Start your road trip southeast of Flin Flon at the oddball among Manitoba’s waterfalls. Inside Grass River Provincial Park and Iskwasum Landing Campground is the trailhead for the Karst Spring Trail. Why oddball? Because unlike a traditional waterfall, where a flowing river spills over a rock face, this exuberant upwelling of groundwater bursts out of a sedimentary rock cliff. It’s a tap that never gets turned off.
Hydrologists explain that it’s the meeting of Manitoba’s lowland landscape and the mighty Precambrian Shield that causes the phenomenon known as a karst spring—hence the trail’s name. Whatever the origin, it’s a breathtaking sight as the water hisses and bubbles over ancient rocks. Sit for a while on the mossy rocks and fill your lungs with the unmistakable spruce-scented air of the boreal forest. You might just get a visit from a friendly Canada jay.
Spend your first night of this road trip in Flin Flon, a town named after Josiah Flintabattey Flonatin, a character from a long-forgotten dime store novel. The mining community rests on curved slabs of pinkish volcanic rock, rich in zinc, copper, silver and gold—providing one of the most unique townscapes to be found.
Stop for a bite at the Rock ’n Diner & Bakery for the Twist & Shout burger, which comes topped with bacon, cheddar and an onion ring. Don’t leave without adding half a dozen butter tarts to your order for road snacks.
At Bakers Narrows Lodge, just a stone’s throw outside of Flin Flon, the warm glow of the wood in your authentic log cabin will lull you to sleep. Then it’s up bright and early for a day of fishing on Lake Athapapuskow. This is the land of big fish — really big fish. You’ll need to hang on tight as a mammoth lake trout or snarly northern pike takes your hook.
Wekusko Falls