The best MTB trails around Macdonald

Assiniboine Park has been a public greenspace for over a century and is Winnipeg’s largest urban park, spanning 450 hectares along the Assiniboine River and named for the Assiniboine people. Several multi-use trails wind throughout the grounds, with open lawns, mature trees, and gardens spread across the park. The park is home to the Assiniboine Park Zoo (the oldest zoo in Canada), The Leaf, English Garden, Leo Mol Sculpture Garden and Riley Family Duck Pond, with plenty of space to walk, cycle or simply relax. The park is open year-round, with its gardens and outdoor spaces offering something different for any season.

The Monkey Trails circle Assiniboine Park and are informal dirt trails open to mountain biking, winter fat biking, hiking, trail running, and snowshoeing. They offer nice views of the Assiniboine River, circle the zoo, and leave the park heading east following the river.

The Assiniboine Park Conservancy Inc. is a non-profit charitable organization that was established in 2008. It was created to oversee the development of the 162 hectare Assiniboine Park. This building was built almost 100 years ago in 1930 in Tudor Revival architecture with Swiss chalet elements and a 28-meter central square tower rising above the park. Today, it is used as a multilevel public cultural space with free art galleries, a museum dedicated to Winnie-the-Poo and the grounds have a rectangular lily pond, and sculptures for the public to enjoy.

The Riley Family Duck Pond was designed with an organic shape in mind, with small islands, a pedestrian bridge, perennial plantings, and is a home to waterfowl. In the warmer months, the central water fountain, a floating bio-island ecosystem, and entries for small canoeing make it a charming home for ducks, geese, and turtles. In colder months and winter, the pond is transformed into a large, outdoor skating rink with festive overhead light displays. Pucks and hockey sticks are not allowed on the ice to ensure a safe, family-friendly free skate time.

Stretching for approximately 5 kilometres, the Yellow Ribbon Greenway links Silver Avenue near Saskatchewan Avenue with Bruce Avenue in west Winnipeg. The paved multi-use trail passes through parks, sports fields, residential green spaces, and Air Force Heritage Park, creating a continuous corridor for walking, running, and cycling. Developed in partnership with 17 Wing Winnipeg, the greenway serves as a tribute to Canadian Armed Forces members who have served overseas, with interpretive features found along the route.

A collection of Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft lines the grounds of Air Force Heritage Park, offering a close look at several decades of Canadian military aviation. Highlights include the CF-104 Starfighter, CF-101 Voodoo, CF-100 Canuck, CT-133 Silver Star, and a Bell Kiowa helicopter. Many of the aircraft are displayed outdoors on static exhibit, making this a worthwhile stop for aviation enthusiasts and anyone interested in Canada's air force history.

There are a few nice paved trails to explore in the park, and the north side has some fairy houses and a cenotaph (empty burial memorial) to veterans of the first world war. You cross the creek via a pretty pedestrian bridge as it winds into the Assiniboine River.

Omand Park is situated where Omand Creek flows into the north side of the Assiniboine River. The park has two baseball diamonds, trails that head in all directions, and access to a pedestrian bridge that crosses the river to Wellington Crescent.