Not many individuals discuss in regards to the wonders of Saskatchewan, however clearly, they didn’t get very far off the Trans-Canada Freeway. We began our Saskatchewan street journey from the far north of the province as a result of we knew it had huge boreal forests, glacial lakes, and a number of the world’s oldest rock formations. Working our approach south, we reached the prairie land Saskatchewan is thought for, however that was stuffed with surprises too—from artsy cities to uncommon wilderness. The Grasslands is the world’s most endangered ecosystem, with uncommon animals, 10,000 years of human historical past, and dinosaur fossils in droves! Having pushed 1,800 kilometers of the province from high to backside, we got here to understand either side of this under-rated province and know you’ll like it too. Uncover the very best issues to do in Saskatchewan with our street journey planner.
Saskatchewan Highway Journey Route
In the summertime of 2023, we did a large seven-province Canada overlanding journey, heading from the far east of Newfoundland & Labrador to our grand finale in Saskatchewan. All roads in Manitoba wish to ship you straight into Southern Sask however we determined to push north and are so glad we did! Feeling just a little overzealous we entered from the northernmost border city of Flin Flon, that mentioned Slender Hills Provincial Park is the place the north will get actually good. If you happen to’re renting a automobile on your Saskatchewan street journey, this itinerary would additionally work effectively in the event you flew into Regina or Saskatoon and did a loop. Bear in mind that lots of the roads between the Northern Saskatchewan nationwide parks and Sask provincial parks are unpaved, so it’s a bit slower going however easy sufficient for a pleasant drive.
HoneyTrek Tip: Obtain offline Google Maps on your Saskatchewan street journey as a result of reception could be spotty within the wilds of the north!
Slender Hills Provincial Park
Uniquely formed by the final glacial interval, Slender Hills Provincial Park has dramatic options like eskers, kettle lakes, and boreal forest (an ecosystem that’s changing into rarer, with solely 10% underneath safety throughout Canada). The provincial park is unfold out and most of its 53,000 acres are left wild with few paved roads and little tourism infrastructure. A go to to the park workplace set us in the correct path, with paper maps and the suggestion to drive the Slender Hills Scenic Drive. Created by a continental ice sheet 10,000 years in the past, this push moraine rises 180 ft above the encompassing lakes and is just 16 ft throughout in some spots, making for a roller-coaster journey! The 19km street finishes at a good looking vista level over Grace Lakes, with a bench and rustic selfie body to seize its distinctive S-curve form.
Gem Lakes
@honeytrek The Gem Lakes. Emerald, Opal, Pearl, Sapphire…a complete of seven radiant our bodies of water join by path and paddle within the north of Saskatchewan. If you happen to haven’t seen, kayaking is one in all our favourite issues, so we jumped on the probability to hit a number of lakes in a night…particularly when Slender Hills Provincial Park provides you a kayak cart for painless portages! Hop a board, and preserve your eye out for beavers and hidden gems! #exploresask @Tourism Sask #companion #kayaking ♬ unique sound – HoneyTrek
On the northwest facet of Slender Hills Provincial Park, lies the unbelievable Gem Lakes. Emerald, Opal, Pearl, Sapphire…a complete of seven radiant our bodies of water are linked by path and paddle. With sandy bottoms, these lakes actually glow in gem tones they usually really feel all of the extra valuable with few different folks and ample wildlife, like moose, beaver, loon, and even lynx! As I’m positive you’ve seen, kayaking is one in all our favourite issues, so we jumped on the probability to hit a number of lakes in a night…particularly when this Saskatchewan provincial park provides you a kayak cart at every takeout for painless portages!
Beginning at Jade Lake, we continued to Little Jade, Opal, and Sapphire Lakes in simply three hours. We may have simply hit up Diamond and the Pearls for a seven-lake circuit, however as an alternative of racing round earlier than darkish, we loved the serenity of this place with a sundown picnic. Don’t have a kayak? There’s a 5.5-kilometer mountain climbing path that connects The Gems.
Prince Albert Nationwide Park
Zigzagging throughout filth roads of the wild North Sask, we reached the most important protected wilderness space within the province…Prince Albert Nationwide Park. The place boreal forest and aspen parkland meet, the park has unbelievable biodiversity amongst its three main lakes, rivers, bogs, and forests, bringing bison, elk, and carnivorous crops! It’s the conventional residence and cultural gathering place for the Cree, Dakota, Dene, Lakota, Nakota, and Metis peoples.
The First Nations weren’t consulted when the park was based in 1927, regardless of earlier treaty agreements. Although what we vastly respect about modern-day Parks Canada is that they don’t attempt to cover their wrongdoings, they lay them out on placards with honest apologies and a dedication to do higher. First Nations members have been given an space of the park for his or her cultural and financial profit, and are the leads on many actions and displays. And from every part we’ve seen in progressive Saskatchewan, it would solely get higher.
The City of Lake Waskesiu
Prince Albert Nationwide Park is anchored by the quaint city of Lake Waskesiu. Being a beloved getaway for the folks of Saskatoon, it has a lake resort vibe with cute cafes, artwork galleries, tennis courts, garden bowling, and a beautiful promenade. There are lovely Nineteen Twenties buildings just like the Nature Centre and Waskesiu Heritage Museum…each value a go to to study in regards to the space.
Climbing Prince Albert Nationwide Park
There are over 150 kilometers of mountain climbing trails inside the park, with 17 routes to select from. We began with the Waskesiu River Path. It begins on a boardwalk hovering over the forest ground, then crosses over a large river for an opportunity to identify kingfishers, otters, and nice blue herons. Neon inexperienced moss flowed like mermaid’s hair and had us mesmerized. Some hikers flip again right here, however proceed alongside the two.5km loop and the forest of aspen and spruce rolls into light hills, carpeted in bunchberries (that are fairly yummy BTW). On our drive deeper into the park, we noticed an enormous elk, then one other, and one other! Apparently, when it will get cooler, they will even be discovered wandering the seaside on the town!
We stopped on the Narrows Peninsula Path, a finger protruding into the Waskesiu Lake. Its thick forest shelter was a standard tenting spot for the First Nations and a buying and selling put up within the Eighties. The climate was not in our favor that day, however we may nonetheless respect the tunnel of bushes, seashores, and everchanging views of the lake. If you happen to like an epic kayaking-hiking-camping journey, head to Gray Owl’s Cabin, the previous residence of the famed conservationist and writer by the identical identify. It’s a three-hour paddle throughout Kingsmere Lake with a brilliant distinctive one-kilometer portage made straightforward with an outdated railcar!
Beaver Creek Campground & oTENTiks
We stayed at Beaver Creek Campground, only a couple minutes from city and with lakeshore entry. It’s a giant campground, however go for an oTENTik and also you’ll be in a serene 10-tent glamping camp! Parks Canada has added these A-frame-meets-safari-tents to their parks to make tenting extra comfy and accessible. (We love oTENTiks a lot, we gave them a shout-out in Comfortably Wild)! Our web site had a screened-in eating space, a firepit with Adirondack chairs, and a wall tent that might sleep six (BYO bedding). We cooked out on the grill, roasted s’mores, and slept like infants on their comfortable beds. Undoubtedly attempt to reserve an oTENTik on any of your Parks Canada Journeys; these hybrid tents are just the start of their inventive lodging!
HoneyTrek Tip: Hike to the tip of Beaver Creek’s canine seaside and also you’ll discover purple sand product of historical crushed granite!
Manitou Seaside & The Lifeless Sea of Canada
5 occasions saltier than the ocean and half that of The Lifeless Sea, Little Manitou Lake has an analogous spa-like enchantment. Of their Nineteen Twenties heyday, the fun of the buoyancy and nourishing minerals of the lake made this central Saskatchewan city the most popular vacation spot within the prairie provinces and a rival to Banff Scorching Springs. Manitou Seaside was lined with bathhouses, dance halls, ice cream parlors, pleasure cruises, and lodges prepared for 1000’s of vacationers. The Nice Melancholy dimmed the highlight on Manitou, however its pure wonders, retro charms, and fun-loving spirit are nonetheless very a lot intact.
