The River Trail at The Forks is now open and stretches 1.5 kilometers! Now that the weather in Winnipeg has warmed up a bit, you can enjoy a great stroll through our wonderful City without freezing your toes off.
Experience a Winnipeg tradition and skate, walk, run, or sled your way along The Red River Mutual Trail. Starting in the heart of the city, the Guinness World Record-holding longest naturally frozen skating trail in the world offers the unique experience of seeing the sights of Winnipeg from the frozen Red and Assiniboine Rivers.
The River Trail is about more than just skating. Venture out and enjoy a variety of outdoor activities: walking, curling, hockey, family activities, cycling, broomball, and more. There will also be special events throughout the season that the whole family can enjoy free of charge.
Warming Huts an Art and Architecture Competition:
While journeying down The Red River Mutual Trail seek shelter of a uniquely designed warming hut. Each year architects from around the world compete to have their design selected for construction. New huts this year include three huts chosen from the open submission process, one from a separate University of Manitoba competition, one from Kelvin High School and one is being designed by invited local architect Étienne Gaboury. So take a pit stop and enjoy the shelter from the Winnipeg winter elements.
Skate Rentals:
Skate Rentals are available from Iceland Skate Rentals located in The Forks Market from 10am to 10pm daily.
Rates are $3 for children and seniors and $5 for adults. Skate trainers are available for $2. Call 204-955-8814 for more information or to book your group’s skate rentals.
Red River Mutual Trail Tips
- Be sure to enter and exit the trail from the designated access points. The riverbank is unstable along certain sections and may not be safe to use.
- Find out what trail conditions are like by checking this website. It will be updated daily with grooming reports, closures, and trail conditions.
- Check the wind direction. You may not feel the wind if it’s at your back, but it may be an issue when skating in to it.
- Know your limits. 5 kilometres is nice trek, but remember it’s also 5 kilometres back.
- Slow down when approaching the bridges. Sand from the streets above can sometimes fall onto the trail making it uneven.
- Remember the river is a moving organic entity. Surface cracks can appear anywhere along the trail. Be vigilant.
- On snowfall days please stay off the trail until we can clear it. Packed snow is very hard to remove.
- Watch out for flooding machines, tractors and Zambonis.
- Respect private property and stay away from outfalls and thin ice signs.
- If you have garbage, keep it with you and dispose of it properly.
- Furry friends are welcome, but please keep them on-leash and ensure you clean up after them.
For more information visit http://www.theforks.com/rivertrail. [THEFORKS]
