Length of stay: 1 day
Visited: October 2024
Pembina Valley Provincial Park is located in the southwestern part of Manitoba close to the US border. It’s a relatively new park, it was established in 2001, and there aren’t many facilities or activities. But there are several hiking trails that weave through the forest and meadows, providing plenty of opportunities to view the Pembina Valley.
We arrived at the park in the early afternoon. After passing the park entrance sign we arrived at the one and only parking lot. There were no other cars here so we had the place all to ourselves. There’s a sheltered picnic area by the parking lot that seemed like a good spot to eat lunch before hitting the trails.
There are seven trails in Pembina Valley that vary in length and difficulty. Many of them intersect, so you can scale up (or down) depending on how long you want to hike. We planned to hike the Pembina Rim Trail, the longest trail in the park (6.5km loop, rated moderate) that circumnavigates the outer trail system.
From the trailhead we turned left to hike clockwise along the loop. The path is wide and well signed at every junction. Each trail had its own colour and special symbol. The first notable point of interest was Cranberry Hollow where there’s an overlook with a bench. The views were mostly obstructed by the trees, but it gave us our first glimpse of the valley below. The path leads down through the forest, passing a small section called the shale slide to a bridge.
After crossing the creek, we continued through the forest until we reached a sign that indicated that the next section of the Pembina Rim Trail was closed. Not to worry, we could take the Boulder Creek Trail (0.4km one-way, blue markers) to the Porcupine Ridge Trail (2.6km one-way, green markers), which connects with the Hawks Hills Trail (0.7km one-way, red markers) to meet back up with the Pembina Rim Trail. The detour wasn’t too bad, maybe because the only thing we could focus on was the strong smell of manure.
Once we connected with the Pembina Rim Trail we headed to the viewpoint of the Pembina River. This section of the path leaves the forest and winds through open grasslands and meadow.
We hiked back to the junction and followed the yellow posts for Pembina Rim. The trail dips into the forest again, leaving the smell of manure behind, or maybe we had just gotten used to it at that point. Besides, we had bigger problems. The trail was all uphill from here. The next notable point of interest was Panorama Point where there’s a small wooden observation tower that provides sweeping views of the surrounding area.
The terrain levels out and it’s not too far to get to Lookout Point for another nice view.
Then it all goes downhill, or rather the trail goes downhill. And what goes down must come back up. After crossing the creek, we made our way back up towards the parking lot. Go to Manitoba they said. It has relatively flat terrain they said.
Overall the trail took us two hours to complete. We were all pretty tired, except for baby M of course. She was living her best life in the great outdoors snuggled up in her baby carrier. We headed to our accommodations in Winkler, thankful to rest our tired feet.
L
I’ve never heard of this provincial park, but it looks like a beautiful place!
We were initially supposed to go to the
International Peace Garden located on the Canada-US border between Manitoba and North Dakota, but my husband forgot to bring his passport. Pembina Valley was a last minute plan. It worked out well as it was one of our favourite parks that we visited on our trip.
This is a beautiful park! Baby M has the best seat ever! ❤️🇨🇦
Oh for sure! I’m looking forward to her being able to hike on her own though as she’s getting much heavier to carry!
Before you know it she will be in her 30s like my daughter. Time flies!
Yup! The nights are long, but the years are short! I wish I could just hit the pause button every so often.
Me too, Time Stand Still is a song by the Canadian band Rush from the 80s, the words fit so well these days.
I haven’t heard that song in years and just gave it a listen. You’re absolutely right, seems fitting.
Freeze this moment
A little bit longer
Make each sensation
A little bit stronger
Yes! Time seems to slip away faster as I’ve aged, time stand still!
If only. All the more reason to try to enjoy all the moments (and to take lots of pictures to remember)!
Ohhh yes! I like your thinking, Linda!
Do they allow bikes on the trails? It almost looks like better biking than hiking, and that way you can get away from the manure smells quicker 😊 You really saw small town Manitoba by staying in Winkler! Maggie
I’m not sure. I just looked on their website and it didn’t say anything specifically about how you could (or couldn’t) take your bike on the trails. I imagine you could given how wide the paths are. And yes, I imagine that would be a good strategy to get past the stinky smell a lot quicker! Our hotel in Winkler was actually our favourite of the trip!
It reminds me a bit of Rouge Park. Looks very scenic and a nice breezy hike! You three are making Manitoba seem very appealing to visit!
I always wonder about border security. Given its vicinity to the US, I wonder if any people try to make it to Canada through this park and how it’s all secured. Oh man, sounds like something a Trump supporter would ask. 😂
Happy new year to you three!
Now that you mention it, I can totally see why Spruce Woods reminds you of Rouge Urban with the sandy landscape. I’m not going to lie, I didn’t have high expectations for Manitoba, but I was pleasantly surprised at how lovely their provincial parks are. The trails weren’t very busy, which is always a bonus, and the accommodations were very affordable compared to Ontario. Ha! Good question about the border security! I have no idea!