Danceland and its world-famous horsehair dance ground have been rocking for 95 years. The drive-in nonetheless fires up movies each weekend. And Manitou Springs Resort retains the swimming pools piping scorching for a soak effectively into the night time. The city of Watrous/Manitou Seaside could solely have a pair hundred residents however they dream huge. On the weekend we visited, there have been two huge festivals occurring: the Manitou Seaside Chainsaw Carving Pageant (the one one within the province) and the Chairs on The Seaside Pageant of sculpture, music, and vogue (watch our fast video). On any given day, the Little Manitou Artwork Gallery has 300 Sask-inspired artists’ work on show, Mike’s Seaside Bar can be hopping, and swimmers can be splashing round within the saltwater lake. We acquired swept up within the power of this city and prolonged our keep as a result of we had been having a lot enjoyable!
HoneyTrek Tip: Take a sundown dip within the lake, wrap up in a towel, and stroll throughout the road to Manitou Springs Resort for a scorching soak…they’re open till 10pm and it’s essentially the most enjoyable technique to finish a day.
Regina, The Capital of Saskatchewan
Our Saskatchewan street journey brings us to the capital! The town of Regina emerges out of the prairie with skyscrapers, lush parks, and loads of coronary heart! Regina turned the province’s first capital in 1905 however actually hit its stride within the Nineteen Twenties when wheat costs soared and Sask turned one of many richest locations per capita on this planet, and lavish building adopted. Downtown Regina is centered across the beautiful Victoria Park and Metropolis Sq. Plaza, the place craft festivals, farmers markets, eating places, and the enduring Lodge Saskatchewan name residence.
Lodge Saskatchewan
We checked into Lodge Saskatchewan, constructed by the Canadian Pacific Railroad in 1927 to welcome the world to Regina in fashion. We walked in and the excessive ceilings had crown molding, crystal chandeliers, and a gilded train-station clock. Marriot Autograph Assortment renovated the lodge lately, completely balancing its unique character with modern fashion. Our suite was fairly lavish, match for rockstars and royalty…and in consequence, that is precisely the place they keep! The Queen of England, Rolling Stones, Snoop Dogg, Justin Trudeau, and extra A-listers have made Lodge Saskatchewan their Regina residence away from residence.
When 5 o’clock struck, it was time to move to Circa 27 Lounge for the day by day whiskey toast to the prohibition-era moonshiners that stored the drinks flowing within the lodge’s early years. We stayed for a Smoked Outdated Trend (actually blowing smoke rings), a Saskatchewan Grain Bowl with honey cider French dressing, and a chocolate ganache cake by the fireside. We usually don’t dine at lodges for a number of meals however the meals and setting had been so good, we stored coming again!
HoneyTrek Tip: Faucet into that old-school fashion by dropping a postcard down Lodge Sask’s brass mailslot out of your ground and get your sneakers shined by native legend Mr. Bowes, making visitors look spiffy for the final 40 years!
Wascana Centre
Being the provincial capital and headquarters of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, downtown Regina is extra for enterprise and Wascana Centre is the place the locals go to play. One of many largest city parks in North America at 2,300 acres with a 150-hectare lake within the center, it’s an out of doors recreation dream. Not solely does it have intensive trails, gardens, waterways, playgrounds, and swimming swimming pools, however it additionally has three main museums and hosts 400 occasions a 12 months. To discover a park of this measurement in a day, we rented e-scooters to cruise across the forest and lakeshore! We cherished being within the movement with native bikers and runners and getting within the lively spirit of the town.
We made the important Wascana Park cease on the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, the province’s premier pure historical past museum and residential of Scotty, the world’s largest T-Rex ever found! The museum gave nice perception into Saskatchewan’s First Nations folks, Canada’s complicated treaty system, the province’s different ecosystems, and paleontology wonders (extra on that within the Grasslands part).
