Small-Town Road Trip Highlights

• Best for beach days: Winnipeg Beach, Dunnottar and Minnedosa.
• Best for families: Souris, Glenboro, Minnedosa and Stonewall.
• Best for history: Neepawa, Carberry, Stonewall and Beausejour.
• Best food stops: Beausejour, Dunnottar, Russell, Stonewall and Minnedosa.
• Best summer events: Minnedosa for Rockin’ the Fields and Stonewall for Quarry Days.

Western Manitoba Road Trip Stops

Russell

Russell makes a memorable first impression. The town’s signature arches stretch over Main Street while Arthur the Bull stands as a proud nod to the area’s agricultural roots.

Start your visit with a coffee from Bin 22 Coffee Co., then browse local shops like Prairie Collective Company.

Russell also makes a great gateway to the Parkland region, with Riding Mountain National Park about 120km away it's the best excuse to extend the trip and go full national park mode.

For a visit in summer, the Russell Fair is set for August 13-16, 2026, an annual event that celebrates rural heritage with education on agriculture with demonstrations like cattle and horse shows and culinary/craft displays. You get to witness livestock shows, rides and entertainment like live music, this year your admission covers entertainment as well.

Glenboro

Glenboro is best known for Sara the Camel, the roadside statue that points travellers toward one of Manitoba's most surprising natural landscapes: the Spirit Sands in Spruce Woods Provincial Park.

The Spirit Sands trail system covers roughly 6.5 km through open dunes, mixed forest and grassland prairie, eventually leading to the Devil's Punch Bowl. There is very little shade along the route, so summer hikes can feel much hotter than the forecast suggests. Start early in the day, bring plenty of water and don't forget sunscreen. Budget two to four hours depending on your pace.

If hiking the dunes sounds like too much in the heat, Spirit Sands Wagon Outfitters offers covered horse-drawn wagon tours through the same landscape this is a great option for families or anyone who wants the experience without the full trek.

Back in town, the Glenboro Gaiety Theatre is worth a stop for anyone who loves old-school small-town cinemas.

Souris

Souris makes a memorable stop on a southwest Manitoba road trip, especially if you are curious enough to test your nerves on the Souris Swinging Bridge. The 184-metre pedestrian suspension bridge crosses the Souris River and holds the title of Canada’s longest swinging pedestrian bridge, so take your time, enjoy the river views and decide how far across you want to go.

After the bridge, spend some time in Victoria Park, where Souris’s free-roaming peacocks often add a colourful surprise to the visit. Pack a picnic, let the kids burn off energy at the nearby Souris Elk Playground, cool off at the Souris Outdoor Pool or plan a longer stay at the Victoria Park Campground.

For another hands-on stop, visit the Souris Agate Pits, a twelve-acre glacial deposit known for agates, jasper, petrified wood and other stone finds. Access is seasonal and available by permit or appointment through "The Rock Shop", so check current details before adding it to your itinerary.

Heritage Towns and Main Street Wanders

Neepawa

Set along the Manitoba Escarpment, Neepawa blends literary history, local food and small-town beauty. A visit to the Margaret Laurence Home connects travellers with one of Canada’s most important writers, while the town’s cafés, shops and nearby trails add make it easy to spend a few hours exploring.

The town also works well as a stop between Winnipeg and Riding Mountain National Park, especially if you want to break up the drive with a meal, a walk or a local attraction.

Just east of town, Farmery Estate Brewery offers a made-in-Manitoba stop, with beer brewed from ingredients grown on the family farm. In warmer months, you can explore the barley fields and hopyard, then head into Neepawa for a brewery tour, beer flight or locally inspired bite.

Carberry

Carberry’s Heritage District is one of the best places in Manitoba to enjoy a historic main street. Brick storefronts, heritage homes and local landmarks give the town a preserved, storybook feel without losing its everyday prairie charm.

Start at the Carberry Plains Museum for a closer look at the stories that shaped the area, from early prairie life to local sports and well-known former residents. Next door, the restored Gingerbread House adds a memorable photo stop and a closer look at one of Carberry’s most distinctive heritage buildings.

Golfers can add a little friendly challenge to the itinerary with a round at Carberry Sandhills Golf Course, a nine-hole course just south of town with practice greens, a driving range and tournament options.

You can make this a weekend stay by camping and going out to explore Sprucewoods Provincial Park just 15 minutes south of Carberry.

