Spruce Woods Provincial Park, Provincial park in south-central Manitoba, Canada
Spruce Woods Provincial Park lies in south-central Manitoba, where the Assiniboine River crosses a sandy delta left by the last glaciation. Its 269 square kilometres hold open and stabilized dunes, spruce stands, dry grassland and low scrub. The Carberry Sandhills, or Spirit Sands, form the dune section; the Newfoundland Trail runs 38 km through the hills to Jackfish Lake.
Fort des Épinettes, also called Pine Fort, is commemorated by a Manitoba Historical Plaque in the park; the sources do not give its construction date. Other plaques honour the Assiniboine (Nakota) First Nation's role in Manitoba's heritage and the entomologist Norman Criddle. The park itself was designated by the Government of Manitoba in 1964.
The Spirit Sands holds special meaning for Indigenous peoples, with historical markers honoring the Assiniboine First Nation's connection to this land. Visitors walking through this area see reminders of the generations who lived and traveled here.
The park operates a visitor center, campgrounds, and hiking trails for exploring the different landscapes. Winter visitors can enjoy cross-country skiing and snowmobiling, while summer months suit walking and horseback riding.
The park's Spirit Sands area is one of very few sand-dune zones in Canada, a remnant of a sandy delta where the Assiniboine River once ran into glacial Lake Agassiz. The open dunes shelter cacti and hognose snakes, species not found elsewhere in Manitoba.
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