Shoal Lake is a small farming town of around 900 people in western Manitoba, situated at the northern edge of Shoal Lake at the junction of three highways including the Yellowhead. The lake itself is the main draw — good for water-skiing and fishing, with pickerel and northern pike in reliable quantities.
Lakeview Park and the lake shore offer lakeside camping with hookups. The park also houses the Shoal Lake Mounted Police Museum, Manitoba's official memorial to the North-West Mounted Police, in a replica of the historic detachment building from the old Ellice Trail. In autumn the surrounding wetlands attract large numbers of geese, and the town sees a seasonal influx of hunters from across North America.
The Prairie Mountain Regional Museum, about five kilometres east along Highway 16, has a large collection of restored horse-drawn vehicles from the pioneer era. The historic Ukrainian pioneer settlement of Olha, a 15-minute drive away, is worth a detour for its heritage buildings and farm landscapes.