Minnedosa

Minnedosa sits in a valley shaped by water, hills and summer energy. The beach at Minnedosa Lake is a favourite warm-weather stop, with space to swim, paddle, picnic and take in the view.

Before you continue your journey, make sure to pull into the beloved Dari Isle Drive-In, where you can refuel with classic burgers, fresh-cut fries and generous scoops of ice cream.

The town also has a Heritage Village and a suspension bridge, giving travellers a mix of outdoor time and local history. For music fans, Rockin’ the Fields of Minnedosa runs July 31-August 2, 2026.

For family fun, add Splish Splash Water Park to your Minnedosa stop. Located at Minnedosa Beach, the floating water park gives kids a place to cool off with slides, inflatable obstacles and more.

Interlake Beaches and Easy Day Trips

Stonewall

Only a short drive from Winnipeg, Stonewall makes for an excellent day trip. Start your visit with a look into this town's past at the Stonewall Quarry Park, an 80 acre multi-use park where you can swim, picnic, explore the walking trails and learn about the history of the area at the museum.

If you’re hungry, stop by The Kiln, a favourite summer spot known for burgers, fries and ice cream. For a meaningful experience visit Something Beautiful Café & Gift Shop, a social enterprise that supports adults living with intellectual disabilities.

If you find yourself in Stonewall during the month of June, head just outside of town to Boonstra Farms, where you can pick strawberries during the annual berry harvest.

In August, Stonewall Quarry Days fills the town with a parade, midway, vendors and community events. The 2026 festival is scheduled for August 14-16.

For even more adventure, nearby points of interest include Oak Hammock Marsh and Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site.

Dunnottar

Dunnottar is a village made up of the communities of Whytewold, Ponemah and Matlock along the western shore of Lake Winnipeg. Here, lazy days are spent navigating the town's narrow lanes by bike, sunbasking on the beach and admiring the old, bright cottages that line the streets.

It is also home to the photogenic Matlock Piers, handmade wooden structures perched above the lake.

Known as one of the best kept secrets of the Interlake, Whytewold Emporium is a must-stop for wood-fired pizza and hand-crafted crepes from Brittany, France. Alternatively, in true Manitoba fashion, Ukrainian food is only a hop and a skip away at Julia's Place.

Beausejour

If you travel for food, Beausejour gives you plenty of reasons to pull over. Go classic with the Airliner Drive Inn, which even has a runway for planes, or stop at Vickie’s Snack Bar, Blue Haze BBQ, Le Beau Café & Fudgerie or Rivers Edge Golf & Country Club along the Brokenhead River.

Beausejour is also the proud home to the Beau Pioneer Village Museum, a small pioneer village recreation with a log house, school, hall, blacksmith shop, Ukrainian church and more. The Manitoba Glass Works Historic Site adds another unique stop as the site of the first glass container factory in Western Canada.

Another perk of visiting in the summer is visiting the daylily garden, where hundreds of daylily cultivars grow alongside irises, peonies, lilies, shrubs and trees

Winnipeg Beach

Winnipeg Beach still carries the nostalgia of its resort-town past. Once known as the “Coney Island of the North,” it remains a favourite for boardwalk strolls, beach days, arcade games and ice cream stops.

Spend time along the waterfront and check the local events calendar before you go. Summer weekends often bring markets, music, entertainment and carnival-style fun. Stay in the Winnipeg Beach Campground or Rose Beach House or venture 16.9 km up the lake to Lakeview Gimli Resort and make a weekend out of it.

Before You Go

Many of these stops are seasonal, so check hours before heading out, especially for museums, theatres, campgrounds, water parks, berry picking and festivals. For summer hikes like Spirit Sands, start early, bring water and sunscreen and plan around the heat.

If your route includes small-town restaurants, cafés or drive-ins, check opening days before you build your itinerary around a meal stop. Some places may have limited hours outside peak summer weekends.

Stonewall, Beausejour, Winnipeg Beach and Dunnottar work well as day trips from Winnipeg. Russell, Souris, Glenboro, Neepawa, Carberry and Minnedosa are better suited for weekend routes or longer road trips across the Parkland, Westman and southwest Manitoba.

Make It a Manitoba Small-Town Road Trip

These towns are close enough to combine into weekend routes or spread across a full summer of day trips. Pick a direction, leave room for a few unplanned stops and let Manitoba’s main streets do what they do best: welcome you in.

Plan your Manitoba small-town road trip this summer.