Regina Folks Pageant
@honeytrek What an inspiring competition! 52 years sturdy, The Regina Folks Pageant has advanced into a variety of music kinds and a beacon of inclusivity. Honoring that the Saskatchewan capital is on Treaty 4 land, residence of the Nêhiyawak, Dakota, Nakota, Lakota, and Métis, Indigenous voices had been central to their stage and ethos of sustainability. From headliners like Halluci Nation to Mohawk singer-songwriter Logan Staats, we had been uncovered to so many superior bands, unafraid to shake issues up and rock out. #exploresask @Tourism Sask #companion #reginafolkfestival ♬ unique sound – HoneyTrek
We deliberate our Saskatchewan street journey round this annual competition…and it was so value it! Going 52 years sturdy, The Regina Folks Pageant has advanced into a variety of music kinds and a beacon of inclusivity. The 2023 theme was “The Internet of Life: Music and Neighborhood in Concord with the Earth,” they usually honored this with First Nations’ voices, sustainable practices, and cultural trade. Being on Treaty 4 land, residence of the Nêhiyawak, Dakota, Nakota, Lakota, and Métis, Indigenous teams got heart stage.
From headliners like Halluci Nation to Mohawk singer-songwriter Logan Staats, we had been uncovered to so many superior bands, unafraid to shake issues up and rock out. Then numerous acts like Allison Russell, together with her soulful all-women-of-color band, blew us away! By day, free performances and workshops made positive anybody may take part. Along with this huge annual occasion, Regina Folks Pageant hosts a number of concert events all year long and an outreach program that brings their acts to under-served areas. Irrespective of once you take your Saskatchewan street journey, try RFF!
Foraging Saskatchewan
We’ve gotten actually into wild foraging lately and Saskatchewan is into it too. There have been a slew of native specialists providing workshops all through the province, together with the implausible YQR Naturalist in Regina. We signed up for David’s all-day tour…visiting three completely different nature areas, every with their very own specialty. We met up at White Butte Trails, a well-liked cross-country ski space, and it was lined in wildflowers and edible delights like puff-ball mushrooms, chokecherries, broad-leaf plantain, sage, and extra. David provided nice insights, notably as a third-generation Ukrainian-Canadian, a gaggle that helped settle Saskatchewan and whose tradition has left a powerful imprint on the province’s delicacies and traditions. (Perogies and borscht are typical Sask dishes. Yum!)
Our subsequent cease was Fairy Hill within the Qu-Appelle Valley, an oasis of wetlands, riparian slopes, and upland grasses. The main focus of this foraging session was harvesting tea components, like raspberry leaves, currants, and northern bedstraw (a cousin to espresso with a pleasant hit of caffeine). We ended on the exceptionally scenic Hidden Valley Refuge with its golden hills, snaking river, and cactus (the farthest north you could find them on the continent!) Right here, we harvested prickly pears and our new favourite…skunkbush berries! Dry these little guys and sprinkle them in your meals for a lemony pepper taste. Half mountain climbing journey, half meals tour, half botany lesson…this was a fantastically multi-dimensional tour of better Regina!
Rosetown Farmstay
Glamping in a grain bin on a wheat farm? You recognize we had so as to add that to our Saskatchewan street journey! The homeowners of Alive Sky Lodge (April & Darryl) grew up on close by Rosetown farms and had been highschool sweethearts. After they reconnected later in life, their inventive juices acquired flowing. They realized the farm that Darryl’s uncle homesteaded in 1903, with its unique barn and amber waves of grain, was a spot vacationers would love with just a little added aptitude. Taking grain bins that had been mendacity round after years of holding lentils, flax, and wheat, they renovated them into charming suites within the spherical.
Bincredible Glamping
We stayed within the Boho Bin, a pair of silos welded right into a two-story penthouse, with an elegant dwelling area, a number of balconies, a fireplace pit, and a scorching tub overlooking the working farm. And after we say “working,” this place was a captivating whirl of exercise. Being harvest time, truckloads of grain would pour down the chute into the bins proper subsequent to us. We may have been blissful simply watching that course of, then the door of an 18-wheeler swung open, and chief farmer Darryl mentioned, “I’m heading out to reap. You guys wish to be part of?”
