When does Manitoba camping season open?
Most provincial park campgrounds open the Friday before Victoria Day (mid-May) and close after Labour Day weekend or Thanksgiving in October.
Discover 103 campgrounds in Manitoba — from provincial and national park sites to private RV parks and municipal campgrounds: 94 provincial, 4 federal and 5 private.
Manitoba camping centres on three major provincial parks — Whiteshell, Riding Mountain and Spruce Woods — plus a string of Northern Lakes destinations. The Manitoba Parks Reservation Service handles bookings, and walk-up sites are common outside long weekends. Wapusk and Riding Mountain National Park add Parks Canada inventory, including iconic oTENTik glamping units.
Riding Mountain National Park is Manitoba's crown jewel — a forested island rising 450 metres above the surrounding prairie. Camp at Wasagaming and you're steps from Clear Lake's sandy beach, a historic townsite with restaurants and shops, and trailheads that wind through boreal forest where black bears, moose and a captive bison herd roam. The park's oTENTik units are perfect for families who want a camping experience without giving up a real bed.
Whiteshell Provincial Park is cottage country for Winnipeggers, and for good reason. Falcon Lake and West Hawk Lake (formed by a meteorite impact!) offer warm swimming, waterskiing and some of the best walleye fishing in the province. The Caddy Lake Tunnels — hand-blasted rock tunnels you paddle your canoe through — are a uniquely Manitoba adventure you won't find anywhere else in Canada.
Don't miss Spruce Woods Provincial Park, where the Spirit Sands trail crosses a surprising pocket desert of open sand dunes — a landscape most people don't associate with Manitoba. Nearby, the town of Churchill is world-famous for polar bear viewing in October and beluga whales in July, making it one of the most extraordinary wildlife destinations on the planet.
Season: mid-May – September · Reservations: Manitoba Parks Reservation Service
Most provincial park campgrounds open the Friday before Victoria Day (mid-May) and close after Labour Day weekend or Thanksgiving in October.
Basic unserviced sites are around $13–$20/night; serviced (electric/water) sites range $26–$36. A daily or annual park entry pass is also required for vehicle access.
For July, August and long weekends — yes, especially at Whiteshell and Riding Mountain. Off-peak and weekday camping outside summer is usually walk-up friendly.