Drive out of Winnipeg on the Perimeter Highway. Then turn north on Highway 59 until you reach a quick side road exit onto PR 139, that sends you a few miles down a wide gravel road. At first you might think you went the wrong way, because there isn’t much out there. The road veers to the right and ends at the Patricia Beach parking area. There are a few scattered residents along the road, but the beach is pretty secluded, which is what makes it such a special beach. They may be a small park fee from June to September. The beach is less than an hour from Winnipeg.
Walk through a small path surrounded by brush and trees, and Patricia Beach is there, not far from the parking lot. Patricia Beach is a Manitoba provincial park. There are simple public bathroom/ changing room facilities right between the parking lot and the beach. This is a surprisingly large area where you can spread out and go for a long walk on the flat shores of the sandy beach. It is a nice natural place where you can think and refresh yourself away from the hubbub of civilization.
Get in the water to cool off. It is cold and refreshing. The water is calm on clear days, and there is plenty of wading space for small children or timid swimmers. The sand is nice and clean. There isn’t litter all over the beach. If you go on weekdays you may end up with the beach all to yourself or with only a few other visitors there. The view out to the water is open and very freeing. Watch for the variety of wild birds that frequent the area. Stick around until it gets dark, and you will see the area in its natural state. There isn’t city lighting marring the night time view.
There is a snack bar but it isn’t open all the time, so bring your own food and drinks if you are spending the day at the beach. There is just one small store at a gas station on Highway 59 on the way to the beach. It is better to come prepared with your own food.
