84 km from Winnipeg
Patricia Beach
2.5 km of beach on Balsam Bay, backed by dunes, with a marsh and picnic areas. The quieter one. Notes.
80 + 6 km
Grand Beach
Three kilometres of fine white sand, dunes up to 12 m, a lagoon, trails and a large campground. Notes.
About 100 km
Victoria Beach
A resort municipality on the south-east shore with some of Manitoba's finest beaches, by the resort's description. Notes.
32 km north of Grand Beach
Elk Island
A 900-hectare provincial park island 1.2 km offshore, reachable only by boat.
One hour from Winnipeg
Grand Pines Golf
A 6,664-yard course bordering Belair Provincial Forest. Golf packages.
Lake Winnipeg
The lake itself
24,514 km² and 416 km long, with its southern end about 55 km north of Winnipeg, according to Wikipedia.
The lake, briefly
Manitoba Parks calls Lake Winnipeg the sixth largest lake in Canada. Wikipedia gives its area as 24,514 km² and its length as 416 km from north to south, and says the name comes from the Cree wīnipēk, "muddy waters". The south basin, the part near the resort, is the busy summer end, with the beach towns and parks listed above.
Park vehicle permits and free weekends
Manitoba requires a park vehicle permit for motor vehicles in provincial parks. Walkers and cyclists who come in under their own power do not need one. The 2026 prices, including GST:
| Permit | Price | Valid |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | $9.50 | Until midnight on the day of purchase |
| Casual | $16.50 | Three consecutive days |
| Annual | $44.50 | Until 30 April 2027; up to two licence plates |
- 12–14 June 2026
Family Fishing Weekend: no vehicle permit needed.
- 13–19 July 2026
Parks Week: free entry.
- 4–7 Sept 2026
Labour Day weekend: free entry.
- Feb 2027
The whole month of February 2027 is free. That lines up nicely with the ski trails at Grand Beach.
Camping fees still apply on free-entry days. The province adds that its permits are not valid in national parks such as Riding Mountain.
How the resort fits in
Every place on this board is north of South Beach on Highway 59 or off it. Wikipedia's entry on Brokenhead Ojibway Nation puts it simply: Winnipeg to the south, and Grand Beach, Patricia Beach and Victoria Beach to the north, all along PTH 59. That is the whole argument for using the resort as a base.
Open in Google Maps · Directions to the resort
Where these notes come from (read 31 October 2026):
- Manitoba Parks — Patricia Beach Provincial Park
- Manitoba Parks — Grand Beach Provincial Park
- Manitoba Parks — Grand Beach park information (PDF)
- South Beach — nearby attractions
- Manitoba Parks — 2026 park vehicle permits and fees
- Wikipedia — Lake Winnipeg (secondary source)
- Wikipedia — Brokenhead Ojibway Nation (secondary source)