Kettle Stones is one of Manitoba’s smallest and least well-known Provincial Parks. Covering only four square kilometres, and with fascinating geography, this park is a hidden gem.
The park is located about 70 kilometres northeast of Swan River and 500 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, The park is classified as a Class III protected area under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) protected area management categories. This means that camping, and fires not prohibited, and visitors should stay on existing roads.



Driving to the park is not possible. The existing road is unmaintained and in terrible shape. When we accessed the park, we drove as far along the road as we could using a 4-wheel drive truck. While the road started in good shape, the closer we got to Kettle Stones Provincial Park, the worse it got. Parts of the road were under a foot of water, and as we got close, the trail became more and more narrow. Eventually, it gets to a point where only a small quad can continue driving.



We managed to get within 6 or 7 kilometres of the park by vehicle. From here, we decided to hike the rest of the way. Following the old road, it was an easy hike with mainly flat terrain.
Eventually, we passed the old wooden sign welcoming us to the park.


So what exactly is a Kettle Stone? A Kettle Stone is a sandstone concretion that began to form 100 million years ago. During the Cretaceous Period, when an ancient sea covered most of Western Canada, sand and marine sediments were deposited in horizontal layers on the ancient seafloor. Millions of years later, after the sea dissipated, this area was turned to land and eventually covered by glaciers.
As groundwater penetrated the sand and other sediments, it caused them to cement together, usually around some nucleus, like a fossil. This process usually occurs in a radiating pattern, causing the cement concretions to grow outwards in all directions, which explains the spherical shape of the Kettle Stones. Over time, these concretions continue to compact, making them more resistant to erosion.
Fast forward to 10,000 BCE, the glaciers in Manitoba began to melt, forming Lake Agassiz, which covered most of Manitoba. The movement of the water from the lake, slowly eroded the soft ground, pushing it away, and unburrying the Kettle Stones.



Manitoba isn’t the only place with Kettle stones. Further west, in southern Alberta, a large array of Kettle Stones can be found at the Red Rock Coulee Provincial Natural Area.
Just like Red Rock Coulee, Kettle Stones Provincial Park provides a glimpse into Canada’s geographic past.