Rainy River, Ontario Canada

Rainy River is an attractive rural community of about 1,000 people located along the Minnesota/Ontario border. It is also a major border crossing into Sunset Country from the United States. Rainy River is a 3 hour drive southeast of Winnipeg and just 22 kilometers (14 miles) south of Lake of the Woods. The Rainy River area is home to 130 species of birds along with large populations of moose, black bear and deer. Hannam Park, located on the shores of Rainy River, is a perfect family vacation spot with its sandy beach, volleyball court, playground and wading pool.

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Main Industries
Rainy River is a vital transportation centre with the Canadian National Railways, one of the largest employers in the district. Grain, fuel, and lumber from Canada's west is shipped through Rainy River to eastern markets and ports, or across international railway bridge to the U.S. for overseas markets. Located across from Baudette, MN, Rainy River provides access to the United States and is also the terminus for the world's longest street - Yonge Street (Highway 11) which originates in Toronto.

Population: 1000

Distance to Nearest Towns:
Atikokan, ON - 242 km, 151 Mi
Dryden, ON - 285 km, 178 Mi
Fort Frances, ON - 94 km, 58 Mi
Kenora, ON - 229 km, 143 Mi
Morson, ON - 63 km, 39 Mi
Thunder Bay, ON - 430 km, 269 Mi
Winnipeg, MB - 273 km, 171 Mi
Grand Forks, ND - 454 km, 275 Mi
Duluth, MN - 320 km, 200 Mi
Minneapolis, MN -566 km - 354 Mi

Visitor Information Centre
The Rainy River Visitor Information Centre is located on Highway 11, across from Fourth St. You can pick up many brochures, maps and general travel information at this Ontario Travel Centre.

Attractions
There's plenty of things to do and see in Rainy River. Go on a self guided tour of the area. The tour includes visiting Elk and Buffalo farms, the Railroad 4008 Heritage Museum, an historic Hudson's Bay site, Hannam Park and more. A must-see is the Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung Historical Centre (Manitou Mounds) at nearby Rainy River First Nation - the location of a national historic site. An interpretive center and tour of the ancient burial grounds will give you an appreciation of an ancient civilization.

Museum
The Railroad 4008 Heritage Museum is located at the head of 4th Street next to the Tourism Bureau. The museum offers a look at railroad history contained in an actual rail car.

Local Beaches
Hannam Park, located on the shores of Rainy River, is a perfect family vacation spot. It has a sandy beach, volleyball court, playground, floating dock, and wading pool with water slide.

Recreational Activities:

Bird Watching
The area around Rainy River presents some exciting birding opportunities. A combination of geographic location, topography, climatic conditions and land uses have resulted in a definite "western" condition that is reflected in the natural history of the area. In addition, the Rainy River empties into the Lake of the Woods here, and together they provide unique and interesting habitats that are very attractive to birds as breeding and migrational staging areas. And where there are birds, there are birders. A good day in the Rainy River area can be incredibly rewarding; a week unbelievable! A Birder's Guide to the Rainy River Area of Ontario, and a checklist of the Birds of the Rainy River District are available from the Town of Rainy River.

Boating
With Rainy River and Lake of the Woods at your backdoor, boating enthusiasts have every desired challenge from cruising into the sunset, fishing the rocky shores, to floating into wetlands looking for wildlife. The Historic Boundary Waterways provides miles of boating opportunities from Atikokan, Ontario along Rainy River and through Lake of the Woods to Minaki, Ontario.

Boat Launches in Rainy River
Hannam Park, located on the shores of Rainy River, has a boat launch.

Recreation Centre
The Recreation Centre has a fully contained ice arena with a large seating capacity for watching local hockey games or figure skating.

Winter Activities
During the winter months you can go ice fishing, snowmobiling, or participate in a curling bonspiel.

Health Services
Rainy River Health Centre - 113 Fourth St., 807-274-4801

For more information on local activities and attractions call the Town of Rainy River at 807-852-3244, the Township of Morley at 807-483-5455 or the Township of Dawson at 807-852-3529.

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