Trails design, development and promotion in Minnedosa, Manitoba
Trail Access & Conditions
The Squirrel Hills Recreation Area currently has one parking lot access located just west off Hwy 10/16 (bottom of the valley) on PR 355. Click here for location.
(New trailhead plans, including a new larger parking lot with pavilion and bathrooms, are being planned for 2023. There is currently no bathroom access at the Squirrel Hills Recreation Area.)
🚧 TRAIL OPEN, BUT UNDER CONSTRUCTION 🚧
May 5, 2023 — Effective immediately, ALL of the newly constructed hike, bike, run trails in the Squirrel Hills Recreation Area are now OPEN, following a successful spring thaw and period of drying.
As you might recall, in November 2022 our trail builders had to halt trail construction and return to BC as Manitoba’s winter set in, which left some of the new trails at the Squirrel Hills Recreation Area incomplete.
After a beautiful winter trail season, and a trail closure to facilitate the spring thaw, we’ve decided to open the trails as they are, with the clear understanding that:
…🚧 these trails are still under construction, and they do not represent the final product (it’s going to get way better!);
…🌧️ the trail surface will be soft in spots and uneven in others (there is also one small trail washout to repair later in the season);
…⛔ and in the case of a heavy rain event, the trail will be closed until it has had time to dry out.
Thank you for your understanding and patience as we work to complete the trails (and build more!) for everyone’s enjoyment!
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Temporary trail maps (what we used for the winter) have been installed at the trails. Please click here to download a copy.
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VLR sends out trail condition reports by email and posts them to Facebook and Instagram. If any particular trail conditions were recently updated, they will appear in one of the 5 Facebook posts below. For special trail condition updates delivered to your inbox, consider subscribing to our Trail Conditions email list.
VLR Facebook Posts
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Here’s a little morning fun to put some extra energy into your trail adventures! These photos were captured during a hike last night at the Squirrel Hills Recreation Area. We obviously don’t know if this furry individual was just passing through the area checking out our sweet trails (this bear knows good trails! 😎), or calls the place home, but just be bear-aware when enjoying the outdoors. See our recent post (scroll down two posts) for tips on how to enjoy the great outdoors while wildlife awakes from their long winter nap. 🐻📸: Greg Bradco#beartracks#bearaware#Bearsmart#wildlifesafety#trailetiquette#springishere#valleyliferecreation… See MoreSee Less
Hey folks, are you planning to hit the hiking or riding trails this week? Well, don’t forget about our tiny friends – 🕷️ ticks!Here are some tips to help you tick-proof your outdoor adventures:1. Cover up: Wear long-sleeved shirts, pants, and hats to protect yourself from ticks. The less exposed skin, the better. 👕👖👒2. Tick check: Before you head inside after a day on the trail, give yourself and your friends a good tick check. It’s like a game of hide and seek, but the stakes are higher! 🕵️♀️🔍3. Bug spray: Using insect repellent with DEET can help to repel ticks. Bonus points if you smell like a citronella candle. 🦟🕯️4. Stay on the trail: Ticks hang out in tall grass and leaf litter. Stick to the centre of trails to avoid them. 🌿👣5. Don’t panic: If you do find a tick on you, don’t get to excited! Gently remove it (fingers or tweezers), and if needed, clean the area with soap and water.Don’t forget to check with your vet to ensure your furry friends are tick ready too.Remember, ticks may be small, but they can cause big problems. So, take care of yourself (and your pets) and tick-proof your adventures!And if you see someone wearing a full-body tick suit out on the trails, just smile and nod. 😎 #BetterSafeThanSorry #TickTickBoom #TickProofYourself #HikingHumour #MTBchuckles #OutdoorFun #ValleyLifeRecreation #OutdoorsForEveryone … See MoreSee Less
