The Red Deer River flows through the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It originates at Nut Lake in east-central Saskatchewan and flows eastward into Dawson Bay on Lake Winnipegosis in Manitoba. The river is bordered to the north by the Saskatchewan River, to the southwest by the upper Assiniboine River, and to the southeast by the Swan River. The river starts at the north end of Nut Lake, near Highway 349 and west of the Porcupine Hills in Saskatchewan. It flows north, passing Greenwater Lake Provincial Park, and continues toward Pré-Ste-Marié. Near the intersections of Highways 679 and 773, the river turns eastward towards Hudson Bay and the Hudson Bay Regional Park, where the historical Fort Red Deer River was located. The river then serves as a divide between the Pasquia Hills to the north and the Porcupine Hills to the south, passing through provincial forests such as Porcupine and Pasquia. It flows into Manitoba, widening into Red Deer Lake about 13 kilometers (8.1 miles) past the border. From the east side of Red Deer Lake, it continues for about 16 kilometers (9.9 miles) before emptying into Dawson Bay on Lake Winnipegosis. Near its mouth, the river crosses Highway 10, part of the Northern Woods and Water Route, and is close to Red Deer River Provincial Park. In 1757, a Hudson's Bay Company fur trading post was established along the Red Deer River near the village of Erwood. In 1790, the North West Trading Company established Fort Red Deer River at the mouth of the Etomami River. Remains of another fort, believed to be of the American Fur Company, can be found on the opposite riverbank.

Red Deer River (Manitoba) - Wikipedia