Winnipeg–Traverse Bay–Seven Sisters Loop
Manitoba | 333 km
While this ride starts in Winnipeg, the capital city of Manitoba, you’ll quickly find yourself far away from city streets. Ride Route 42 along a portion of the Red River before connecting to Highway 59, which takes you past a series of small towns and beaches on the way to Traverse Bay, at the mouth of the Winnipeg River. Follow the river along Route 11 south to Seven Sisters Falls and Whitemouth Provincial Park, a great spot to escape into nature with a short hike or a picnic lunch. Pause for a visit to the Seven Sisters Falls Generating Station and its massive dam described by the original engineers as “the river’s mightiest generating station.” Built in two stages starting in 1929, the dam has a 128m powerhouse with a waterfall drop of 18.6m. Finally, continue along Route 11 to Elma, then take Route 15 west back to Winnipeg.
On the wing
This is an excellent route for birdwatchers, so bring your binoculars. Whitemouth Falls is the nesting grounds of the Great Gray Owl, Manitoba’s provincial bird, and offers a great chance to spot American White Pelicans and Bald Eagles. Along the Winnipeg River, watch for woodpeckers, crossbills and migrating Caspian Terns. Near Traverse Bay, look for the endangered Piping Plover nesting on the sand at Grand Beach Provincial Park.
First published in 2023.
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