An elk's bugle echoes through the trees.
The forest stirs, warmed by the rising sun.
Riding Mountain National Park extends over 3,000 square kilometres,
encompassing a unique area where three distinct ecological zones meet.
The first of these zones is the Manitoba Escarpment,
an ancient lakeshore that rises 300 metres and more above the surrounding prairie.
At the top of the escarpment, lies the second zone.
Cooler temperatures and more precipitation cause broadleaf trees to blend with spruce, tamarack and jackpine,
the boreal forest that's home to beaver and moose.
In the western half of the park, we find the third ecological zone:
aspen parkland and mixed grass prairie.
It's on this incredible landscape that Parks Canada set out to fulfill its mandate:
preserve and showcase for all time the power and beauty of Canada's natural environment.
The Riding Mountain Forest Reserve became Riding Mountain National Park on July 26th, 1933.
Symbolized by the East Gate, now a National Historic Site,
the park has captured the public's imagination ever since.
The famous conservationist, Grey Owl, lived here for a time,
in a remote log cabin that can still be visited by hikers.
Today, Riding Mountain National Park welcomes visitors from across Canada and around the world.
Whatever your lifestyle, there's something special here for you.
As a northern country, Canada barely pauses for winter.
Transformed by snow, the park becomes a nordic paradise.
Just beyond living memory, is a time when the land shook to the thunder of their hooves.
Yet, by 1900 these symbols of Manitoba were almost extinct.
At the bison range, we've created a place where visitors can once again
be in the presence of these magnificent animals and of the prairie that sustains them.
The inspiring natural surroundings of Riding Mountain
make it the perfect place to appreciate nature, respect it and pledge to protect it.
Interpretive programs are designed to help future generations discover the wonder of this place.
A national park is an ecological preserve.
Its goal is to maintain the integrity of an entire ecosystem,
that intricate web of relationships between life and habitat.
But, ecosystems don't recognize lines on a map,
so any effort to keep them intact extends beyond the boundaries of the park itself.
Riding Mountain was internationally recognized
when UNESCO designated the park and surrounding area as a biosphere reserve.
All Canadians share responsibility to become stewards of this great region.
In establishing Riding Mountain National Park,
Canadians affirmed that there's something of immense value here,
something worthy of preservation for all time.
These lakes and forests and prairie are part of our collective heritage.
As you discover the power and beauty of this landscape,
what you'll be experiencing, is the essence of Canada itself.
Welcome to Riding Mountain National Park.
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