Our province has announced further delayed openings at some campgrounds in Manitoba.
The list includes St. Malo Provincial Park campground, which has a partial closure of some sites until at least June 2 due to overland flooding. White Lake Campground in Whiteshell Provincial Park is also closed until at least June 2nd due to high water levels and flooding. The complete list is as follows:
- Blue Lakes, Childs Lake, Singush Lake and Wellman Lake campgrounds in Duck Mountain Provincial Park are closed until at least May 27 due to road washouts.
- 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 and road washouts.
- Manipogo Provincial Park campground has a partial closure of sites until at least May 27 due to overland flooding.
- Nutimik Lake, Opapiskaw and Otter Falls campgrounds in Whiteshell Provincial Park have a partial closure of some sites until at least May 27 due to overland flooding.
- White Lake Campground in Whiteshell Provincial Park is closed until at least June 2 due to high water levels and flooding.
- St. Malo Provincial Park campground has a partial closure of some sites until at least June 2 due to overland flooding.
- Rivers Provincial Park campground has a partial closure of some sites in low-lying areas until at least June 2 due to overland flooding.
- Watchorn Provincial Park campground has a partial closure of sites in low-lying areas until at least May 27.
- Lake St. George Provincial Park campground is closed until further notice due to flooded access roads.
All other provincial park campgrounds will be open for the May long weekend.
Manitoba Environment, Climate and Parks continue 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.
Park visitors are reminded to obey road and trail closures and do not attempt to drive through flooded areas or across damaged bridges.
Updated details on closures and advisories due to flooding are available at www.manitobaparks.com.
Travel is not advised in Duck Mountain and Nopiming provincial parks due to multiple road washouts. All campgrounds, canoe routes and backcountry campsites are closed in Duck Mountain, Nopiming and Manigotagan River provincial parks. Some trails in Turtle Mountain and Whiteshell provincial parks are also closed including the Mantario Trail.
Watercraft restrictions are now in place in Nopiming and Whiteshell provincial parks to help protect flooded shorelines from erosion. Recreational motorboat traffic is prohibited from operating within 100 metres of shorelines. When exiting or approaching a shoreline, boats should move directly out from land and avoid creating a wake where possible. Several boat launches are closed in Whiteshell and all traffic on Whiteshell lakes should be aware of debris and areas of floating bog. A list of restricted lakes and launch closures is available at www.manitobaparks.com.
Services such as drinking water and washrooms may 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.
Manitoba Parks staff is closely monitoring this evolving situation and assessing conditions daily.
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 as cancellation policies will apply.
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.