McGowan Falls and Dam

Located in the small town of Durham in Grey County is Durham Conservation Area. We discovered this area when we were doing the Grey County Waterfalls Tour https://www.visitgrey.ca/trip-ideas/grey-county-waterfall-tour 

There is plenty of trails, places for kids to play and swim, and even a campsite in the conservation area. But the thing that drew us to this area was McGowan Falls. 

I didn't think I would like this place. We had started doing the Grey County Waterfall Tour each spring for a couple of years prior. I would intentionally miss this falls because it was a dam, since I didn’t think dams could be beautiful.

On our third tour of the falls, I decided to pop into my parents' home, which was only 15 minutes down the road from McGowan Falls. Immediately, I regretted never stopping in for the previous two years. How could I prejudice this site because it had a dam on it? Because of the dam, these falls can flow all year and provide a fantastic sight. When we first visited, the water was low enough to get down and stand on parts of it for a better angle. When we crossed over the sturdy steel bridge that over-sects the dam, we noticed that there was some sort of cave. It is too perfectly round to be natural, or is it? If we had a canoe and strong arms to fight the current, maybe we could have had a closer look.

Not a very large falls, it is big on character and water flow. It is an amazing place, and considering just how easy it is to get to it, I am ashamed that I ignored it for so long. It is possible to stay in the car for good viewing, but we always want to get as close and personal as possible.

I have taken my parents here twice now. Once in the summer when I had them on the Grey Tour and earlier this winter. Because of the prolonged cold, many of the region's falls are frozen, and it has been hard to decide which ones to see before the spring thaw.

The winter view of McGowan Falls/Dam was terrific. One section of the falls froze to an amazing blue. The other section insisted on trying to keep flowing despite nature's frigid grip. My mother found a part of the falls that had sprung a leak. The weather that day had been the mildest in weeks, and the slight warmth was enough to get to the falls to start to flow again in that one spot. 

In the town of Durham are several quality murals and art galleries. We will be returning there this spring for the thaw and check these falls and these locations as well.

Google Map search: McGowan Falls Durham ON