Happy New Year to you as well and enjoy the rest of your time off!
This park are is part of the ancient Lake Agassiz terrain, so wonderful to see you visit it— there are many beautiful geological features and always lots to explore.
Good to know! I just looked up where Lake Agassiz used to be, and it looks like it extended into northwestern Ontario too. Agreed, there is always lots to explore!
What a scenic hike, the views are beautiful! It’s nice you had the park all to yourself, it looks very peaceful.
That it was! I’m glad we had beautiful weather to enjoy the scenery. The trail seemed even more peaceful knowing we were the only ones there.
Good exercise!
Oh I know! Even more so with a baby strapped to you!
It’s like Saskatchewan – it’s so flat…only it’s not! Interesting about the manure smell as there doesn’t appear to be any fields nearby or even farms.
Hahaha! 🙂 “Go to Manitoba. It has flat terrain.” Having lived in Alberta for 20 years I know that the prairies aren’t completely flat. Well, it is flat, except where it’s not. 😉 It looks like you had a beautiful day though and definitely got your fresh air and exercise … except for the manure! Great photos, Linda.
Thanks! We really underestimated the terrain and probably should have brought water with us. This ended up being one of our favourite hikes though (even with the stinky smell). I’m glad we had beautiful weather as I’m not so sure what else we would have done! Have a wonderful weekend. Linda
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★ WiSh y0u And YouR FaMiLY ★
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Happy & Healthy New Year!
Thanks!! Happy New Year to you as well. Here’s to many more adventures in 2025!
It looks so pretty! I love the rolling hills and colorful leaves.
It was very scenic. I’m such a fan of trails with a viewpoint.
Aw looks beautiful….though maybe not the manure smell 🙂 Happy New Year to you and your family.
Ha! It was hard to tell whether it faded or we just got used to it. At least it was a scenic trail. Hope you enjoyed the rest of the holidays. Happy New Year to you as well!
Such a full beauty filled with nature photos so awesome to view 😍👌
Happy New Year dear friend and your loving family ❤️God Bless 👏🌷
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. It’s always nice to be surrounded by nature. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year. Cheers. Linda
Thank you so much for likes comments my feedback and New Year Greetings 🖖 🌷👏🎉
You as well! Hope you’re having a wonderful start to the New Year!
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A great landscape for a great day’s hiking! I wish you many more great hikes in 2025!
Absolutely! It was a neat landscape to explore with all the sand dunes. Wishing you lots of happiness and good health in the New Year. Hope you enjoyed the holidays.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to you as well. Hope you enjoyed the holidays. They always go by way too quickly.
That big cloud in the fifth photo looks so fluffy and huggable! It looks almost like cotton candy to me. Not bad for a hiking trail in a place that is better known for being relatively flat. Happy New Year! I wish you more travels in the year ahead.
Oh I know! The fluffy cloud definitely adds to the scenery. The trail was tougher than we initially thought, but we enjoyed the challenge! Hope you enjoyed the holidays. Wishing you many more adventures for 2025 as well! Cheers!
A pleasant peaceful walk despite the smell of manure!
Yup! You can’t win them all! We could only really smell the manure in the valley. Once we climbed up to the hill, things improved. Or maybe we just got used to the smell.
Manitoba is looking more and more intriguing with each of your posts. Beautiful photos as usual! Happy New Year!
Thanks for your kind words. We really lucked out with the weather, which always makes hiking and spending time outdoors more enjoyable. Wishing you all the best in 2025!
Interesting that both Alberta and Manitoba would have a Pembina river. Yes, it would seem you found a portion of Manitoba that was more rolling than flat. It looks like a pretty park and the autumn leaves hung on for your visit. Happy Thursday Linda. Allan
We were initially supposed to go to the International Peace Garden, but my husband forgot his passport at home. We went to his park instead. The trail that we hiked ended up being our favourite hike from the trip despite all those rolling hills. The views were pretty and it was neat to see some variety in the landscape. The fall colours were lovely as well. Thanks for reading. Linda
So very lovely, except for perhaps the smell of manure. Thank you for bringing us with you and sharing your beautiful photos and area details. Happy New Year! 😊
The smell of the manure wasn’t ideal, but thankfully it didn’t take away from the beautiful views of the valley and river!
Never ideal but helpful for healthy vegetation.
Very true! Which reminds me that I need to fertilize my garden beds this spring (something I should have done in the fall).
Good of you to remember! 🌼🌼🌼
This looks like a perfectly lovely and peaceful park to walk with you today, thanks for taking us along 🙂
Thanks for your lovely comment. It’s always a nice feeling to have the trail to yourself. It makes the forest feel even more peaceful.
