-black bear had been spotted inside the enclosure, so naturally, we decided to go looking for it. We drove around on three different days, keeping our eyes peeled but the only bear we saw was a juvenile male outside the enclosure, who disappeared into the thicket before we could grab a camera. The bison, however, were much more cooperative.
We had some fantastic close-up views of the herd, including one of the year’s newest arrivals. This little one is called a “red dog,” which is the name given to a bison calf born this year.
After tackling a few of the longer trails, we decided our legs had earned a break, so we opted for two short loops: the Boreal Trail and Kippan’s Mill. At less than a mile each, neither was exactly epic, but both looked promising.
The family-friendly Boreal Trail was an easy stroll through the forest, with smooth gravel paths and boardwalks and interpretive signs along the way. It was the perfect place to take in the scenery and learn a thing or two as we wandered along.
Kippan’s Mill was another story. It is advertised as a chance to step back in time and explore the last remaining sawmill inside the park. I was expecting, well, a mill. Instead, I found a large, grassy meadow containing several signs explaining what used to be there.
TG opted to stay back at Lois’s for the Kippan’s hike, and after seeing the empty meadow, I was glad he did. Still, the afternoon was far from lost. As I pointed myself towards home, a bear suddenly crossed the road directly in front of my car.
Over the week, we watched the landscape slowly transform into brilliant golds and reds, so on our final drives through the park, we concentrated on capturing those autumn colors through our lenses.
By then, we’d given up hope of a good bear photo opp. We’d catch the occasional fleeting glimpse—a dark shape slipping through the trees, a dash across the road—only to watch it vanish before we could even raise a camera. So, imagine our delight when a mama and her two cubs suddenly popped out of the tall grass right beside our car. As our cameras clicked, she calmly crossed directly in front of us—with not another car in sight!
Riding Mountain gave us wonderful gifts over the week: eleven bear sightings and beautiful wildlife along the roads and trails,
Five long hikes that left us tired and happy, and gorgeous landscapes at every turn.
We watched the sun rise and set over the farmlands and gazed up at velvet-black skies, sparkling with countless of stars.
We arrived hoping to find some of what we had missed on our first visit. We left with a deeper appreciation for this remarkable place—for its rhythms, its seasons, and the many wonders that reveal themselves when you take the time to look.
You can see all of our photos from Riding Mountain at the Flickr links below.
TG:
JET:
