The prairie province of Saskatchewan, often known as the “Land of the Living Skies,” is characterized by its active sand dunes, beautiful wheat fields, stunning boreal forest, undulating farmlands, excellent national parks, & an endless chain of lakes. We learn about some of the finest things to do in Saskatchewan, Canada’s less-visited northern wilderness, which is breathtaking in its uncomplicated beauty.
Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park
Image Credit: https://www.albertaparks.ca
Where: On Saskatchewan-Alberta border
What: The first and sole provincial park in Canada, which spans the southeast and southwest corners of Alberta and Saskatchewan, is famous for the 580-meter-high, pine-covered Cypress Hills. It was used once for ceremonial purposes by Aboriginal people, but today it is a popular destination for campers, motorcyclists, hikers, skiers, enthusiasts of watersports, and wildlife watchers. There are dense forests, ponds, meadows, bluffs, short grass prairie, and hills that resemble little mountains all within its 400 square kilometers. The region is also a Dark Sky Preserve, so there won’t be any artificial light to obstruct your sight of the stars, satellites, planets, or even (let’s hope) the dancing Northern Lights.
Highlights: The Cyprus Hills Observatory, which was established in August 2011, has a Dome Observatory with a Yurt classroom that seats 60 people, outside telescope platforms, and three telescopes: 14-inch Celestron and two transportable Dobsonians (10-inch and 12-inch). It provides a ton of stargazing activities in addition to programs teaching both adults and children about the cosmos, environmental preservation, and energy conservation.
Prince Albert National Park
Where: At central Saskatchewan.
What: This one million-acre park, the most visited of Canada’s 54 national parks, has it all: parkland, vast prairies, free-roaming plains bison, boreal forest, backcountry hiking trails, timber wolves, and roughly 195 species of birds. It is one of the best national parks in Canada and was named one of National Geographic’s “50 Places of a Lifetime” in the country. Try to squeeze in numerous visits since it’s too big to see everything just in one go. Before you go, you should download the 1999 film Grey Owl. It is a biopic of author and naturalist Archibald Belaney, who was born in East Sussex and went by the moniker Grey Owl and pretended to be Native American, and stars Pierce Brosnan. The park where the eccentric Englishman resided in the log cabin was used to film some of the movie (now open to the public).
Highlights: The Nature Centre in fact is located in a historic structure that is perched directly above Waskesiu Lake in Prince Albert National Park. Visit this location for kid-friendly interactive displays, Aboriginal programming, and wildlife-related content (books, puzzles, movies, puppets, animal costumes, games, one-off events). Explore the West Side of the park, the marshes, and the breathtaking forests by going on one of those guided walks. May through September is when the center is open.
Blue Mountain Adventure Park
Where: Towards North Battleford, about 90 minutes from Saskatoon
What: This all-year-round adventure park features cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, mountain biking, canoeing, paintball, tobogganing, wall climbing, challenge courses, high ropes, waggon rides, ice skating, and 36 kilometers of trails for wildlife and bird watching. It is all high-octane thrills here. Additionally, there are four fantastic zip line rides which will take you soaring at heart-pounding speeds of 50 kph along winding pathways and above the trees of the valley. Choose from three different riding postures as you ride The Speedster (250 meters), The Intimidator or The Cliff Hanger (both 500 meters), or The Grand Daddy: Granny (normal sitting position), Batman (hanging upside-down) (750-metres), and Superman (forward-facing flying).
Highlights: Visitors can go canoeing, paddle boarding, and kayaking, and paddle boating on the park’s tiny lake throughout the summer (life jackets are provided). The brand-new half an hour Side by Side Trail Ride also takes you through the thick wood hills’ meandering routes. Participants must sign the waiver form and all events must be pre-booked.
Saskatchewan’s 100,000 Lakes
Where: Across Saskatchewan
What: Anglers won’t be short of fishy thrills in a province known for having over 100,000 lakes. You can catch and release trophy lakers, large northern pike, and grayling at Selwyn Lake on the border between Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, You can also head to the Saskatchewan River to catch the walleye of a lifetime or the Saskatchewan side of Cypress Hills to fish in lakes stocked with the rainbow trout, walleye, brook trout, northern pike, arctic grayling, and yellow perch. Other hotspots include the enormous Lake Diefenbaker, which is home to numerous game fish species (including walleye, sauger, lake trout, lake whitefish, yellow perch, burbot, and goldeye), and the Boundary Dam Reservoir, which holds largemouth bass and, more recently, some truly enormous koi fish.
Highlights: Little Manitou Lake, known as Canada’s Dead Sea, is one of three lakes in the world with a mineral density three times saltier than the ocean, and is located about 60 miles southeast of Saskatoon (the other 2 are in Israel and the Czech Republic). In addition to providing bathers with medicinal treatments, the 27 distinct types of minerals also impart an exact gravity that is 10% greater than that of fresh water, allowing you to float comfortably on your back all day.
Best Golf Courses
Where: Across the Province
What: Despite not having the longest golf season in Canada, Saskatchewan has the most golf courses per person (fact: about 288 golf courses over about 1.1 million people). Cooke Municipal Golf Course in Prince Albert, The Willows in Furdale, Evergreen in Nipawin, Moon Lake in Saskatoon, Estevan Woodlawn, Wascana Country Club in Regina, Elmwood, and Chinook in Swift Current are more 18-hole courses that are playable.
Highlights: Waskesiu Golf Club at Prince Albert National Park, a gem created by Stanley Thompson in 1936, makes the most of the densely wooded surroundings. There aren’t many level lying or water hazards, though occasionally a bear may be encountered. And just a little over 100 yards from the foremost tee is the renowned Lobstick tree. It is possibly one of Western Canada’s most well-known trees, and a renowned match-play competition is named after it.
Apart from these, the other things to do in Saskatchewan include Athabasca Sand Dunes, Churchill River, RCMP Heritage Center, Wanuskewin Heritage Park, among others.
Wrapping Up
In Saskatchewan in Canada, it is easy to locate interesting and fun locations to visit. Although Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, it has a remarkably diverse topography, which makes it a great place for some unique activities. In addition to a few national parks and a lake saltier than the ocean, did you actually know that there exist over 100,000 lakes in the country? So, plan a holiday to Saskatchewan with your dear ones and enjoy a memorable vacation.