The best running trails in Manitoba

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.

Covering 100 acres in southern Winnipeg, St Vital Park is the third-largest park in the city. It's popular for its trails, picnic areas, and river views. In winter the pond in the centre of the park draws ice skaters from around the region.

The Red River flows north from the United States into Manitoba, winding through Winnipeg before emptying into Lake Winnipeg. Its slow, meandering course has long shaped the region’s landscape and history, serving as a vital route for Indigenous peoples, fur traders, and early settlers. Today, its banks are lined with parks, trails, and neighbourhoods that celebrate the river’s enduring role in the heart of the prairie city.

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.

Two long benches have been built by a clearing on the riverbank and offer a tranquil view of the Assiniboine. You can walk over via the singletrack Monkey Trail or the paved Wellington Crescent Trail. The path down to the lookout is accessible, well-maintained crushed gravel.

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.