Porcupine Provincial Forests

Porcupine Provincial Forest is a wilderness region, somewhat remote, situated in the Porcupine Hills on the cusp of the Manitoba Escarpment. The rugged mountain forest region consists of lakes, rivers, wetlands, bogs, prairie grasslands, aspen parklands and boreal forests.

Porcupine Hills is home to some of the highest elevations in the province. Hart Mountain, located within the Porcupine Provincial Forest, is the second highest mountain in the province measuring 823 metres (2700 ft).

The closest community to the Porcupine Provincial Forest is Swan River. The community is located south of the wilderness forest in the Swan Valley region of Manitoba, Canada.

The Porcupine Provincial Forest is accessed via a small selection of interconnecting gravel roads and recreation trails. The roadways and trails provide access to remote camping areas, viewing towers, fishing lakes and wildlife protected areas.

The Porcupine Provincial Forest measures a total of 207,000+ hectares. Within that area are 3 designated protected reserves - the Bell & Steeprock Canyons Protected Reserve (11,300+ hectares), Birch River Ecological Reserve (180+ hectares) and the Armit Meadows Ecological Reserve (260+ hectares).

The lakes and forests in the park are home to various species of wildlife including moose, deer, coyote, wolves, elk, black bear, cougar and lynx. The park is also a nesting, feeding and resting grounds for resident and migrating birds including waterfowl, song birds and predator birds.

The remote environment, lakes and streams attract many fisherman to the region. Fish to be caught in the region include northern pike, perch, whitefish, walleye, arctic char, rainbow and brook trout. Some fishing destinations are easy access, drive in destinations while others require a hike in.

The campgrounds in the forest parkland act as base camps to adventures. There are 3 designated campgrounds in the Porcupine Provincial Forest - Whitefish Lake, Steeprock Lake and Bell Lake.

Whitefish lake includes a beach and campground. Steeprock Lake includes a beach, campground and dock. Bell Lake includes a beach, swimming area, campground and dock.

The main adventures enjoyed throughout the Porcupine Provincial Forest include fishing, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, birdwatching, rock climbing, off roading, picnicking, swimming, mountain biking, canoeing, hunting, and snowmobiling.

During the winter months the gravel roads and trails become a network of snowmobile trails. The snowmobile trails connect Porcupine Provincial Forests with communities like Roblin, Erikson, Swan River and with other parks like the Duck Mountain Provincial Park.

Porcupine Provincial Forests, Manitoba, Canada, Parkland Region