Wildlife viewing Vacation at Manitoba's Riding Mountain National Park, Canada

Variable duration

Imagine a vibrant wilderness where the landscape is a lush mosaic of rolling aspen and spruce forests, prairie meadows filled with wildflowers, sparklingWildlife vacations at Riding Mountain, Loon blue lakes, wetlands filled with wildlife and crystal-clear streams linking necklaces of beaver ponds.

Imagine awakening beside a secluded lake to the call of a loon in a cozy country home. Add to this your anticipation of wildlife encounters as you set out at first light on a safari to see wild creatures in their natural habitat. Or just imagine the thrill of sitting in a safe blind and secretly watching bears and other animals, at close range, go about their normal activities.

If this sounds like your type of vacation, Candy and Jim invite you to join them and share natural treasures and wildlife adventures. Our soft-adventure wildlife holidays offer you an opportunity to see, photograph and learn about many of North America’s wildlife species and their natural habitats.

We’ll take you on wildlife safaris, share our knowledge of the intricacies of the Riding Mountain ecosystems and the amazing adaptations and interrelationships of its inhabitants. We’ll show you nature, up close and personal, on short forays into the wilds, including taking you to a vacant bear’s den and revealing some of the bear’s fascinating biological secrets.

Important Information:

Season of Operation: mid-May to mid-November

4-day/ 3-night Package: Sunday and Wednesday departures only

7-day/ 6-night Package: Sunday departures only

Winnipeg Pick-up and Drop-off Times: Between 11:00 & 12:00 hours

Level of Difficulty:

Very easy

Maximum number of people at one time: 8

Information on Black Bear watching:

Although we often see bears on our safaris, Black bears are timid creatures and usually disappear quickly into the underbrush at first sight of a person or vehicle. In order to observe these shy animals at close range, it is necessary to sit quietly in a blind and await their arrival.

Clients should understand that, although there are bears visiting our viewing site virtually every day and we can often predict the periods of their arrival, these bears are free-roaming wild animals and we can not control the exact times when they visit our blind nor can we guarantee that bears will visit on a particular day.

Package Price:
1650.00 Can./Person
0.00 U.S./Person

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Location: Manitoba, Canada
Weather: Hot summers
cold winters

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Day 1

On safari, you might see—bears, beavers, bison, moose, elk, deer, wolves, coyotes, lynx, raccoons, porcupines, squirrels, hares, badgers, bear cubsotters, mink, skunks or fishers. You might even see a cougar but these stealthy individuals are only seen by those who are extremely lucky. Birds? There are over 260 species found on Riding Mountain. Chances are you’ll see the Common Loon, Great Gray Owl, Osprey, White Pelican, Bald Eagle, Piliated Woodpecker, Great Blue Heron and a host of others.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, you’ll have the unique possibility of observing Black bears at close range. But don’t worry. You’ll be in the comfort and safety of a blind we fashioned from a recycled school bus. It’s like a safari except it is very quiet and the animals come to you rather than you going to them. However, it lets you get a lot closer and it takes a lot less fuel, which is good for the environment. At the blind, there is also a chance you might see raccoons, coyotes, lynx, fishers, mink, skunks and squirrels.

If you are really interested in wildlife photography, we also have a bus-blind by a shallow bay on our private lake. Here many species have been observed and photographed—Common Loon, Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal, Ringed-necked Duck, American Wigeon, Redhead, Canvasback, Ruddy Duck, Golden Eye, Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Least Sandpiper, Greater and Lesser yellowlegs, Killdeer, Redwinged and Yellow Headed blackbirds, Forrester and Black terns, Bald Eagle, Redtailed Hawk and furry critters like coyotes, deer, badgers and ground squirrels.

And, if for any reason you need some assistance in the photography department, we’re always there to help. We’re well versed in this area.

If you get the urge during our mid-day slow period, you can go canoeing or kayaking on the lake and perhaps check out the family of loons or the big beaver lodge. You can also go exploring and stroll through our meadows, along the lakeshore, creek banks orWildlife vacations at Riding Mountain, canoeing woodland trails. If mountain biking is your thing, we have miles of beautiful undulating, winding country roads with spectacular hilltop panoramas - where peak traffic is likely to be one vehicle per hour.

If you’re an animal lover, you can wander about our yard and visit the friendly horses, Billie our tame Whitetail deer, Goatie, the grouchy goat, Cha-chi and Rio our inseparable, affectionate donkeys, Sam and Asia our overly-friendly dogs, Poofer and Peaches—two love-starved cats and our assorted, somewhat aloof flock of ducks.

Relaxing on the porch overlooking the lake is always an option.

As for accommodation, we’ll do our best to make you feel at home in our big but cozy country house and pamper you with Candy’s great home-cooking.
Prices (Canadian dollars)

Price for minimum 4 day/ 3 night package:

Single: $1,650 + GST*
Double or Twin: $1,050 per person + GST*

Price for 7 day/ 6 night package:

Single: $3,300 + GST*
Double or Twin: $2,200 per person + GST*

Price Includes:

· Accommodation at Riding Mountain Guest Ranch

· Full board from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on the last day

· Congenial hosting and guiding services of Dr. Jim and Candy Irwin

· One 4-hour afternoon/evening activity on Day 1 plus two 4-hour, guided, wildlife-viewing activities per day on Days 2 and 3 for tour RM4 and on Days 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 for tour RM7.

· Activities are conducted on a flexible schedule at first light and last light to take advantage of best wildlife viewing periods. Activities include: Sessions in wildlife-viewing blinds plus wildlife safaris with guided nature walks and interpretive commentary

· All required land transportation for wildlife viewing and natural history activities

· Use of ranch recreational facilities: hiking trails, canoes, kayaks, hot tub, billiards and natural history library

· Arrangements for overnight accommodation in Winnipeg before or after your visit to Riding Mountain, if desired

Not included:

* Gratuities
*Items of a personal nature
*Transportation between the ranch and Winnipeg and Winnipeg.

Winnipeg / Ranch Transportation

Available on request at $165.00 per person+ GST*, return trip. Minimum charge of $165.00 per trip each way + GST* (i.e. a total of $330.00 + GST*), if there is only one passenger.

The transfer to the Ranch includes one of the following at our discretion, depending on time constraints, the weather and the interests of our clients:

1. A visit to the Delta Marsh and Delta Beach area on Lake Manitoba
2. A tour of the Circle Lake Park at Portage La Prairie
3. A wildlife safari through Riding Mountain National Park en route or
4. Proceed directly to the ranch and have an additional evening session in the bear-viewing blind

Extra nights accommodation in Winnipeg are not included but we will be happy to arrange them for you.