The best walks and hikes around Ritchot

Bordering the Red River in south Winnipeg, King's Park combines paved and gravel trails with gardens, wetlands, and open green spaces. The park is best known for its Chinese-inspired Pagoda Gardens and the Carol Shields Memorial Labyrinth, but you'll also find ponds, marshland, river viewpoints, and plenty of wildlife along the way.

This section of the Trans Canada Trail passes through King's Park, following the Red River between wetlands, gardens, and open green spaces. Stretching nearly 29,000 kilometres from the Atlantic to the Pacific and Arctic oceans, it's part of the world's longest multi-use trail network.

Inspired by traditional Chinese architecture, the Chinese Pavilion sits at the centre of King's Park's Pagoda Gardens overlooking the pond. Surrounded by landscaped gardens and winding paths, it's one of the park's best-known features.

The Seine River, a tributary of the Red River, winds through one of Winnipeg’s last intact riverbank forests, with trails that trace its oxbows and skirt wetlands shaded by cottonwoods. You’ll pass beaver lodges, spirit tree carvings, and maybe even deer, all within city limits. This stretch is popular with walkers and nature lovers, especially in spring and fall, when water levels rise and wildlife activity picks up.

Seine River South Trail follows a peaceful stretch of the Seine River, winding through a mix of forest, wetlands, and riverside habitat that feels surprisingly natural for an urban setting. It’s an easy, mostly flat route that runs under a canopy of mature trees, with sections close to the water, quiet woodland scenery, and opportunities to spot birds and other wildlife along the way. It's not as busy as some of the other nearby trails, and is a lovely path for a quieter walk through one of the city’s more secluded river corridors.

Creek Bend Riverbank is a quiet natural area along the Seine River where the riverside path and open green space create a surprisingly peaceful setting at the edge of the city. The trail follows the riverbank through mature trees and lush vegetation, with beautiful views of the calm, slow-moving water.

Camp Amisk is used by Scouts Canada, and the trail is shared by all manner of hikers, mountain bikers, snowshoers, and runners. The path is a grassy singletrack that cuts through the underbrush near the river bank as it winds through the forest's edge.

You can park at Camp Amisk or across the road at La Barriere Park, where there are restrooms available. The trail is a pretty singletrack route, but it can get muddy and overtaken by the river when it has rained recently or water levels are high. In the winter, or in dry conditions, you can easily explore for many kilometres along the riverside.