Spring flooding, road closures delay camping season in several Manitoba parks

Some outdoorsy Manitobans with plans to pitch a tent or set up a trailer in a provincial park this month may have to find something else to do.

The province is advising Manitobans to avoid a series of provincial parks, including several campgrounds, canoe routes and hiking trails in Nopiming and Whiteshell due to high water and road closures.

Travel is no longer advised in Nopiming Provincial Park, and all canoe routes in the park and on the Manigotagan River are also closed, according to a provincial news release out Tuesday.

Nopiming's Bird Lake, Beresford Lake, Black Lake, Shoe Lake and Tulabi Falls campgrounds are closed until at least June 2 due to overland flooding.

The following spots in Whiteshell Provincial Park are also experiencing closures or delayed camping season openings:

• Brereton Lake: some sites closed due to flooding.
• Caddy Lake: opening delayed until at least May 20 due to wet conditions.
• Falcon Beach, Falcon Lakeshore seasonal sites, West Hawk Lake including West Hawk Trailer Village: some site closures until May 20, including full-service sites and those in low lying areas.
• White Lake Campground: closed until at least June 2 due to high water and flooding.

Several other parks facing similar conditions are also experiencing closures and delays, including St. Malo Provincial Park. Its campground opening has been delayed to at least May 20 due to wet conditions and no washroom access due to frozen pipes.

Rivers Provincial Park is facing a partial campground closure, particularly with sites in low-lying areas, until May 20. 

Stephenfield Provincial Park will also be closed until at least then due to water supply issues, and Lake St. George Provincial Park campground is closed until further notice due to flooding on access roads.

Campgrounds in the north, west and elsewhere in higher elevation areas — including Duck Mountain and Porcupine Hills — still have a "substantial amount of snow" and may face more delays too, according to the province.

Those with camping reservations can expect to hear from the parks service about cancellations and refunds if their campsite is affected. The province encourages campers to wait until hearing from the parks service about whether their reservation is impacted before cancelling. Otherwise, you could be assessed a cancellation fee.

For those sites that do remain open, campers should plan for the possibility of some drinking water and washroom services being limited due to the current conditions, the province said.

Updates on the status of parks and campgrounds are available on the province's website.

More from CBC Manitoba: