This activity was cancelled on Wednesday June 4 because Manitoba's State of Emergency implemented travel restrictions on May 30 that are still in effect (and probably will be for some time).
gov.mb.ca/sd/parks/fire_restriction.html says:
Travel Restrictions
Backcountry travel is prohibited in all provincial parks without a travel permit.
• All hiking trails and water routes are closed.
• All watercraft (canoes, kayaks, boats) are restricted to developed front-country lakes only (road accessible) and landing and launching is restricted to developed shorelines only. No travel or portaging to backcountry lakes permitted. Shore lunches are prohibited.
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The Nopiming Provincial Park closure has been extended to June 12, so we have moved this activity to Spruce Woods Provincial Park: Camping / Paddling / Hiking at Kiche Manitou Campground in Spruce Woods Provincial Park. Manitoba Parks has told everyone with a Tulabi Falls campsite reservation that their reservation has been cancelled and their campsite fees will be refunded, including the reservation fee.
Our Spruce Woods dates, plans, and agenda will be the same as Tulabi Falls … with a few differences because the area close to Kiche Manitou Campground has slightly fewer paddling opportunities and significantly more hiking opportunities than Tulabi Falls.
• Paddling is on Kiche Lake (the oxbow surrounding the campground), and the Assiniboine River. We are not sure if water levels are a factor, but the water was very good during the Grey Hares 3-day trip there in early June 2016.
Other paddling opportunities are a half hour away: The Assiniboine River at Wawanesa, and Noble Lake south of Wawanesa. An email conversation with a town staff person – a paddler – was very positive.
• Hiking opportunities range from a handful of short interesting interpretive trails to out-and-back Epinette Creek (up to 40K!) to the iconic Spirit Sands & Devil’s Punchbowl.
• With ~30 people attending, you will have many options about how much paddling vs hiking you want to do, who you want to do it with, and where you want to do it. We will facilitate discussion about this every day.
• Rather than us documenting a list of possible hikes, we invite you to send us your favorites (or do research and tell us what appeals to you). We will then compile a list and present it to you.
The Kiche Manitou Campground is huge and sprawling! There are currently ~200 sites available for June 9th to 12th. We suggest sites in the “lower campground” in the area surrounded by the oxbow lake (the nicest campsites in the campground), specifically where Bays 1/2/3/4 join each other so that basic and electric sites are close to each other. We personally are not going to reserve (no reservation fee, avoid choosing a site occupied by a weekender who doesn’t leave until 2:00 PM check-out time on Monday, and choose a site that looks good in-person), but it is your choice.
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This year's follow-up to the successes of car-camping / day-paddling / day-hiking trips at Rushing River in 2022 (24 Grey Hares), Caddy Lake in 2023 (32 Grey Hares), and Black Lake in 2024 (31 Grey Hares) is a car-camping / day-paddling / day-hiking trip at Tulabi Falls in Nopiming Provincial Park from Monday June 9 to Thursday June 12 (4 days / 3 nights). Grey Hares last camped / paddled / hiked at Tulabi Falls in 2018; here are some photos.
The Tulabi Falls Campground has 36 campsites and 6 yurts. It has vault toilets. It does not have a showers building. It also does not have potable water, so we will have to bring our own for drinking and washing. The nightly camping fee is $11.55 or $15.75 (electric) per night per site. Campsite reservations open on Friday April 11 at 7:00 AM. In early April we will initiate a discussion about campsites with everyone who has registered, so everyone has the opportunity to share a site with someone, and everyone knows which part of the campground they should try to reserve their site (etc).
A Manitoba Provincial Park Vehicle Permit is not required in 2025.
A beach is located at the edge of the campground. It is a perfect canoe and kayak launch into Bird Lake / Bird River, which is downstream from Tulabi Falls.
There is also a nice launch spot into Tulabi Lake / Bird River. It is located just upstream from Tulabi Falls.
Key features of almost all Grey Hares camping trips include carpooling, sharing of campsites, canoe partnering, and cooperative suppers at Grey Hares' Eureka Northern Breeze screen tent.
Paddling and hiking activities include:
- Paddle Tulabi Lake and Bird River upstream.
- Paddle Bird Lake and Bird River downstream.
- Hike the moderately challenging Tulabi Falls Trail. It is only 500 metres out + 500 metres back, but very scenic along/above Tulabi Lake. The trailhead is in the campground.
- Hike Granite Groove Out on Thursday on our way back to Winnipeg.
