Winnipeg 
There are many beautiful parts of Lake Winnipeg that offer numerous reasons to make a summer visit. Whether it be a day trip from Winnipeg, a weekend getaway, or a place to stop while passing through, these extensive shorelines have a lot to offer.
Credit: Liz Tran-Courtesy of Travel Manitoba
While there are many beautiful parks to visit around Lake Winnipeg, especially in the southern section, places like the town of Gimli offer all the lakeside nature, plus attractions, interesting local history, and a bustling central area with restaurants, cafes, pubs, and shops.
Gimli sits between the Camp Morton and Winnipeg Beach Provincial Parks on the southwest side of Lake Winnipeg, with only 90km between the lake and the city of Winnipeg. With those parks bordering the town, Gimli offers an excellent camping and summer lake life experience. Between these three areas are many other options for staying overnight as well.
There are many ways to fill a multi-day Gimli getaway from the sandy beaches and water adventures to local events and festivals, weekly live music, exploration of the town’s arts and culture, or by exploring all the beautiful trails that surround Lake Winnipeg’s southern shores.
Beach & Water Adventures on Lake Winnipeg
The local Gimli Beach lines the town from north to south in a wide but sheltered bay on Lake Winnipeg. With a mix of soft sand and small pebbles, the long stretch of beach offers a ton of room for towels, beach chairs, picnic blankets, and floaties. The breakwater between the marina and the beach and swimming area also helps to keep the waters a bit sheltered.
Credit: Travel Manitoba
- With much of Gimli to the west of the beach, there are several on-site amenities at Gimli Beach to help create a perfect beach day: shops and restaurants, washrooms, picnic tables, a playground, and parking.
- Plus, there are two watersport rental companies that operate right on the beach. Choose between paddle sport options from the Fun in the Sun Rentals, or sea-doo and pontoon boats from Viking Rentals.
- The Winnipeg Beach Provincial Park, to the south of Gimli, has three more public beaches, two are on the mainland shores at Black’s Point and Little Grindstone Point. These beaches are packed with the same great amenities you’d find at Gimli Beach like playgrounds, a boat launch, picnic tables, washrooms, showers, sports fields, and shops or restaurants down the road.
- More beautiful beach space is open to day use visitors of the Camp Morton Provincial Park north of Gimli. The park offers a quiet beach day experience but still has amenities like washrooms, picnic tables, and hiking trails.
Arts, History, & Culture
Gimli was originally settled by a group of Europeans from Iceland who dubbed much of Manitoba as New Iceland. The cultural history of Gimli is celebrated across town with art exhibits, the local museum, and the annual summer festival. Plus, the town has a few other key moments in history to showcase. Many of these exhibits or attractions are all within walking distance from one another and the Gimli Marina.
CFB Gimli Memorial/Credit: Travel Manitoba
- New Iceland Heritage Museum will have a brand-new exhibit for summer alongside their many, many other pieces of history, like art and artifacts.
- The seawall next to Gimli Beach is a stark grey on the beach-facing side. But turn the corner to find 60 different murals decorating the other side, which faces the marina. The area offers a pleasant evening or early morning walking area. While at the marina, also keep your eyes open for the largest boat docked there, the Namao Research Vessel, which is still in operation. This is also the same location as the Lake Winnipeg Visitor’s Centre, where there are a variety of exhibits on local history.
- From the marina, continue south to the scenic Harbour Park where the Gimli Viking Statue stands proud over Lake Winnipeg. Harbour Park then connects to 1st Avenue, where the CFB Gimli Memorial stands outside the Iceland Museum.
- The Gimli Glider Exhibit is a showcase of one of the more unique parts of the town’s history, when in 1983 a large passenger jet was forced to make an emergency landing in this small town! The story, built from dozens of local witnesses, creates an incredible scene that is on full display at the Glider museum.
The Best Trails around Gimli
The short trails around Gimli and the Marina offer sights such as the seawall murals, boats on the water, the lighthouse, and the long shore as it extends from north to south. Get more time on the trails with one of the closest parks to Gimli that keeps your adventures on Lake Winnipeg.
- All the summer trails of Camp Morton Provincial Park closely follow the shores of Lake Winnipeg. This includes about 10km worth of trails that are divided into four major loops. Along the hiking trails, take notice of the interpretive signage, historical artifacts, and overall history of the park! These trails are especially scenic during the spring and early summer as flowers bloom, and in the fall as the leaves change colours.
