Whether a short trip for a few hours, a full day trip, or for several days or longer, rural Manitoba offers visitors an ample choice of itineraries.

When Europeans pushed into the land that’s now Manitoba, they went for the wildlife. Or more accurately, they went for the fur that the wildlife was wearing. Today, it’s still the province’s rich supply of furry and fishy creatures that draws travelers. One animal in particular, the polar bear, is more easily seen in Manitoba than anywhere else. Each year, the town of Churchill becomes a kind of way station for the migrating bears, allowing human visitors a close-up view of one the fiercest predators in North America.

Wilderness enthusiasts especially hunters will also enjoy the presence of moose, black bear, caribou and white-tail deer, as well as a wide variety of birds, including snow geese, Canada geese, ducks, grouse, falcons and hawks. And because the province incorporates so much water, there’s excellent fishing and canoeing on the inland lakes and rivers and the opportunity to view seals and sometimes beluga whales in Hudson Bay.

Bordered on the northeast by Hudson Bay, this fairly flat province is mostly covered by northern boreal forest and arctic tundra. The rest is farm and grazing land, open prairie and lakes. About 90% of the population lives in the southernmost area of the province.

Fishing in Manitoba is superb, and a mainstay of the province's multi-million dollar tourism industry. The mighty Red River, winding through Winnipeg, yields trophy-sized walleye, bass and channel catfish. Lockport, 15 minutes north of the city, is a favorite spot for shore fishing. The Winnipeg River and surrounding lakes offer walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass and sturgeon, while fly-in fishing farther north adds Arctic char, lake trout and grayling to the creel.76 If it's big fish you are after, you will find plenty of them in Manitoba.