Muhigan Falls is one of Manitoba’s largest waterfalls! The falls are absolutely breathtaking, and the journey there is a fun, rugged, adventure.
Warning
Attempting to travel Muhigan Falls is done at your own risk! If you aren’t experienced at overnight hikes, and also navigating with a GPS, you should not attempt this. Experience, and understanding the risks involved, is important!
Physically, I didn’t find the journey very difficult, especially compared to other trails, like the Mantario, which have more elevation changes. The hardest part here was there were no trail markers so I had to plan my own route and navigate with GPS.
When I went on this expedition, I carried with me a GPS Map, compass, and a satellite SOS messenger, which would allow me to send my coordinates to search and rescue. If you decide to attempt this, I suggest you do the same.
The total length round trip is 38 kilometres. I managed to do this in 3 days, though I planned for 4 because I didn’t know how strenuous hiking through the woods, without a cut trail, would be.
Getting to the “Trail Head”
Obviously, there isn’t an official trailhead. But the best place to start the hike is just off Highway 373. Highway 373 is a 6 1/2 drive from Winnipeg. Gas stations are sparse along this route. It is important to make sure you fill up with gas in Grand Rapids. This will allow you to drive to the start of the hike, and back here, without running out of fuel.
Once you get to Highway 373 you’ll need to drive 15km, to the start of the forest road. The forest road is just past the Conlin Lake Camp, on the south side. The forest road is in good condition for the first 2.5km. It’s possible to drive down it with a pickup truck and/or SUV. Eventually, you’ll come to a wet swampy area that has a beaver dam. I would not attempt to drive past it. This is where I started my hike.
Starting the Hike
The next 4 kilometres of hiking is easy. The road is in very good shape. Where it gets difficult is where you meet the river. You can tell, by looking at the banks, that there used to be a beaver dam here. It no longer exists. The easiest way to cross the river is to follow the sounds of the moving water. If you head east off the road, along the river banks, you will first see a trapper’s cabin, and then later a beautiful waterfall. It’s possible to cross the river by wading through the water by the waterfall. When I visited, I found a spot that was two feet deep. If the water level is the same now, as when I crossed, you will have to get wet.
After crossing, follow the river back up to the logging road. I set up camp not far from where I crossed.
Going Deeper into the Wild
At this point, the logging road is still in decent shape. It’s not quite as nice as it was, but the journey is still pretty easy. After five and a half kilometres, you must leave this trail and head on to a different one. I initially walked right past the trail split because it was overgrown. I only noticed that I missed it because I was looking at my GPS.
From this point on, the old trail is not in good shape. Following it is doable because the trees on the trail are shorter than the ones beside it. However, it does involve a lot of bushwhacking. After approximately 3 kilometres, the trail disappeared completely. At this point, the only way I could navigate was with GPS
The Final Stretch
From here, to the falls is 1.5 kilometres as the crow flies. However, walking straight through the wild wasn’t very easy. Thankfully, there wasn’t a lot of undergrowth, but it’s pretty easy to lose your bearing. The route I took, veered back and forth more than a Manitoban trying to avoid potholes in downtown Winnipeg.
If you make it through the forest, you will eventually find the Muhigan River! There is actually two sets of falls along the river. Upstream, is a small 1 meter fall. I found this one first. Further downstream and around the bend is Muhigan Falls, which I measured was 13 meters tall!
Conclusion
Again, the journey here, while incredibly fun, should be reserved for those who have experience with both, overnight hiking, and GPS navigation.
However, if you decide to venture out, and do infact make it to the falls, leave a comment and let me know! I’d like to hear about your experience!
Resources
GPS Coordinates: Lat 54.68905, Lon -98.59721
Navigable Map: All Trails
