Length of stay: 1 day
Visited: October 2024
Pinawa Dam is located on the Winnipeg River and was Manitoba’s first hydro-electric generating station. It ran from 1906 to 1951 until it was replaced by the nearby Seven Sisters Generating Station downstream. Pinawa Dam Provincial Heritage Park contains the ruins of the former dam, along with a couple of hiking trails to learn more about the history of the area.
We spent the night in Pinawa and woke up to dark and dreary skies. But at least it was warmer this morning. And it wasn’t raining. On the way to Pinawa Dam we stopped at the Pinawa Suspension Bridge. From the parking lot we followed along a small portion of the Trans Canada Trail to get to the bridge. It’s a short walk, a couple hundred metres and the path is wide and gravel.
We then headed to Pinawa Dam. We rolled up to the main parking lot shortly after 9:30am and were the only ones there. From there we walked towards the ruins of the dam and found the Dam Ruins Walk (1.4km loop, rated easy) easy enough. The trail includes upper and lower walkways and a path that loops through the ruins of the dam. Along the way there’s 13 interpretive signs that provide more information about the history of the dam and how it worked.
The trail is pretty straightforward to navigate, except for all the surprise snake sightings. (Not so) Fun fact: Manitoba is home to the largest concentration of snakes in the world. In Narcisse, Manitoba (which is about 110km north of Winnipeg) there are numerous snake dens which contain tens of thousands of red-sided garter snakes. And every spring they come up from their dens, mate and then roam around for the summer before returning in the winter.
But enough about all these snakes. Pinawa Dam started operations in 1906 and was used to produce residential and commercial hydro electric power year-round for Winnipeg. There were some initial concerns that it wouldn’t work because of all the ice in the winter and that electricity simply couldn’t travel that far over wires into the city.
Building the dam was quite the task. It required 18,460 cubic metres of concrete, which was all poured by hand with the help of wheelbarrows. Some of the concrete was poured in the winter and the water and gravel were heated to make sure it wouldn’t freeze before it was properly set. It cost $3 million to build Pinawa and one third of the cost was for the concrete.
The dam was built so well that they were able to produce more electricity than initially expected. But in 1951 Pinawa was closed to increase the water flow to the Seven Sisters Generating Station, which was built downstream to be more efficient. Some water still flows through the ruins today though, forming a series of rapids and cascades.
In the late 1950s, some of the structures were destroyed by the Canadian Armed Forces who used the Pinawa Dam for demolition practice. It wasn’t until 1985 that Pinawa became a provincial heritage park to better preserve its history and ruins.
It took us about an hour to complete the trail. We then headed to Whiteshell Provincial Park to eat some lunch. There’s another suspension bridge near the Nutimik Lake Campground, which was scenic enough, but there was an insane amount of midges that forced us to retreat back to the car.
We then headed back towards Winnipeg as we’d be flying out the next morning. Along the way we made a quick detour to Whitemouth Falls Provincial Park. There’s a single trail through the park and a couple of viewpoints, one of which is of the Seven Sisters Generating Station.
The other viewpoint is located at the confluence of the Whitemouth and Winnipeg Rivers.
From there it’s just over an hour’s drive to Winnipeg.
L
Nice post, as all of your Manitoba and Winnipeg posts, they do remind me as I already said, of my stay there in the eighties, some fine memories are coming back reading them, did not went to this park, but I remember a visit to Gimli and Winnipeg Lake, but this was not ‘snake season’, even if they are harmless for humans, maybe not so for frogs…I am french canadian, sometimes called ‘frogs’ by our english speaking friends, maybe I should be weary…:D
You are too kind. Glad to hear this brought back fond memories. We had such a wonderful time in Manitoba. I would totally love to return as there’s still so many places to explore. I know Gimli hosts an annual ice festival that looks like it would be a lot of fun. I don’t think I’d want to see the snakes come up from their dens in the spring though!
