Coffee at a bakery that started in an old church, firewood from a gas station, a campfire by the Red River until well after dark — and two people in Friendship Trail sweatshirts who walked over just to say hello.
This summer, Bohdan, Nika and I already spent a day on the St. Adolphe Friendship Trail — it’s in our summer day trip to the Friendship Trail. Back then, Bohdan wrote that he wanted to come back before Halloween, in the dark, with flashlights and a thermos.
I got there first. On Saturday, October 17, 2026, I went with two friends. Bohdan and Nika stayed home this time, and I had a whole day with the girls.
The weather was incredible: sunny, warm, a real golden fall day. The plan was simple: a bakery in Steinbach, then a campfire on the trail to see what it looks like in the fall.
The Drive to Steinbach
Steinbach is about 60 km and 50 minutes from Winnipeg.
At 11 a.m., my friend picked me up. At 11:40 we picked up our other friend and hit the road. By about 12:30 we were parking at the bakery.
The bakery was my friends’ idea, and a good one.
Old Church Bakery: An Hour That Flew By
The smell of fresh bread at the door, friendly baristas, and a flat white I want to go back for.
Inside it’s quiet and cozy: light wood, white walls, pistachio green, lots of plants. I got a cheese and bacon scone and a flat white — $10.73 together with tax. My friends had coffee and something sweet. One of them also bought bread to take home, and the other filled a whole box with pastries for her kids, so their bills were quite a bit bigger than mine.
We sat, talked, laughed — and didn’t even notice an hour go by.
One thing to know for planning: on Saturdays the bakery closes at 4 p.m., and it’s closed on Sundays. Hours, coffee prices, what to take home and why you can’t bring a dog are all in our guide to Old Church Bakery in Steinbach.
Firewood From the Gas Station
The easiest option is to buy firewood in Steinbach before you head to the trail.
From the bakery, we stopped at the Shell station nearby and bought a huge bag of firewood. The big bag was $11.99 before tax, and the small one was about $9.99. For comparison, in Winnipeg we usually pay around $12.99 for a bag half that size.
I knew the trail volunteers leave firewood by the fire pits, and quite a lot of it. But it can’t last for every visitor. And after rain, that wood can be wet and simply won’t burn. So we brought our own.
We didn’t bring any food — we were still full from the bakery. Just tea and coffee in thermoses, blankets, warm clothes, newspaper, a lighter, and water to put the fire out later.
From Steinbach to the trail is about 40 minutes. By around 2:30 p.m. we were in the parking lot.
The Friendship Trail in Fall: A Walk First
In the fall the trail is almost see-through: bare trees, leaves underfoot, and the river showing through the branches.
We parked, got out, and decided to walk the trail first and pick a spot for the fire. There weren’t too many people and not too few — just comfortable.
As we walked, my friends kept saying what the trail reminded them of. One said the TV series From, the other said The Blair Witch Project. My husband and I once thought the exact same thing, just swapped: I thought of From, he thought of Blair Witch. We laughed about that for a long time.
Two Campfire Spots
The trail now has two campfire areas, both with benches and metal fire pits.
The first one is closer to the parking lot, next to the swings and playground. It was taken: a family with kids had a fire going, they were cooking something, and the kids were running around and swinging.
The second one is at the very end of the trail, if you walk from the parking lot. It was free. We went back to the car, grabbed our backpacks with blankets and thermoses, the firewood — and headed back.
We also brought folding chairs, but trust me: you don’t need them unless it has rained or snowed. There are plenty of benches and stumps to sit on.
The Fire
Newspaper, a few logs and some dry twigs from the ground — and a few minutes later the fire was going.
It turned out my friends didn’t know how to start a fire, so that job was mine. A lighter, old newspaper, a couple of logs, a few dry twigs found nearby — and there it was.
After that, almost total quiet. Now and then people walked past. Hot drinks, warm clothes, the heat of the fire, blankets and lots of laughing. You just don’t want to move.
The sun slowly went down, squirrels ran between the trees, and somewhere over the river geese were calling before they head south. Time flew.
An Unexpected Visit at Dusk
If you see people in Friendship Trail sweatshirts, they’re most likely the ones who build and look after the trail.
As it started to get dark, around 6:30 or 7, a woman walked straight over to us. She said hello and started chatting kindly — she said blankets and a fire in the evening were a wonderful idea. I thought she was just a friendly visitor.
Then a man joined her, and I saw the Friendship Trail logo and name on his sweatshirt. The woman unzipped her jacket — she was wearing the same one. We didn’t ask their names, but we understood these were people involved in creating the trail.
The man told us he had dreamed about a place like this for a long time — and he made it happen. Now he’s so happy to see all kinds of people here. Especially kids, swinging on the handmade swings, playing games, looking at every little detail and laughing.
They work hard to keep the trail clean and keep adding new things. So here’s my request: never leave any garbage behind, anywhere. Respecting nature also means respecting the people who put their time into it.
They also seemed to mix me up with someone. They asked if I was Ukrainian, asked my name, and asked whether I’d been here recently with my mom and talked to them. Sadly, that wasn’t me. But it’s lovely to know they try to remember the people they meet here.
We talked for about five minutes, and then they continued down the trail. They left us with such a warm feeling inside.
