Nopiming and Atikaki Provincial Parks, which adjoin Woodland Caribou Provincial Park in Ontario, create a vast wilderness area crossed by rivers on their way to Lake Winnipeg. These rivers, like the Bloodvein and the Leyond, get most of the canoe traffic in the area, but outside of these major parks dozens of rivers, streams, and lakes provide alternate routes for the experienced paddler. The Hayes is an extended expedition that transitions from forest to taiga (rocky terrain) until it ends at Hudson’s Bay, while rivers like the Berens and the Poplar provide challenging trips through rugged terrain nearer to civilization for those with a shorter time-frame. Still other rivers, like the Rice or the Winnipeg, provide short, accessible trips in Southeast Manitoba, though this area lacks the remoteness of the routes further North. Wherever you’re headed, Lac du Bonnet and Bissett are the nearest towns in Manitoba from which to launch your adventure.
