Parks Canada wants to encourage everyone to spend the Thanksgiving long weekend in Riding Mountain National Park.
Mireille Kroeker, the park's public relations and communications officer, says that it's going to be a great weekend for hiking and biking.
"It's really going to be beautiful. We still have some leaves on the trees... The bugs [have mostly disappeared]. We don't have those crazy mosquitoes like we did all summer, so it's a great time to take those walks," she adds.
Kroeker recommends that visitors check out the Visitor Centre, which is open daily this weekend from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., to get all the details on all the trails that are open or closed.
"It's got all these cool interactive exhibits and there's a really nice fireplace that they'll probably have going, so you can check out some readings that they have there," she adds.
Mireille Kroeker says that Riding Mountain is a great place to visit when the weather is cooler because people can take really long hikes and be out in the sun for a lot longer than they would when it's 30°C.
"Normally, when it's hot like that you're going to get a lot of flies and, of course... mosquitoes... This time of year, it's going to be very calm. You're not going to have those bugs in your face, no need to spray yourself down with insect repellant... The trails are a lot drier as well... Normally in the spring, especially this spring with the really wet conditions, it can be difficult to access a lot of the trails... [Now, they] are quite dry. You might need... some really good shoes to get through them, but they will be a lot better than they were this spring. That's for sure," she adds.
As for wildlife encounters, Kroeker says that animals are still very active, even though the temperatures have dropped.
"There's still food out, which is the main reason they're still active, so even bears... It may be cooling off. There may be some frost mornings, but they are still out. They are still stocking up on food to get nice and ready for winter and they're looking for denning sites... They are still wandering the trails, so you have to be alert for that," she adds.
More information on what to do in the event of a bear encounter can be found on the Parks Canada website.
According to Kroeker, the bison enclosure and Lake Audy Campground are closed for the remainder of the year.
In addition, access to the escarpment trails on the East end of the park can only be accessed from Highway 5 as Highway 19 is closed from Lake Katherine to the Historic East Gate.
Even though Riding Mountain National Park is open year-round, local businesses are subject to their own hours of operation.
Parks Canada encourages visitors to call businesses ahead of time to ensure they are open upon their arrival.