It looks like a wonderful place to visit and explore, Linda, especially as there’s a suspension bridge offering an incredible view of the area. I’ve only walked across a bridge like this in Vancouver, and I have to admit that crossing it was one of the best experiences as it bounced freely under my step. We have a working dam not too far from where I grew up in Latvia and it is always a sight to see as it is a marvel of engineering. But as the building of the dam destroyed one of the most beautiful waterfalls, people still frown upon it. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
I’m such a fan of suspension bridges. This one was very easy to get to and wasn’t far from the Pinawa Dam. It’s much smaller than the one in Vancouver and doesn’t sway when you walk across it. It’s also significantly less busy! It’s too bad that the waterfall was blocked by the dam. I guess that’s one of the downsides is that the dam disrupts the natural balance of the river, along with the views. Thanks for reading. Enjoy the rest of the week. Linda
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Wonderful tour! I have never seen this area in my home province. So sorry about our Manitoba snakes and midges (!!) 😰
Pinawa Dam is such a neat park to explore. I’m glad we went in the fall though as I imagine the snakes and midges are much more plentiful in the spring and summer!
This looks like a great place to visit Linda. We have friends with a home on Lac du Bonnet and may have to go for a visit sometime. The construction of the dam was pretty impressive for the times and location. Thanks for sharing your visit with us. Allan
I just looked it up and Lac du Bonnet is only a 20min drive from Pinawa. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area. Watch out for all the snakes though! Thanks for reading. Enjoy the rest of the week. Linda
We used to trip across snakes and snake balls all the time when I lived in Manitoba. I was a lot less afraid of the garter snakes when I was a boy and would pick them up. Not now.
Snake balls sounds like something from a nightmare! I know garter snakes are harmless, but they still give me the creeps.
Oh my … snake sightings! That’s not something I hope to encounter on hiking trails. So, let me rather concentrate on the dam 🙂. It’s amazing how the concrete of such a high dam wall was built with the help of hands and wheelbarrows. Lovely photos of a dam that was so significant in earlier years.
We had no interest in straying from the path given all the snake sightings! It was neat to explore the ruins of the dam though. And it was interesting to learn more about how it was built.
The ruins of the dam are really quite striking – I’m glad they chose to preserve it in the end and not continue to use it for demolition practice!
No kidding!! The ruins are quite impressive. It was fascinating to learn more about its history and how it was built.
You visited all of my old haunts! Family friends lived in Pinawa so we visited often and a good friend from university has a cabin in the Whiteshell. It is such pretty country and different from other parts of Manitoba. Maggie
You’re right, it’s such a pretty area and the landscape is so different compared to the rest of Manitoba. It reminded me a lot of Ontario, which is perhaps not that surprising given how close it is.
Yourr photo of the suspension bridge is really good and the Whitemouth Falls Provincial Park looks very scenic too.
Thanks for your kind words. It was neat to learn more about the dams in the area. And I’m glad the clouds cleared later in the day and we got to enjoy some blue skies and sunshine at Whitemouth Falls.
Wow, I love dams and would love to see this in person! Beautiful photos, Linda. Have a wonderful week! ❤️😊🇨🇦
Thanks for your kind words. It was neat to explore the ruins. I was surprised at how big the dam was. Enjoy the rest of your week as well.
Thanks! 🙏🏻 ☺️
Dams contain such fascinating history behind them. This one does not disappoint 😊(except for maybe the snakes 🤣).
Oh I know! It was neat to explore the ruins of the dam and learn more about its history. It was also interesting to learn more about all the snakes in Manitoba. I’m just glad we weren’t visiting in the spring when they emerge from their dens! No thanks!
What a lovely suspension bridge, very scenic.
The suspension bridge wasn’t very big, but it provided a lovely view of the river. And we had it all to ourselves.
That is really good! I wouldn’t want other people at the same time on any suspension bridge😊
Oh I know! And I don’t like randoms in my pictures. So it worked out well!
The painstaking work that went into that dam, and so much of it basically by hand. And it has withstood the test of time, including explosives practising. The little garter snakes are harmless but I don’t like looking at masses of them, so thanks for not including pictures! Manitoba and the prairies in general can get pretty buggy, especially with sand flies. Great pictures, Linda. Thanks for posting about this part of the country.
It was fascinating to hear how the dam was built and that it exceeded expectations. And it’s remarkable how it’s in such great shape despite not being operational in nearly 75 years. We had such a wonderful time exploring Manitoba. And it seems we visited at a great time of the year while the weather was still nice, but there weren’t many bugs (or snakes) around. I’m so glad we decided to give it a whirl.