🌳🚵🏽♂️🏃♀️🐾 We’ve got a trail-tastic announcement to make! 🎉As you might recall, in November 2022 our trail builders had to halt trail construction and return to BC as Manitoba’s winter set in, which left some of the new trails at the Squirrel Hills Recreation Area incomplete.After a beautiful winter trail season, and a trail closure to facilitate the spring thaw, we’ve decided to open the trails as they are, with the clear understanding that:…🚧 these trails are still under construction, and they do not represent the final product (it’s going to get way better!);…🌧️ the trail surface will be soft in spots and uneven in others (there is also one small trail washout to repair later in the season);…⛔ and in the case of a heavy rain event, the trail will be closed until it has had time to dry out.We are very excited to reopen these new hiking, mountain biking and running trails! But please use caution when navigating them as some sections require additional attention.So, get ready to lace up your hiking boots, pull on those trail running shoes, tighten your bike helmets, and hit the trails! 🥾🚴🏽♀️ 🏃♀️And remember to thank our trail builders for their hard work if you see them (they’ll be back in July to finish up)!Thank you for your understanding and patience as we work to complete the trail (and build more!) for everyone’s enjoyment! 🙏#TrailTasticAnnouncement #TrailBuildersRock #HikeBikeRunRepeat #TrailAdventureAwaits #CautionTrailAhead #UnderConstructionButStillFun #PatienceIsAVirtue #NatureLoversUnite#TrailblazingFun #ValleyLifeRecreation #OutdoorsForEveryone … See MoreSee Less
Happy Spring! It looks the season is officially here! (We don’t follow the calendar around here when it comes to this season…you know how useless that can be when it comes to ACTUAL spring! 🤪📆)While the newly constructed dirt trails are still CLOSED at the Squirrel Hills Recreation Area, the ski trails have obviously gone away for the winter, so those trails are OPEN for hiking and running. (See the posted signage at the parking lot.)Regardless of where you might be on trails, remember that with spring having sprung, wildlife is waking up from their winter hibernation…like a bear after a looooong nap. 🥱 So, before you hit the trails, remember to be cautious and keep your eyes peeled! You wouldn’t want to stumble upon a recently woken animal before you’ve had your morning coffee, right? ☕️For increased peace of mine, make a little noise while you’re on the trail to alert animals of your presence. Noise can be made by talking, clapping, using bells or other noise-making devices, or singing your favourite T Swift, Hanson or ABBA tune (no judgement here!). 🎶🕺💃🪩Stay safe out there and let’s all enjoy the beauty of nature without disturbing its inhabitants! 🐻🌳 #WildlifeSafety #TrailEtiquette #SpringIsHere #ValleyLifeRecreation … See MoreSee Less
It’s been a few days since our very first Community Update and AGM and we’re so happy with the results. The excitement that all 64 attendees expressed for what we are building with the Squirrel Hills Trail Park was motivational, inspiring and extremely validating. Thank you all for joining us!A special thanks to the AGM planning committee of Dominique, Carrie and Richard for getting all of the main details sorted and creating a great space for the meeting.We were also very excited to be able to host Lisa Bilcowski from the Minnedosa Regional Library in making their big announcement; through a $5,500 grant from Cenovus, they will be buying a huge collection of snowshoes and when next winter returns, a free snowshoe lending library will officially be launched! We’d also like to thank Minnedosa Councillor Robert Marks for his greetings on behalf of the Town of Minnedosa, along with Cassandra from Minnedosa Parks & Recreation and Sabine from Minnedosa Tourism & Marketing for their attendance and support.Our deepest appreciation also goes to Mark Timmons who regaled everyone with a few great stories from his trail running adventures along with some sincere insights into how trails create community among people from all walks of life.Once again, to the full house that attended our special evening, thank you for telling us we’re creating something of high value for you, your family and the community of Minnedosa. We were very excited to share updates from the past year along with details of the exciting trailhead we will begin building this summer. (These reports will be published on our website in the coming days for those that were unable to attend.)Thank you also to those who stepped up to be on our volunteer lists or spoke with us about other ways they’d love to be involved. We appreciate the support and we’ll be in touch.The future is looking very bright for healthy, sustainable, and equitable outdoor recreation in Minnedosa. Thanks for helping us create #outdoorsforeveryone.📸: Sabine Chorley & Dominique Hampton#valleyliferecreation#valleylifeisthebestlife#community#trailpark#lowimpactrecreation#nature#reconnect#healthycommunities… See MoreSee Less
