ciao!travels
Gull Harbour
Lighthouse Trail
La Barriere Park
Photography: Courtesy Travel Manitoba, Kristhine Guerrero, Mike Peters/FortWhyte Alive
LA BARRIERE PARK LOOP
La Barriere Park
2.9km •
6 Any Manitoban worth their
salt has traipsed alongside
the Red and Assiniboine rivers.
Rarer are those who’ve roamed
the banks of the La Salle River.
Minutes south of the Perimeter,
however, La Barriere Park offers
an invitation to explore the lush
greenery, river view and scenic
prairie in one loop. Upon entering
the trail across a beautiful singlespan
tied-arch bridge, those with
a best-for-last mentality will
want to continue straight along
the park’s northernmost edge
where forest rises to the left and
prairies stretch out to the right.
It sets the stage for some
home-stretch sweetness: the
trail concludes with a bucolic
riverside stroll.
North
GULL HARBOUR
LIGHTHOUSE TRAIL
Hecla/Grindstone Prov. Park
5km
•
7 Bordering the Gull Harbour
inlet at the northeastern
tip of Hecla/Grindstone
Provincial Park, the Gull
Harbour Lighthouse Trail is
the quintessential afternoon
hike for daytrippers seeking a
water view or guests bunking at
Lakeview Hecla Resort. Travel
along the rim of the bay from
the trail’s beginning off Helgi
Jones Parkway and arrive at the
point on which the century-old
Gull Harbour Lighthouse sits.
Recognized under the Heritage
Lighthouse Protection Act, the
eight-metre building helped support
commercial industry in the
early 1900s and safeguarded the
area for nearly 30 years before
it was replaced with a structure
three times its height in 1926.
Wilderness Wonders Inherent in traversing trail terrain is
the possibility of wildlife sightings among the province’s dense natural forests,
rivers and lakes, but up-close encounters are at hand for those wishing to learn
more about the creatures inhabiting the Manitoban prairie.
■ Natural wonders abound at FortWhyte Alive (pictured), where the largest
urban bison herd in North America is found. Visitors will cross paths with the
province’s iconic mammal on guided tours and watch as baby bison join the
herd. Eco-tours explain this 600-plus-acre rural oasis’ history, where and
how to find wild edible plants and offer insight into this amazing habitat’s
features. ■ Travel throughout Oak Hammock Marsh on more than 30 kilometres of trails, ranging from wooden
boardwalks to gravel paths. A bird-watcher’s paradise, the wetland can support nearly 300 species, including
mallards, pelicans and wrens. Watchful eyes can also spot beavers, muskrats, turtles and garter snakes.
■ Assiniboine Park, and particularly Assiniboine Park Zoo, has the most exotic offerings. One popular stop is
the polar bear exhibit, but 200 species reside here. Wander beyond the zoo and enjoy the vast and wellmanicured
green space. The Assiniboine Park Perimeter loop provides the most complete tour of the grounds.
ciao! / summer / two thousand twenty 25