Paddling in Riding Mountain National Park

Riding Mountain National Park sits atop the Manitoba Escarpment, a plateau that holds lakes rather than rivers. The paddling here is almost entirely flatwater — calm lake surfaces surrounded by boreal forest, aspen parkland, and wetland edges.

Moving water exists, but only conditionally: the Whirlpool River and Jackfish Creek may be navigable during spring runoff or after heavy rain, but the park is candid that intermittent water supply limits river paddling. Plan around the lakes.

Clear Lake is the center of gravity. It anchors the park's main service area at Wasagaming, where the Clear Lake Marina rents kayaks and SUPs and Parks Canada has run guided paddling tours. The lake is large enough to feel genuinely open on the water.

Motorized watercraft are permitted on Clear Lake under a permit and tagging program, restricted to Boat Cove for launching and retrieval, and only during set hours — so paddlers share the water with motors, though not around the clock.

The outlying lakes — Moon Lake, Whirlpool Lake, Lake Audy, and others — are quieter and non-motorized. Lake Audy sits near the park's bison enclosure; Lake Katherine is short and calm, well-suited to an easy outing.

Before anything touches park water, it gets inspected.

Parks Canada requires a mandatory aquatic invasive species inspection and a valid Seasonal Aquatic Invasive Prevention Permit for all non-motorized watercraft — canoes, kayaks, SUPs, inflatables, everything.

There is a hard split in the permit system: a watercraft permitted for Clear Lake cannot move to the outlying lakes and rivers, and vice versa. Colour-coded stickers on the hull enforce it.

Clean, Drain, Dry requirements under Manitoba's Aquatic Invasive Species Regulations apply when leaving any waterbody. The concern is real — zebra mussels spreading between lakes on wet gear — and the park treats it seriously.

Bring gear that's genuinely dry from its last use, know which water system you're paddling before you arrive, and check current inspection station hours with the park. The lakes here are worth protecting. That's the whole point of being on them.