Spirit Sands

Thousands of years ago, most of Manitoba was covered by a great lake. Lake Agassiz was a glacial lake around 12000 years ago that formed by melting and retreating glaciers in Canada. The lake grew to be so huge that if it were to exist today, it’d be bigger then the Caspian Sea.

The lake flooded and retreated multiple times. So much so, that some scientists suspect that the drainage of the lake could account for early human flood stories as the amount of water that would have reached the sea would have actually increased the sea level.

The lake finally drained around 8000 years ago leaving some remnants such as Lake Winnipeg, Lake Manitoba and Lake of the Woods. It also left over is sandy shores, which became known as the Spirit Sands.

This Manitoba’s only “desert”. Not really a desert due to the amount of precipitation it receives. The provincial park that surrounds the area allows you to hike through the sands, in your barefeet if you want too, and observe this unique place. The trails will lead you to the Devil’s Punchbowl where underground running water have caused the surface to collapse and create this unique depression.

On the trail you can also expect to see Manitoba’s only cactus and our only lizard the blue tailed skink. There have also been some unconfirmed sightings of cougar in the area.

Total Time to Hike: 2-5 Hours