Family nature, science & travel field guide
Riding Mountain National Park · Manitoba · Wasagaming
Riding Mountain’s bear country
Explore a forest-and-lake landscape, learn why keeping food secure matters, and discover how black bears get through winter.
Illustrative destination scene
01Begin with wonder
Riding Mountain National Park at a glance
A good bear-country visit begins with ordinary habits.
Riding Mountain National Park brings forest, wetlands, grassland and Clear Lake into a varied family destination. Wasagaming offers an accessible starting point for scenery and short outings. Learning about black bears adds depth to the visit even when the only wildlife evidence is a distant track or a berry bush.
- The draw
- Clear Lake & habitat variety
- The pace
- Short public outings
- The mood
- Wildlife knowledge in practice
02Put the place on the map
Where to find Riding Mountain National Park
Riding Mountain National Park lies in western Manitoba. Wasagaming is on Clear Lake at the park’s southern side.
Wasagaming on Highway 10.
Brandon is the larger city south of the park; Dauphin is north of it. Highway 10 connects the southern visitor area with the park and the communities beyond its northern boundary.
- By carHighway 10 leads north from Brandon toward Wasagaming and continues through the park toward Dauphin.
- Within the parkPublic roads reach named trailheads, lakes and visitor sites. Wasagaming is the main visitor community for a Clear Lake outing.
Province overview
Manitoba
The highlighted window shows the area enlarged in the local map.
A closer look
Riding Mountain · Clear Lake and Wasagaming
- Featured location
- Key road
- Water
Open enlarged local map ↗ · Official visitor information and directions ↗
Geographic orientation with selected landmarks and roads. Road geometry is mapped; this is not a turn-by-turn route or a record of current access.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors ↗ · Province and regional outlines: Natural Earth ↗. Maps prepared 21 October 2026.
03Three ways to look closer
Learn and explore in Riding Mountain National Park
Three connected ways to understand the place: notice its living world, look closely at a useful design, and follow the process behind an observation.
- Nature spotlightBlack bear ecology ↗
Connect a bear’s movements with seasonal food and habitat rather than an expected sighting.
- Engineering spotlightBear-resistant food storage ↗
See how container design and correct daily use work together to reduce wildlife access.
- Science spotlightBlack bear winter dens ↗
Link seasonal feeding, reduced winter activity and a sheltered den without treating a bear as asleep all winter.
Start small: Look for an everyday action that helps people and wildlife share the park.
04Black bear ecology
A bear follows changing food sources.
Black bears eat a varied diet that can include plants, berries, insects and other foods. Seasonal availability influences where they feed and how they move through the landscape.
- Food is more useful than a stereotype.
A bear’s habitat needs change through the year. A berry patch can matter even if no bear is visible.
- Observe without attracting.
Never feed a bear or leave food accessible. A close photograph is not worth changing a wild animal’s behaviour.
Try this: Look for plant foods from a designated path and discuss how availability might change with the season.
05Bear-resistant food storage
A secure container interrupts access to food.
A bear-resistant locker combines a robust enclosure with a closure designed to resist animal access when used correctly. The user’s habit of securing it is part of the system.
- A strong box still needs a closed latch.
An open door or unsecured closure defeats the barrier. Use the exact instructions on the approved facility or container.
- Attractants include more than a meal.
Food scraps, scented items and cooking materials can also matter. Follow the park’s complete storage guidance.
Try this: In the illustration, identify the enclosure, door and closure. Explain how leaving one unsecured changes the whole system.
01 · Enclosure
Resist animal access
The body is one part of the barrier.
02 · Closure
Secure the opening
The latch must be used as instructed.
03 · Contents
Include all attractants
Food is only part of what needs management.
04 · Habit
Repeat the process
Every unattended period requires correct storage.
06Black bear winter dens
Winter survival draws on stored energy.
Black bears reduce activity and undergo major physiological changes during winter denning. Fat built during the feeding season helps support them while food is scarce.
Illustrated field lesson
Winter shelter connects with stored energy.
Seasonal feeding supports reduced winter activity in a sheltered den.
- Energy reserves
Fat accumulated during feeding supports the bear in winter.
- Sheltered setting
A den reduces exposure; den forms and locations vary.
- Reduced activity
Winter physiology and lower activity reduce demands. The bear can still respond.
- A den provides shelter.
Dens vary in form and location. The cutaway shows one possible sheltered setting, not a place to seek out.
- Do not picture an unbroken sleep.
A denning bear can respond to disturbance. Denning and reproduction vary with the animal and conditions.
Try this: Connect autumn food, stored energy and winter shelter in the plate. Name why approaching a den would interfere with the process.
01 · Feed
Build energy reserves.
Food availability changes through the year.
02 · Den
Use a sheltered place.
Reduced activity lowers winter demands.
03 · Emerge
Return to seasonal feeding.
Timing depends on conditions and the individual.
07Make the day work for your family
Family travel guide
A flexible plan, useful official links and enough time to enjoy the place.
A Clear Lake outing with wildlife-aware habits.
Pair a Wasagaming stop with a suitable open trail or boardwalk. Wildlife sightings are optional; plants, tracks and habitat patterns still offer a rewarding lesson. Keep meals and snacks connected with proper storage.
Check the specific trail surface, current conditions and distance. A townsite walk and a forest boardwalk can have very different grades and seasonal footing.
When to go
Spring
Bears become active and some paths remain wet.
Summer
Popular lake visits still require careful food storage.
Autumn & winter
Seasonal feeding, cold and trail conditions affect the visit; leave dens undisturbed.
Bring a small field kit
- Water and snacks kept secure
- Weather layers
- Walking shoes with grip
- A park map
- Binoculars
- Current wildlife and trail guidance
Does seeing no bear make this a poor wildlife day?
No. Habitat, plants and distant signs can teach a great deal without a close animal encounter.
Is a bear-resistant locker useful if the door is left open?
No. Follow the instructions and secure the closure every time.
Sources & image notes
- Parks Canada: black bears ↗
- Official visitor information and directions ↗
- Park black bear ecology ↗
- Parks Canada: wildlife and attractant safety ↗
- Parks Canada: seasonal black bear behaviour ↗
- Visitor information ↗
- Wildlife safety and storage ↗
- Trail conditions ↗
- Clear Lake conservation information ↗
Destination and family scenes are learning illustrations, not documentary photographs. New teaching plates combine polished contextual artwork with deliberately drawn explanatory labels; their main labels are repeated as readable text. Province overviews use Natural Earth boundaries and local maps use OpenStreetMap road, water and named-place geometry; they do not establish current access.
Sources and visitor links reviewed 20 October 2026. Seasonal suggestions are editorial planning advice; use the relevant authority for current conditions and operations.
08 · Read the children’s story
Take the wonder into the story.
Black Bear Surprise
Read Black Bear Surprise together for an illustrated adventure inspired by Riding Mountain National Park. The discoveries offer a starting point for questions before or after a family visit.
Read together before your visit to spark questions, or afterwards to compare the discoveries with your own.
Read the children’s story ↗Prairie Adventure · Chapter 7