Two lake trout over 63 pounds have been pulled out of Lake Athapapuskow — one in 1930, another in 2008 — and that's the kind of claim Bakers Narrows Provincial Park quietly lives on. This small park in northern Manitoba, designated back in 1961, sits about 15 minutes from Flin Flon along Provincial Trunk Highway 10 and wraps 358 acres around a lake that stretches across roughly 70,000 acres of the Canadian Shield.

The park runs from May to September, and so does its campground. There are 71 RV pull-through sites, plus primitive options and serviced sites with water and electricity. Hot showers, updated washrooms, a dump station and free firewood cover the practicalities, with a playground and picnic spots for downtime. Not camping with your own gear? Six yurts are available to book — they come with double futons, bunk beds and tables, though you bring your own bedding and cooking kit. Yurts 1 and 2 welcome pets, and yurts 2 and 3 are accessible. Book ahead.

The lake itself is the main draw. Two official sandy beaches sit at the southwest and southeast corners of the campground — the only soft-sand stretches on what is otherwise a rocky shoreline. The contrast of white sand against deep blue water, backed by mixed forest, makes for some of the best swimming and sunbathing in the region. Lifejackets are strongly recommended, and the park lends them out free if you don't have your own.

For anglers, the credentials speak for themselves: lake trout beyond 35 inches come out regularly, alongside smallmouth bass, walleye and perch. There are two fish-cleaning stations on site, an accessible public boat launch, and if you arrive without a watercraft, Bakers Narrows Lodge nearby rents 18- and 20-foot boats plus a triple pontoon. Time your trip for late June or early July and you can add Flin Flon's multi-day Trout Festival to the itinerary.

One more reason to linger in Manitoba: it's the only province where you can theoretically spot Canada's Big Five — polar and black bears, bison, moose and beluga whales. If you've driven this far north, Nopiming Provincial Park makes a solid second stop.

This is one for road-trippers and anglers who've done Banff and want somewhere without the crowds. Bring a current fishing licence, pick up a vehicle permit before you arrive and keep it visible in your windshield, and pack for cool northern evenings even in July.