Duck Mountain Provincial Park
With a limited number of summer vacation days, you'll want to plan a holiday that the entire family can enjoy. Find it all in Duck Mountain Provincial Park and Provincial Forest—scenic surroundings, comfy accommodations and activities sure to enthuse every family member, no matter what the age.
- Take shelter – lakeside
- Cast off and reel 'em in
- Get a little wild
- Hunt for treats and antiques
- Let the fun snowball in winter
Take shelter—lakeside
Duck Mountain Provincial Park and Provincial Forest features naturally rolling terrain complete with meadows, forest, streams, lakes and wetlands. Take pleasure in a private lakeside cottage or plant your trailer or tent in one of many scenic campground sites – campgrounds and tourist facilities are on hand at all major lakes in the park. Blue Lakes Resort, Childs Lake Lodge and Outfitters, and Wellman Lake Lodge and RV Park offer an assortment of rental cabins and guest amenities such as boat rentals, fishing packages, playgrounds, hiking trails, and supply stores. Both Wellman Lake and Childs Lake lodges offer public shower and laundry facilities for campers, as well as a restaurant.
Plan your family getaway
- Blue Lakes Resort
- Wellman Lake Lodge and RV Park
- Childs Lake Lodge
- For a complete list of lodges, campgrounds and lakes in the area
Cast off and reel 'em in
The park is a fishing mecca for amateur and expert anglers. Try it all—fly fishing, open water fishing, or ice fishing – and land that trophy fish. The multiple lakes and streams are home to abundant native and stocked species including lake trout, walleye, northern pike, perch, whitefish, burbot, brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, splake, smallmouth bass, muskellunge, and even arctic char. Bring your own boat or rent from one of the lodges. Most lakes are accessible by car, but if you're feeling rugged, venture to one of the more reclusive outback lakes via ATV. Teach the kids and create special memories.
Plan your family getaway
Get a little wild
Creaturely delights and nature viewing galore await your family in the park—home to moose, white-tailed deer, elk, black bears, foxes, lynx, coyotes and timber wolves. A colourful and rich assortment of birds nest throughout the forests and marshes, and the hills are blanketed with diverse and interesting plants, berries and wildflowers. Don't forget the lakes, chock full of all kinds of fish. Combine learning and fun at the Frank Marvin Visitor Centre located in the Duck Mountain Forest Centre, with its historical displays, exhibits, artefacts, a 3D model of the Swan Valley Watershed, picnic areas and hiking trails. You have to check out the Beaver Island Trail, with its 70-foot long bridge leading to Beaver Island! Set a lofty goal and hike 2.5 kilometres to the Baldy Mountain lookout—Manitoba's highest peak. Explore the various trail networks, suitable for all experience levels, over and through the hilly terrain and forests of the park. Choose your method and designated trail—hike, bike, ATV or ride horses in the summer and snowmobile, snowshoe or cross-country ski the trails in winter.
If you'd rather get into the great, clear blue and take to the watery trails, rent a canoe or kayak and paddle away for an afternoon or take an adventurous overnight expedition. A relaxing light paddle along the Blue Lakes canoe route (with its short portage to scenic Shillady Lake) is perfect for the family. Beautiful remnant glacial and spring-fed lakes make the park a clear choice for diving and snorkelling enthusiasts, swimmers and boaters. Lodges in the park offer a variety of water sports and equipment rentals, or simply relax and lounge on one of the sandy public beaches.
Plan your family getaway
- Duck Mountain Forest Centre (open July and August)
- Baldy Mountain Trail
- For other trails and park information (you can also find trail information and maps at the Manitoba Conservation office in the park)
- See individual lodges for specific facilities, packages and rentals that they supply.
- SCUBA East Blue and Child's Lake Manitoba Underwater Council dive maps (be sure you have the proper training and equipment as diving in the Ducks is self-led)
Hunt for treats and antiques
Search for treasures hidden among the hills surrounding Swan River Valley. Kids will thrill at becoming high-tech geocaching treasure hunters. Explore this charming region of Manitoba using GPS units to seek out one of the many caches concealed in the 'Valley in the Mountains'. Keep the curiosity alive in the historic pioneer settlement of 'Tent Town' in Minitonas, then unearth an ice-cream cone or antique at the town's rustic Holmstead Emporium. Don't forget to pick up a ring of unbeatable garlic sausage from Valley Meat Packers. And what would a mountain be without a bike? Experience the highs and lows of cycling the ski trails at the Thunder Ski Hill in Swan River. Pack your cowboy boots for Swan River's annual Northwest Roundup and Rodeo - held the third weekend in July, the family will enjoy a host of rides, exhibits, dances and great food.
Plan your family getaway
- Swan Valley geocaching and recreation
- Holmstead Emporium: 1-204-525-4564
- Town of Swan River
Let the fun snowball in winter
The winter landscape of the park is as lively or vibrant as the summer scene. All three lodges offer winter accommodations and a slew of snowy delights right at your doorstep. Keep your family active throughout your stay on the extensive networks of groomed snowmobile trails, or try snowshoeing, ice fishing, skating, cross-country skiing and even downhill skiing in nearby Swan River Valley. Warm up in front of your cabin's wood fire stove or in the hot tub.
