Warmer weather has finally arrived but some outdoor enthusiasts will still have to wait to get into some provincial parks and campgrounds due to high water and plenty of snow still left in some areas.
The Manitoba Government sent out a release on Tuesday evening with a travel advisory for Nopiming Provincial Park, as well as delayed openings for several campgrounds.
"Manitoba Environment, Climate and Parks continues to advise all provincial park and campground visitors to carefully check and monitor conditions before heading to provincial parks this spring as some campgrounds and trails are closed to help protect the health and safety of Manitobans," the release says.
The government says that travel is not advised in Nopiming Provincial Park and all canoe routes are closed in Nopiming and Manigotagan River provincial parks. Some trails in Whiteshell Provincial Park are also closed.
Openings originally scheduled for May 13 have been delayed at the following campgrounds:
- Nopiming and Manigotagan River provincial parks, all backcountry canoe routes and campsites are closed until further notice;
- Bird Lake, Beresford Lake, Black Lake, Shoe Lake and Tulabi Falls campgrounds in Nopiming Provincial Park are closed until at least June 2 due to overland flooding;
- St. Malo Provincial Park, campground opening is delayed until at least May 20 due to soft ground, wet conditions and no washrooms due to frozen water lines;
- Adam Lake, Max Lake and William Lake campgrounds in Turtle Mountain and William Lake provincial parks, opening is delayed until at least May 20 due to wet conditions and saturated ground;
- Brereton Lake in Whiteshell Provincial Park, closure of some seasonal sites due to flooding;
- Caddy Lake campground, including all nightly camping and some seasonal sites and Falcon-Toniata seasonal campground in Whiteshell Provincial Park, opening will be delayed until at least May 20 due to wet conditions and saturated ground;
- Falcon Beach, Falcon Lakeshore seasonal sites and West Hawk Lake including West Hawk Trailer Village in Whiteshell Provincial Park have some site closures until at least May 20, including all full service sites and some sites in low lying areas;
- White Lake Campground in Whiteshell Provincial Park is closed until at least June 2 due to high water levels and flooding;
- Rivers Provincial Park campground, partial closure of some sites in low lying areas until at least May 20, due to wet conditions;
- Stephenfield Provincial Park, some sites will be closed until at least May 20 due to water supply; and
- Lake St. George Provincial Park campground is closed until further notice due to flooded access roads.
Manitoba Parks says that staff are closely monitoring this evolving situation and assessing conditions daily.
Campgrounds slated for a May long weekend opening, especially those in higher elevations such as the Duck Mountains, Porcupine Hills and those in northern Manitoba, are still reporting a substantial amount of snow and may also experience further delays.
Closures may be extended if flooding and high water conditions continue. Reservation holders and seasonal campers will be contacted and their fees refunded if their campsite is affected by a closure. Campers should not pre-emptively cancel reservations before being notified of a site closure, otherwise cancellation policies will apply.
Services such as drinking water and washrooms may also be limited or reduced in some areas as a result of late spring conditions which are delaying the seasonal setup and operation of water lines. Campers are advised to plan accordingly for potential service reductions and pack adequate drinking water.
An update will be issued next week for campgrounds scheduled to open May 20.
Park visitors are asked to report any significant trail flooding or maintenance concerns to the local park district office. Park visitors should also check www.manitoba511.ca for road closures and potential detours before travelling to parks.