Where nature meets engineering huh. A fascinating hike to explore both of these.
Absolutely! It was an interesting park to explore. The ruins are in surprisingly good condition considering they were used for demolition practice by the Canadian Armed Forces.
What a wonderful lesson in the history of Pinawa Dam. Love the suspension bridge. It’s surprising how much of the dam is left still standing (even after some demolition practice.). Sorry to hear about the snakes and the midges. 😐
Oh I know! It’s such a fascinating park to explore and learn more about the history of the dam. I was surprised that the dam is still in such great shape considering it was shut down nearly 75 years ago and was also used for demolition practice. I’m so glad we visited later in the fall as I imagine the snakes, mosquitoes and midges are more plentiful in the spring and summer!
Thanks for the warning about snakes. Great photos of the dam. It looks like an interesting place to visit.
I was not expecting to see so many snakes considering the time of year. It added an extra element of surprise on the trail! It was neat to explore the ruins of the dam though and learn more about its history.
I’m glad they decided to preserve the dam. It’s a fascinating and eerily beautiful structure, and a great reminder of the past. This looks a lovely hike, it’s a shame about the snakes and midges though.
Oh I know! I was surprised that the ruins were still in such great shape considering the dam closed nearly 75 years ago. I could have done without the snake sightings though!
What an interesting place to visit. But the snakes! 🙂
It was a lot of fun to explore the ruins of the dam. The surprise snake sightings not so much though! They definitely kept me on edge!
Dams are very fascinating and it was neat to learn more about Pinawa Dam’s history. And I always love walking across a good suspension bridge. It’ll be fun when M gets to try crossing one. I wonder what she’ll think about it!
The idea of a mating season with the highest concentration of snakes in the world doesn’t sound very appealing to me!
It’s great that the dam has been preserved and that it’s now part of a provincial park. Exploring the ruins was such a fun way to learn about how the dam was built and how it operated. I could have done without all the snake sightings though. And yah, the snake mating season sounds like a thing of nightmares. Hard pass.
Baby M is now walking so who knows, maybe she’ll get to cross a suspension bridge soon enough. Maybe after all this snow and ice is gone and it warms up outside!
Oh my, snakes are really scary, even the little garter snakes. However, the park
looks beautiful. It’s good to hear they preserved the damn. Lovely post!
I hear yah! Even though garter snakes are harmless, they still scare the crap out of me! The Pinawa Dam was a lot of fun to explore though. I still can’t believe we had the park all to ourselves.
I love finding dam ruins!
Oh I know. I was surprised that the dam was still in such great shape considering it hasn’t been operational in nearly 75 years.
These views of the dams remind me of when I drove around the south end of Lake Winnipeg. There’s no way around the large bodies of water and the dams that provide cheap electricity.
I didn’t really just how massive Lake Winnipeg is until I looked at a map of Manitoba. And you’re right, there’s no easy way around these large bodies of water. It’s the same with the Great Lakes as well.
Absolutely wonderful shots of Pinawa Dam 🌷🙏👍🏻😍 the suspension bridge so fascinating 🤨
The highest thought of very intelligent Engineers and ancient workers built this incredible Dam ,
Gorgeous beauty and grace nature can view , it remains stunning beautiful till today survives 👍🏻🙏
Enjoyed the beauty of streams flowing as far as the eve could see 🤩 Lovely adventures dear 🥰👌
Thank you so much for sharing and All The Best Wishes dear friend 🌷🙏✍️💞🌷
Thanks so much for your kind words and for leaving a comment. It was neat to learn about how the dam was built. It must have been well made considering how the ruins are still in such great shape. And agreed, it’s surrounded by such beautiful scenery. Enjoy the rest of the weekend. Linda
Thank you so much for likes comments my feedback 🌷🙏💞🌷
May your travels be beautiful, with each of the historically important
Places we also watching happily 😍👍🏻 All The Best Wishes dear 🥰🖖
You are too kind. Enjoy the rest of the day.
🌷🙏💞🌷
What a wonderful place! I love that they turned an old landmark into a learning and recreation opportunity. Although, the snakes would be a deterrent for me! Also, I learned a new word – I had to look up midges. They sound no fun at all!
