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Riding Mountain National Park of Canada

Visitor Safety

For Your Safety
"You are in Blackbear Country"
Poison Ivy
Swimmers Itch: Problems & Solutions
Water Quality
Travel Safety

Planning a safe visit to a national park

For Your Safety

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure . Public safety is one of our primary concerns but you are responsible for your own safety. We hope the following tips will help make your holiday safe and enjoyable.

Respect all posted speed limits . They are necessary for your safety and the safety of the wildlife.

Store food in food storage containers now located at all primitive campsites throughout the Park. If you are tenting near your vehicle, store your food in a cooler and put it in the trunk of your car.

Use fish-scaling tables where available. This confines the scent, which may attract bears, and fish remains to one area away from your campsite.

Put garbage away . Use the bear-proof garbage containers located in Wasagaming and all of the camping and picnic areas. If in the backcountry, burn or carry out your garbage and leave the site clean for someone else's use and enjoyment.

Do not feed or approach bears, bison or other wildlife . You are in Bear Country brochures are available at most Park facilities.

Buddy up and let someone know when and where you are going into the backcountry and when you expect to return. If at all possible, do not go into the backcountry by yourself.

Bison are wild animals and can be dangerous, so please do not get out of your vehicle unless you are at the Bison Exhibit.

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Poison Ivy

How can I easily identify poison ivy?
This plant is usually found along roadsides or trails. Each leaf has three pointed leaflets. The edges of the leaflets are smooth or slightly toothed. Leaf colour is reddish in spring, dull satin green in summer, and various shades of yellow, orange, red or bronze in autumn. Poison Ivy can also be indentified by its woody stem.

Poison Ivy in Riding Mountain National Park of Canada
© Parks Canada

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Swimmer's Itch: Problems & Solutions

What is Swimmer's Itch? "Swimmers Itch" or "water rash" is the name given to a temporary skin irritation acquired by swimmers.

Swimmers Itch Life Cycle
© Parks Canada

Swimmer's Itch Symptoms
Tingling Sensations: Shortly after emerging from the water, swimmers will notice a tingling sensation on exposed parts of the body.

Red Spots:
Swimmers will next notice small red spots where the organism has penetrated the skin.

Itching:
Hours later, the tingling sensation will disappear, and the red spots will enlarge and become itchy. The degree of discomfort varies with the sensitivity of the individual, the severity of the infestation and prior exposure.

Preventative Measures:
Waterproof sunscreen or baby oil provides a greasy barrier over the skin that prevents the Itch parasite from entering the pores. Showering and toweling off immediately after swimming also reduce the chances of the Itch.

Avoid Swimmer's Itch beaches
Toweling down
Showering
Avoid areas with aquatic plants
Use of a fragrant suntan oil
Chemical control

What can you do if a rash appears:
There are two main ways of treating The Itch, either through a topical medicine or taking antihistamines. Topical cures include: a baking soda paste, Aveeno Anti-Itch cream, calamine lotion, After Bite, Solarcaine and Stop Itch. (Note: to make a baking soda paste, mix a small amount of baking soda and water to form a light paste and then apply to afflicted areas. If the Itch is really bad, recommend a warm bath in baking soda.) Anti-histamines are usually found in allergy medications and the most common medications for treating the itch are Chlor-Tripolon (turquoise box) and Benadryl (brown and white box).

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