We jumped on the alternative, not simply to journey in a giant rig, but additionally to roll in a million-dollar mix harvester! Climbing up into this John Deere behemoth and driving above the tall rows of wheat, it was wonderful to see the fields go from whispy stalks to billions of tiny grains filling our hopper in a matter of minutes.
Watch us take a activate the mix, feed the chickens and goats, tour our silo suite, and see all of the enjoyable at this next-level farmstay.
Enjoyable Truth: Saskatchewan provides greater than a 3rd of the world’s durum wheat and is the world’s high exporter of lentils and dry peas! Vegan heaven!
Lake Diefenbaker: The Nice Lake of Saskatchewan
Encompassing three Saskatchewan provincial parks and 800 kilometers of shoreline, Lake Diefenbaker earns the title “The Nice Lake of Saskatchewan.” We began at Douglas Provincial Park to take a look at the Elbow Dunes…sure, sand dunes! At first, they appear like hills, however look under the needle and thread grass, blue grama, and pincushion cactus, and they’re glacially deposited dunes! Preserve going and the vegetation disappears and the golden sand reigns.
Two hours away, on the west facet of the lake, is Sask Touchdown Provincial Park…our favourite a part of Diefenbaker! We drove to the tip of the street and did an uncharted hike alongside the water then up into the rippled hills. The snaking shoreline, simply previous the Goodwin Interpretive Centre, is gorgeous so don’t miss this quick however lovely loop path!
Grasslands Nationwide Park
Badlands, bison, dinosaur fossils, dark-sky standing, and one of many world’s most endangered ecosystems…that is Grasslands Nationwide Park. Their broad open prairie has lengthy been used for ranching, however with a more in-depth take a look at their 70 species of grasses, uncommon wildlife, and complicated ecosystem, they realized it was disappearing quick and wanted safety. To not point out, this is likely one of the largest culturally intact landscapes with over 10,000 years of human historical past! Among the many grasses, there are 12,000 tipi rings and three,000 pre-contact cultural assets like cairns and bison drive lanes, displaying this area’s vibrant First Nations heritage. In 2001, Grasslands turned a nationwide park, and it continues to increase its boundaries for additional conservation!
We took three days to discover the East and West Blocks of this two-part park, following the informative Ecotour Scenic Drive, cruising the Badlands Parkway, mountain climbing the community of trails, and wildlife watching at each flip. Although the most important spotlight? The fossils!
Fossil Fever: A Dino-lovers Dream!
Grasslands is a premier fossil web site in North America, one so effectively preserved you’ll be able to actually put your finger on the Ok-Pg boundary line that marks the tip of the dinosaur period with an ashy layer from the asteroid’s destruction and the place life started once more. With chisels and brushes in hand, we set out with Dr. Emily Bamforth and The Royal Saskatchewan Museum’s workforce of paleontologists and helped unearth a Triceratops, solid an Ornithomimus, and picked up a whole bunch of vertebrate fossils to additional the analysis of this prehistoric world. This annual occasion takes place for 5 days each August and we can’t suggest it extremely sufficient…so inform any dino lover to join Fossil Fever effectively prematurely!
Saskatchewan Highway Journey for the Win
If you happen to’ve ever requested your self, is there something value seeing in Saskatchewan? Now . This province is extremely underrated! We love Canada, and to grasp this attractive nation it is advisable expertise its range of landscapes and the prairie is a giant piece of the puzzle. Highway-tripping into the boreal forest of the north, the Breadbasket of Canada within the center, and the badlands of the south, made us understand the range and wonders of Saskatchewan!
Many because of Tourism Saskatchewan for inviting us to their province and supporting our Saskatchewan street journey storytelling! To point out our gratitude and proceed our HoneyTrek Cares initiative, we’ve donated to Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society for his or her Saskatchewan grassland conservation, Regina Folks Pageant’s non-profit for strengthening group by music, and the Aboriginal Friendship Centres of Saskatchewan for his or her work in supporting city First Nations members and their reconciliation efforts for the province as an entire.
To additional plan your journey, try TourismSaskatchewan.com and drop any questions within the feedback. Joyful to assist…we ❤️ Saskatchewan!
