ciao!travels
Chickadee
Trail
McGillivray
Falls
East
CHICKADEE TRAIL
Birds Hill Prov. Park
4km
•
Hunt Lake
8 A densely forested area with
hills and ridges formed by
ancient glaciers, the 35-squarekilometre
Birds Hill Park
possesses trails for every skill
and activity. Chickadee Trail is a
natural starting point for any
first-timer. Before reaching a
wondrous aspen-oak corridor at
its northern-most point, the
well-shaded path intersects with
lengthier Aspen and Bluestem
trails for those seeking an
extended hike. Make a stop at
Griffiths Hill, the highest point in
the area at 265 metres, and climb
the viewing tower to gaze across
the treetops and beyond the park.
HUNT LAKE TRAIL
Whiteshell Prov. Park
12.7km •••
9 More than 100,000
lakes dot the Manitoban
landscape, and few trails take
hikers alongside one of the many
magnificent bodies of water
quite like Hunt Lake Trail. It is
not a trail for the faint of heart
with its substantial six-plus
kilometre one-way distance
and ever-changing elevations,
but the scenery provides the
motivation necessary to keep
feet moving. Dazzling views of
West Hawk Lake are a constant
while scaling the sometimesmucky
and root-filled terrain.
Carving out extra time to reach
the summit is suggested, even
if only to accommodate a dip in
the cooling trail-side waters.
MCGILLIVRAY FALLS
Whiteshell Prov. Park
4.3km ••
10 Options abound at
McGillivray Falls, but those
willing to roam into the wilderness
of the Canadian Shield will
get the best views. Located west
of Caddy Lake, the two-loop
trail welcomes all skill levels.
The shorter loop first passes the
eponymous falls before cutting
through the woods to begin a
return voyage. The longer trail,
however, opens up to provide a
lookout over McGillivray Lake
and is well worth the effort. The
road less travelled is a reverse
course along the trail, and
undertaking the backwards hike
means the best views accompany
the trip back to civilization.
MANTARIO TRAIL
Whiteshell Prov. Park
60km
•••
11 A true test of mettle, the
Mantario Trail was created
in the 1970s and is the granddaddy
of hiking experiences
in Manitoba. A days-long
adventure for well-practiced
backpackers, the trail runs
along the provincial boundary
between Manitoba and Ontario
with a small section crossing
into neighbouring territory. See
an abandoned airfield, cross
backwoods train tracks and
experience the boreal forest
region, which hosts a variety of
wildlife and wide array of tree
species, including jack pine
and black spruce. Only highly
skilled hikers should attempt to
complete this trail, which is the
most difficult in the province.
Mantario Trail
Photography (Clockwise from top): Courtesy Geocaching.com, @jmoniquesanchez, Brian Hydesmith/naturemanitoba.ca, Garth Merkeley/Travel Manitoba
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ciao! / summer / two thousand twenty