Staff Pick

Road Trip Winnipeg to Churchill – Polar Bear Capital

Winnipeg Churchill
1700
km
48h
drive
All seasons
season

The Itinerary

Churchill, on Hudson Bay, is one of the few places in the world to view polar bears up close. Unreachable by road — take the VIA Rail train from Winnipeg or Thompson (45h) or fly.

Note: this road trip combines driving to Thompson (760 km, 9h) then the legendary 17h train ride to Churchill. Bear season: October–November when they wait for ice. Beluga whales in summer (July–August). Northern lights year-round. Tundra Buggies for safe bear viewing.

Points of Interest

  • ✦
    Tundra Buggy
    A giant-tired vehicle for watching polar bears.
  • ✦
    Belugas (Summer)
    3,000+ belugas in Hudson Bay, July to August.
  • ✦
    Northern Lights
    One of the best places in the world to see them, October to April.
  • ✦
    VIA Rail Hudson Bay Train
    The legendary 17-hour train from The Pas via Thompson to Churchill.

Fishing Spots Along the Route

🎣
Abbotts Lake
Lake
🎣
Abell Lake
Lake
🎣
Aberdeen Lake
Lake
🎣
Abes Lake
Lake
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Abigail Lake
Lake
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Abraham Lake
Lake
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Abraham Murphy Lake
Lake
🎣
Abraham River
River

Protected areas along the route

🌿
Upper Fort Garry Heritage Provincial Park
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Memorial Provincial Park
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Churchill Special Conservation Area
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Hyland Provincial Park
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Trappist Monastery Provincial Park
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St. Norbert Provincial Park
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Duff Roblin Provincial Park
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Beaudry Provincial Park
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River Road Provincial Park
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Birds Hill Provincial Park
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St. Andrews Lock and Dam Special Conservation Area
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🌿
Lockport Provincial Park
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Take this route offline

Cell coverage thins out fast once you leave Winnipeg. Export the map as a geo-referenced PDF before you go and open it in BorealMaps — your GPS position shows on the map with no signal at all.

Try PDF Export How geo-referenced PDF maps work
Practical info
  • Departure Winnipeg
  • Destination Churchill
  • Distance 1700 km
  • Duration 48h
  • Category Very long (500+ km)
  • Best season All seasons
Themes
north epic bear wildlife whale aurora train

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