Rising up at the curve of the road, its truss bridge spanning the twin turret-like cupolas, the East Gate Registration Complex stands proud as the last remaining early 1930s-style National Park gate. A shining example of the traditional Canadian Rustic Design style of architecture, its logs and stone walls were built by local craftsmen with local materials. Nowadays it still remains as eastern gateway to Riding Mountain National Park.
The East Gate of Riding Mountain National Park remains one of the finest examples of pure National Parks Rustic style in Canada, and one of the few examples of a park gateway in this style. The concept of an iconic park gateway largely began with Yellowstone, whose triumphal Roosevelt Arch was completed in 1903 to add a genuine sense of arrival for railway passengers. The Riding Mountain complex, which includes several cabins, was built between 1933 and 1936 for the benefit of automobile tourists. These gateways not only demarcate the borders of the national park, but contribute to a sense of “crossing the threshold” from everyday experiences into a special, even sacred, place.