Educational Groups
Riding Mountain National Park
Self-Guided Educational Group Visits to Riding Mountain National Park
The staff at Riding Mountain National Park are excited to share this special place with your school, club or educational group. However, Covid-19 is making this more challenging than ever! Educational group tours guided by Parks Canada staff in Riding Mountain National Park during the spring programming season have been suspended until further notice.
If your school, club or organization is interested in visiting RMNP for a self-guided visit, please let us know!
- Call us at 1.204.848.7275 and ask for the interpretation team, or email with “self-guided educational group visit” and your organization or school name in the subject line.
- We ask that you learn and respect all the local and provincial guidelines with regards to Covid-19.
- All visitors are recommended to regularly check the Government of Manitoba webpage for updates: http://www.manitoba.ca/covid19/restartmb/prs/prairie_mountain/index.html
- Refer to COVID-19 and your visit to Riding Mountain National Park for updates regarding facilities and services.
- Wear a mask, use hand sanitizer and practice physical distancing.
- Be prepared for washroom, facility and local business closures, or modified hours.
- Have a plan for washroom, food and shelter breaks.
If you have prepared a plan to visit the park safely with your educational group, below you will find a list of self-guided options. This list has been organized by age group, with some interesting points to ponder for follow-up and future exploration. Enjoy your visit to Riding Mountain National Park… Safely.
Plan your educational group visit with Friends of Riding Mountain!
Friends of Riding Moutain National Park offer some great self-guided options! Give them a call at 1.204.848.4037 to safely plan your visit.
- Rent a Marsh Kit and do a self-guided tour of the marsh!
- Do some self-guided Geocaching!
- Rent a fatbike and explore the area!
Suggestions for young visitors (ages 3 to 8) – around town
Have you ever floated on a marsh? Head to Ominnik Marsh trailhead and discover the boardwalk.
Can you spot any lily pads?
Find the bat box behind the Visitor Centre and in front of the Administration building.
You might not see a bat during the day, but you can find the insects that bats eat. What are they?
Go see the “bison” near the Anishinabe Sharing Lodge.
This bison is not quite as fuzzy as a real one. What does the topiary bison feel like?
Go to the English gardens behind the Visitor Centre.
Find your favourite flower or plant. Give it a sniff and see how it smells!
Go to the pier at Clear Lake.
Listen for the sounds of Clear Lake. What can you hear? Listen for waves, wind, birds, boats, and more.
A little older (ages 9 – 12) – and a little further! Exploring at the Wishing Well
Go to the Wishing Well to the east side of Clear Lake and look for signs of life. Do you see anything swimming in the water?
Fish? Leeches? Water beetles? Plants? This is where Bogey Creek drains into Clear Lake. Areas like this are teeming with life!
Do you see anything crawling on the ground?
Bears? Squirrels? Ants? Make sure to clean up your litter! Wildlife stays healthy eating natural foods.
Do you see anything flying in the air?
Birds? Insects? Pollen? You might see a tern diving into the water to catch its dinner… or a bat eating mosquitoes!
Take photos of all the different plant and animal species in this ecosystem.
With the help of your teacher or group leader, use the iNaturalist app to identify some of the species. You’ll be surprised at the diversity!
Older still (ages 13 – 18) - and further still! Exploring the Bison Range
Looking around the bison enclosure, can you identify examples of the three unique ecozones that make Riding Mountain National Park special?
Look closely and you will see the boreal (northern) forest, the eastern deciduous forest, and the rough fescue grasslands.
Can you spot a newborn bison calf in the herd?
These amazing babies can stand up and run from the moment they come into the world. Clue: they are small and orange.
Want to see a wallow?
Try to spot a wallow on the side of the road as you view the Bison. The wallows have many uses for the bison, including insect protection, and help in the removal of winter fur. Clue: they look like large dirt bowls.
REMEMBER: Entry to Riding Mountain National Park is FREE for those aged 17 and under, as well as for teachers and chaperones as part of an educational group tour! Contact us at 1.204.848.7275 and ask for the interpretation team or email with “self-guided educational group visit” and your organization or school name in the subject line.
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