LOL, sometimes people don’t give us all the information we need – someone forgot to mention the manure and that the terrain isn’t all that flat… At least you had all the sunshine in the park to yourselves, and the observation looks neat, and sweet baby M was living her best life. ❤️
Hahaha no kidding! All those rolling hills gave us a good workout! Despite the stinky smell, this ended up being one of our favourite trails that we hiked while visiting Manitoba. And yes, baby M was in her element. She loves being outside and all snuggled up to one of us in her baby carrier.
Looks like a beautiful and peaceful hike. The trails and views are stunning, and the photos truly capture the natural beauty of Pembina Valley.
Thanks for your kind words. The scenery of the river and valley was beautiful. It was nice to have the trail all to ourselves, which makes for a more pleasant hiking experience.
Very nice landscape views on this hike!
For sure. This was our toughest hike on our trip to Manitoba with all the rolling hills, but it was one of our favourites. The views of the valley were beautiful.
Nice scenery with lovely view. With have a same ” issue” with our baby, he will nap in the car after a walk and when we arrived home we are knackered but he is freshly rested and ready to do more things 🤦🏻♀️.
Ha! If only I could take a quick cat nap in the car too and wake up feeling refreshed and ready to go! Oh to be young again!
This reminds me of hikes I took in the Midwestern US when I was growing up, grasslands and the scent of manure 🤣
Well, I guess it’s still nature, right? And I wonder if it’s something you just get used to if you live in the area. Must be.
Fst time hrd, ya v beautiful
I don’t think this park gets too many visitors, which probably adds to its charm. It was lovely to visit in the fall. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment.
I enjoyed the sweeping hill views and the glacial carved gorge.
The hilly terrain made hiking a bit more challenging than expected, but it provided some beautiful views. It was neat to see so much evidence of how this landscape was shaped by the retreating glaciers.
Very nice! There is something about rolling hills that feels so peaceful.
Oh absolutely! It makes hiking a bit more challenging though! Especially when you’re hiking with a baby!
This looks like a nice park! We are still learning how to handle trails when parts are closed or we don’t understand the trail markers. One time we didn’t think we were going the right way so we turned back, only to discover that had we gone just a little bit farther, we would have seen the trail marker we wanted!
We’re still learning that as well. Thankfully many of the trails in Pembina Valley connect so we were able to work around the trail closures. I’m glad I had saved a picture of the trail map though which helped plan our detour.
Yes! That’s handy – I have a tough time with some of the printable maps we’ve used. So small and hard to distinguish trails. We’ve used some helpful apps, though to keep us on track!
Me too. One of my favourites is an app called AllTrails that uses GPS to track your movement. It makes navigation much easier!
For a relatively new park, there are quite a few hiking trails. I’m sure Baby M had a ball of a time – while you burned plenty of calories on the uphills!
Oh I know! And the trails were all well signed and maintained. Baby M was living her best life. She loves being outdoors, which works out great even if it means adding an extra challenge (or weight) on the trails!
This looks like a nice and peaceful place to visit. Closer to USA too. Thanks for the write up!
It’s always a nice surprise to have the trail all to yourself. It definitely makes for a more peaceful hike.
Great post!At this point, I’ll just wait for a guidebook from you.No pressure.lol.Happy New Year to you and your family <3.
Thanks so much for your kind words. t’s always nice to explore a new provincial park and set of trails! Hope you enjoyed the holidays as well. Cheers!
The strong smell of manure aside, this is such a pleasant and beautiful park to walk around. The sky looks lovely with all the fluffy clouds scattered around. Having the place to yourselves must’ve been amazing.
Despite the stinky smell and all the hills we had to climb up (and down), this ended up being one of our favourite parks that we visited. It’s always a wonderful surprise to pull up to the trailhead and there’s no other cars there. It makes it all seem more peaceful.
Stunning views.
Thanks for your kind words. The hiking was a bit challenging with all the rolling hills, but it was worth it to enjoy the scenery and scenic viewpoints.
I learned from my hiking experiences that flat doesn’t exactly mean that way. Lately I’m finding that term frustrating for my biking in South Florida. Manitoba would be a nice road trip destination in the future for us.
We underestimated how long it would take to hike the trail, but it’s not like we had other plans for the day, so it wasn’t that big of a deal. Sorry to hear that you’re encountering issues with the terrain while cycling in south Florida. And yes, Manitoba is definitely worth checking out. I’d recommend going in the fall though to avoid the bugs and snow.
I am very happy to learn through your wonderful posts that Manitoba is not just a flat prairie land, but a beautiful region with a varied landscape and stunning views, Linda! It looks like a wonderful place where you can climb hills and cliffs, and walk along lakes to enjoy soaring views of vistas. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
Thanks for your kind words Aiva. It turns out Manitoba isn’t entirely flat after all! Despite all the rolling hills, this ended up being one of our favourite hikes of our trip. And we couldn’t have asked for better weather while hiking. Thanks for reading. Linda
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Sure looks like you picked the perfect day to be out on the trail. 😊
We really lucked out with the weather. It was a bit chilly, but at least the sun was shining! It was perfect for hiking.