An Evening in the Dark and Scary Stories
Halloween was two weeks away, so the plan was exactly this: darkness, a fire and scary stories.
After 7 p.m. it was completely dark. We told scary stories by the fire and stayed on the trail until almost nine.
We walked back along the narrow paths without flashlights — on purpose. Our phones with flashlights were in our pockets, but we didn’t need them. The trees are bare by now, so you see more of the sky than you’d expect, and your eyes adjust to the dark quickly.
But after all those scary stories, every rustle of wind in the branches and every squirrel in the leaves made us jump — and then laugh at ourselves for ages.
How We Put the Fire Out
A campfire is always a responsibility. Only leave when you’re completely sure everything is safe.
Knowing how many wildfires Canada sees every year, here’s what we did:
- Near the end, we stopped adding wood and let the fire burn down.
- We soaked all the coals with water — I brought it from home specially, ahead of time.
- We raked the dry leaves away from the fire pit down to bare ground, because the metal could still be hot.
In the fall, the trees are almost bare and the leaves are all on the ground, including around the fire pits. One spark in dry leaves and you have a problem.
On our way back, we passed the first fire spot, where the family with kids had been earlier. Their fire wasn’t fully out — the coals were still glowing. Nobody does this on purpose; it’s just easy to underestimate. So please: bring water and drown your fire completely.
Can You Have a Campfire in Manitoba in the Fall?
Yes, in built metal fire pits — but check current restrictions before you go.
In Manitoba, open fires are prohibited from April 1 to November 15. The exceptions are a burning permit or enclosed, approved fire pits — like the metal ones on this trail.
But in dry weather, the province or the municipality (here, the RM of Ritchot) can add extra bans. Before you go, check the Manitoba Wildfire Service fire restrictions and the municipal burning restrictions map on the same page.
What to Bring for a Fall Evening by the Fire
Warm clothes, blankets, hot drinks in thermoses, and everything you need to start and put out a fire.
- Warm clothes. The trail runs along the river, and in the evening it’s noticeably colder than in the city. The wind can change at any moment.
- Blankets. The best call of the evening — even the volunteers said so.
- Thermoses with tea or coffee.
- Firewood. The volunteers leave wood by the fire pits, but it can be wet or run out. Your own is more reliable.
- A lighter and old newspaper to get the fire going.
- Water to put the fire out completely before you leave.
- A flashlight or your phone — even if you don’t plan to use it.
- Folding chairs — not needed unless it has rained or snowed. There are plenty of benches and stumps.
The only toilet is a portable toilet in the parking lot. There’s none on the trail itself.
What About Dogs?
The trail — yes, on a leash. The bakery — no.
This time Nika stayed home with Bohdan. Pets aren’t allowed in the bakery — there’s a no-dogs sign on the door. On the trail, dogs are welcome on a leash, and in the summer Nika sniffed everything she could.
If you’re bringing a dog, switch things around: one person grabs coffee and pastries to go while the other walks the dog, and then you all head to the trail together.
How the Day Went
| Time | What |
|---|---|
| 11:00 a.m. | Left Winnipeg |
| ~12:30 p.m. | Old Church Bakery, Steinbach |
| ~1:30 p.m. | Shell station next door, firewood |
| ~2:30 p.m. | Friendship Trail parking lot, walk along the trail |
| ~3:00 p.m. | Campfire at the end of the trail |
| 6:30–7:00 p.m. | Dusk, met the volunteers |
| ~9:00 p.m. | Put out the fire, left the trail |
| 10:00–10:30 p.m. | Home |
Quick Reference
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Route | Winnipeg → Steinbach → St. Adolphe Friendship Trail → Winnipeg |
| Date | Saturday, October 17, 2026 |
| Distance | ~130 km for the day |
| Bakery | Old Church Bakery, 11 Brandt St, Unit B; Sat until 4 p.m., closed Sunday |
| Steinbach → trail | ~40 min |
| Trail parking | 1530 MB-200, Ritchot |
| Campfire spots | two: by the swings and at the end of the trail |
| Firewood | volunteers leave some, but bring your own; big bag at the Steinbach Shell — $11.99 before tax |
| Toilet | portable toilet in the parking lot only |
| Dogs | trail — yes, on a leash; bakery — no |
| Fires | only in the metal fire pits; check RM of Ritchot restrictions |
| Best for | a fall day with friends and an evening by the fire |
Everything about the trail itself — its history, the seasons and what you’ll find there — is in our St. Adolphe Friendship Trail guide.
Last checked: October 2026. The bakery, firewood, walk, two campfire spots, meeting the volunteers, the evening in the dark, another group’s unfinished fire and the portable toilet in the parking lot are all firsthand from our trip on October 17, 2026. We didn’t ask the volunteers’ names, so we don’t name them. Distances and drive times are approximate. The cost is my bakery bill (10.73)plusthebigbagoffirewood(11.99 before tax) split three ways; gas isn’t included. That’s the minimum — if you take bread or pastries home, it’ll be more. Winnipeg firewood prices are approximate, from our own experience.
Sources checked: Old Church Bakery’s website (hours), Manitoba Wildfire Service (fire rules from April 1 to November 15). Rules and hours change — check before you go.
