Narcisse Snake Den Sign taken by users of wikipedia.org 

 

The Narcisse Snake Dens, located in the Interlake, are officially open for the season! You can see more snakes at a glance here than anywhere else in the world. Tens of thousands of red-sided garter snakes congregate at this location twice a year to emerge and prepare for their winter dens. During the first warm days of Spring (AKA, NOW!), the snakes begin to emerge from their dens and gather in large numbers to perform fascinating mating rituals. Mother's Day Weekend is known for good garter snake sighting. After two to three weeks, the snakes disperse to nearby marshes for the summer. By early fall they return to their dens, wintering in fissures and crevasses of the limestone bedrock below the frozen ground.

 

 

Picture designed by www.gov.mb.ca

When heading North of Winnipeg, keep an eye out for the Narcisse Snake Dens sign on Highway #17. It's just 6 kilometres (3.6) north of Narcisse. You turn East at the entrance sign and follow the short road to the parking area. There, orientation and interpretive signs, washrooms, a picnic area, and a 3 kilometre walking trail will be available to you. The trail winds through native grassland and aspen forests. The Narcisse Snake Dens are roughly 1.5 hours away from Winnipeg (roughly 130kms).

 

 

Activity levels of the snake dens are posted every few days here during the spring and fall. Be sure to check this when planning your trip! 

 

What you should bring:

  • Cap 
  • Windbreaker
  • Comfortable Hiking footwear or sturdy running shoes
  • Light snacks
  • Beverages 
  • Camera
  • Binoculars

 

Picture designed by www.gov.mb.ca

 

Above you will see a map of the trail.

Average visiting time: 2 hours. Viewing platforms are provided at each den for convenient watching locations. 

 

 

 

 

 

Source:http://www.gov.mb.ca/sd/wildlife/spmon/narsnakes/ , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcisse_Snake_Pits