The best road cycling routes in Manitoba

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.

Silver Springs Park is a beautiful local park with a marsh and a very cool section of the Trans Canada Trail that runs across an island path. The park itself is a popular spot for birdwatching and has packed gravel trails throughout, making it a great place to walk and take in the scenery.

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.

St. Norbert Provincial Heritage Park sits at the junction of the Red River and La Salle River, on the southern edge of Winnipeg. The park was established in 1976 to preserve two 19th-century log and frame homes, Turenne House and Bohémier House, along with other historical buildings moved here from around the Winnipeg area. Together they give you a look at Métis family life during the late 1800s.

This large open green space offers an clear view towards Winnipeg Richardson International Airport thanks to the lack of trees and surrounding obstructions. Aircraft regularly pass overhead on approach and departure, making it a surprisingly good spot for a bit of plane watching while following the Yellow Ribbon Greenway. The mostly level terrain and wide-open sightlines also provide long views across the surrounding area, giving the park a much more open feel than many of Winnipeg's urban green spaces.

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.