Oh I know! It’s great that the dam and surrounding area have been converted into a park. It’s a great way to combine education with some exercise. I could have done without all the snake sightings though. I lost track of how many times I jumped or accidenility swore under my breath! We typically don’t see too many midges in southern Ontario, but we’ve encountered them in other places. They are harmless, but very annoying! And they always go for the face!
What is it about winged creatures and the face? So annoying!
I would have died after about the third sighting.
Thankfully we don’t have to worry about any of those pesky bugs for another few months. It’s one of the main reasons why I don’t mind the winter.
Bugs and humidity!
I don’t know which is worse sometimes!
Perhaps it’s a tie?
This is such an interesting place. Very impressive to see this dam.
For sure. I was surprised that the dam was still in such great shape considering it closed nearly 75 years ago and that it was also used for demolition practice by the Canadian Armed Forces for a few years.
Thank you for sharing sights and details from your trail walk. A pleasant virtual escape!
Thanks so much for reading and for your kind words. It’s always fun to explore a new park and learn more about the history of the area.
A pleasure! Thank you, Linda.
The ruins of the Pinawa Dam actually look quite beautiful against the natural landscape. But the snakes! I had no idea that Manitoba has the highest concentration of snakes anywhere in the world. It’s a title I would’ve probably associated with tropical countries, or Australia. I mean of course they’re important for the ecosystem. But there’s just something about them that is inherently sinister, at least for me.
The location of the dam lends itself well to a provincial park as it’s surrounded by such beautiful scenery. I was surprised just how massive the dam once was. It was neat to explore the ruins and learn more about its history. I was not a fan of all the snakes though. I had no idea that there were so many of them in Manitoba either. We saw an insane amount of them along the side of the road.
Gosh Linda, I never knew that Manitoba was home to the most snakes, how fascinating. Also interesting to learn about the dam and the huge cost of its construction. You had lovely views from the bridge.
I didn’t know that either! Thank goodness we didn’t go camping! This was such an interesting park to explore and learn more about the history of the dam. It was such a huge undertaking at the time. I’m impressed that the ruins are still in such great shape considering the dam closed nearly 75 years ago. Thanks for reading. Enjoy the rest of the weekend. Linda
Wait. What? Manitoba has the highest concentration of . . . snakes??? And you had surprise snake sightings. As in multiple?? Yikes!!
Even though garter snakes are completely harmless, they still scare the crap out of me. I lost count of how many we came across. I had no interest in leaving the main path to get a closer look at some of the ruins.
How interesting to see the old workings and mechanisms of the dam. I’m always glad when they leave structures like this, even in their ruined state. The park looks really lovely…but home to the most snakes- yikes!
It was a lot of fun to explore the ruins of the dam and learn about how it was constructed and how it worked. And it’s amazing how huge it was at the time. And yah, seeing all those snakes wasn’t ideal. It doesn’t help that I get scared easily! I had no interest in straying from the main path!
So adventurous and informative! 💐
Thanks for your kind words. It was interesting to learn more about the history of the dam as we were wandering through the ruins.
WoW !! Looks like such a beautiful place to visit.
You bet. It was a lot of fun to explore the ruins of the dam and learn more about its history along the way.
I’m not scared of snakes, necessarily, but I don’t think I want to run into thousands of them. Yikes. This place looks cool, though. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a dam that’s not being used any more. It’s cool to be able to see into some of the structures.
I lost track of how many snakes we came across. We had no interest in straying from the main path for fear of what was lurking among the leaves and tall grass. It was worth it to explore the ruins of the dam though. I was surprised at just how huge it was.
So beautiful. Thanks for sharing:)
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. There is definitely something beautiful about the ruins of the dam, especially when they’re surrounded by nature.
Very impressive dam, and interesting history as well!
Oh I know! I’m glad they were able to convert the dam and surrounding area into a park to better preserve its history.
Your narrative brings the park’s history and natural beauty to life; the historical insights into Manitoba’s first hydro-electric generating station were fascinating. The unexpected snake encounters added an adventurous twist to your hike, yikes.
Thanks so much for your kind words. This is such a fascinating park that combines two of my favourite activities – hiking and learning more about the history of the area. It was a lot of fun to explore the ruins of the dam. I could have done without all the snakes though.