FortWhyte Alive
A 260 Ha Nature Park In Winnipeg Built Around Old Clay Pits Turned Into Lakes, With A Bison Paddock, Trails, A Canoe Lake, A Farm, A Winter Skating And Snowshoe Area And An Interpretive Centre. A Good Half Day In The City With Wildlife And Open Space · Winnipeg, Manitoba
FortWhyte Alive is a nature park of roughly 260 ha in south-west Winnipeg, built on the site of old clay pits where a brick and cement works once dug the earth (confirm size and history). The pits flooded into a chain of lakes, and the land around them was restored to prairie, forest edge and marsh, so a busy city of nearly a million people has wild water, geese, turtles and a free-roaming bison herd within a short drive of downtown. A large interpretive centre holds a cafe, a gift shop and exhibits, while trails circle the lakes, a canoe and paddle area offers boats in summer, and a farm and gardens teach children where food comes from. In winter the park fills with skaters, snowshoers and ice fishers, and school groups visit year round. It charges admission, runs as a charity and suits families, birders and anyone wanting a green half day in the city, rain or shine (confirm all prices and hours).
FortWhyte Alive, an urban nature park with lakes and a bison herd on Parker Avenue in south-west Winnipeg; coordinates approximate, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
FortWhyte Alive is generally open daily with longer hours in summer and a shorter winter schedule, commonly from about 9 or 10 in the morning to late afternoon or early evening, so confirm the current hours on the park notice or by phone before you go. The interpretive centre, cafe and programs follow their own times, and boat hire, the bison viewing area and winter rentals run only in season. Trails close at dusk, and the grounds may shut early for private events or in severe weather. Ice and snow conditions decide whether skating and snowshoeing go ahead on a given day.