- The Birch and Steeple Trails are convenient to combine into one longer trail to create a 5km loop around the north side of the park. The trail leads alongside the lake’s rocky shores while meandering in and out of the forest.
- Combine the Ravine and Moonshine Trail to create a 3km loop around the south end of Camp Morton. During the summers, these trails are abundant with birds, small wildlife, and bright green foliage. Once on the Moonshine Trail, the Lake Winnipeg shores become grassy and green, making it easy to get close-up views over the lake.
Summer Dining in Gimli
One of the best parts about a day at the local Gimli Beach is the sandy shoreline’s proximity to dining options. And when at the beach, look no further than Centre Street and 1st Avenue, where there are over a dozen local dining options and the weekly outdoor market. There are a handful of additional options in other parts of Gimli, too, off Centre Street, as well as south in Winnipeg Beach.
- Those options away from the beach that you might pass on your way into town include Gimli Garden Chinese Food, G & C / Pacos Pizza & Chicken, Carlo’s Cucina, and Spero’s Pizza Gimli
- Grab brews or patio drinks at local spots like the Seagulls Restaurant & Lounge,
- Ship & Plough or Interlake Brewing Co. The brand new Shoreside Goods, owned by Interlake Brewing, is a small grab-and-go shop that is perfect to hit before the lake as they sell hot and cold drinks, snacks, fishing supplies, live minnows, merch, and souvenirs.
- Find some excellent family restaurant options along 1st or Centre ,like the Thai Thai Food Restaurant, Golden Harbour Chinese Restaurant, Brennivins Pizza Hus, or Country Boy.
- And when all else is complete, be sure to stop by the Sugar Me Cookie Boutique for Icelandic-inspired sweets.
Summer Events
These local Gimli events include a few that take place over different summer weekends. A few other events in town will also appear weekly throughout the summer. No matter the timing, these festivals offer an array of things about Gimli to embrace or celebrate culture and history, art and music, love and pride, or food and drink.
- Celebrate pride, love, and joy, with the annual Gimli Pride festival with the 2025 event scheduled for June 14th. Gimli’s Pride also pops up alongside the return of the outdoor market on 1st Avenue and Centre Street. These two events will feature live music, too!
- Gimli International Film Festival (July 23-27, 2025) or GIFF will include an array of screenings of Canadian and International films in multiple genres. Plus, the festival hosts a handful of outdoor screenings on the beach.
- Gimli’s annual Iceland Festival (August 1-4, 2025) is a massive celebration of Icelandic culture and its history in town. And for August long weekend 2025, the Iceland Festival celebrates its 150th anniversary!
- The Gimli Blues Festival was once held earlier in the summer, but for 2025, the festival will be moved to a later date over the September long weekend. Close out the last days of summer with live and relaxing concerts.
- Taking in local art through music is easy over the summers in Gimli, even if you can’t make the abovementioned events. This is thanks to the Rockin’ Gimli Harbour concert series that runs June 7-September 30.
Lakeside Accommodations & More Ways to Stay in Gimli
The accommodations options around Gimli include a little bit of every vacation vibe with camping and rustic cabins or cottages, luxurious rentals, small inns or bed and breakfasts, and a few lakeside resorts.
- The beautiful campground of Winnipeg Beach Provincial Park is only 15km south of Gimli, with more beaches and over 100 campsites. The Camp Morton Provincial Park to the north of Gimli is also on the lake’s shores, with vacation cabin or yurt rental accommodation options.
- Find several more camping and other options north of Gimli by about 70km in the Hecla-Grinstone Provincial Park. Hecla-Grindstone might be further out, but it has a wide array of accommodation options, including basic campsites and group campsites, cabin rentals, an on-site bed and breakfast, or the Gull Harbour Inn.
- Choose among the rooms of the local hotels and inns within the heart of Gimli like the Viking Inn Hotel, the Lakeview Gimli Resort, or the Autumnwood Motel & RV Resort.
- Find even more accommodations a short drive south of Gimli in Winnipeg Beach with options like Aaron’s on the Lake Bed & Breakfast, and the Winnipeg Beach Hotel.
- These western shores of Lake Winnipeg are lined with many private rental options from tiny homes or apartments to cabins and cottages, hotel rooms, and full homes.
