Saskatchewan Highlights: 18 Great Places to Visit in Summer

Saskatchewan is our home province and it has far more to offer as a destination than most people realize. Many tourists tackling a cross-Canada adventure end up just speeding through, trying to make up the extra time they used up in the mountains or the Winnipeg red light district. Which is a shame, because there actually are a lot of amazing Saskatchewan highlights to enjoy.

Sure, there are fewer mountains, but there are also far fewer tourists. And there are about a million lakes, but also at least a million gophers. Pros and cons.

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Either way, there are two indisputable facts about Saskatchewan that every visitor should know.

1) It is huge.

2) The winters are awful.

As to the first point, Saskatchewan covers an unbelievable 652,000 square kilometres, making it 5 times the size of England. Of course, that size shaming does not extend to population, since our mere 1.2 million people still lags slightly behind their 69 million. And I’ll save you doing the math, that means their population density is 530 people per square kilometre compared to just 2 per square kilometre in Saskatchewan. All of which gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect from your visit – lots of space, not so many folks.

As to the second, not everyone will agree. Those who enjoy snowmobiling, ice fishing, cross-country skiing or frostbite still find plenty to love about our winters. I almost included hockey players but, let’s face it, most rinks are open year-round now so the season makes no great difference. But the main points are, the winters are very cold, often dropping down to -35 to -40C, there tends to be a lot of snow, and that snow tends to blow around a lot because, yeah, it gets windy, too. Sunny quite often, too, though, especially when it is coldest, which at least gives us one small advantage on, say, a grey, damp Vancouver winter.

The summers, though… the summers are fantastic. Hot weather, lakes galore, great golf courses and all sorts of unique natural attractions, many of which are found in or near our two main cities. But the summers are short. And the distances are long. So it takes a certain kind of determination to really explore this vastly underrated province. But for those who take the time (or live here and slowly work their way through the list), you’ll be pleasantly surprised by all the fascinating destinations to enjoy.

Saskatchewan Highlights

Grasslands National Park

Grasslands National Park is amazing, the first place I recommend to people visiting Saskatchewan. Wild, expansive scenery everywhere you look and an impressive variety of prairie wildlife. Sure, prairie dogs and even bison aren’t necessarily shocking stuff for lifelong Saskies, but for many visitors this could be their first chance to see them in the wild.

For me, though, the badlands scenery is the big highlight, offering a wide range of excellent hikes and some intensely memorable backcountry camping adventures. Despite all this and its status as one of just two national parks in Saskatchewan, Grasslands is rarely busy. The campgrounds do fill up, but they are small and the park covers 700 square kilometres, so any traffic on the trails will be intermittent at most.

Grasslands is split into two distinct areas a couple hours drive apart, both with plenty of great hiking. West Block is the more popular of the two, being closest to the visitor centre in Val Marie and featuring an Ecotour Scenic Drive and the popular Frenchman Valley Campground. It features more classic prairie scenery and is the place to go for bison herds and the largest prairie dog towns, plus you might even spot a snake or two if you keep your eyes peeled.

The East Block is my favourite, though, being even quieter than the West Block, and also because of the amazing Valley of 1,000 Devils hike through the extraordinary Rock Creek badlands scenery. Rock Creek Campground is similar to Frenchman Valley and even has its own small visitor centre.

Grasslands National Park is also an official Dark Sky Preserve (one of the largest in the world), meaning the lack of light pollution provides an incredible opportunity to enjoy the stars. To top it off, Grasslands is only a couple hours off the TransCanada Highway, leaving virtually no excuse to miss it.

For more details, check out:

Grasslands National Park: Big Sky Hiking, Camping and Wildlife

Prince Albert National Park

Next up is Saskatchewan’s second (and final) national park. Prince Albert National Park is found many hours drive north in the heart of the province’s vast forested north, making it about as different from the Grasslands as you can possibly get. Many people are only familiar with the iconic open prairies and spacious wheat fields found in the southern part of the province. But few realize that around the north-south midpoint the terrain of Saskatchewan abruptly changes to a natural wonderland of thick forests, clear rivers and pristine lakes.

Waskesiu Lake is the extremely popular and well-developed main town in Prince Albert National Park, as well as the place we have spent nearly every summer of our lives. Beaches, hiking, watersports, wildlife, world-class golf and unspoiled nature, all within easy walking distance to good restaurants, ice cream shops, a sport court and even one of the oldest movie theatres in Canada. Highly recommended, obviously.

For more details on all the top Prince Albert National Park highlights, check out:

Waskesiu Lake: Best Things to Do

Grey Owl’s Cabin: A Hike with Burritos

Lazy Floating on the Kingsmere River

And while you’re in the area, don’t hesitate to check out a couple of the other fantastic and vibrant lake destinations nearby. While not technically inside the national park, Emma Lake and Candle Lake are both just a short drive away and are among the most popular Saskatchewan summer destinations.

Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park

What is this “interprovincial” business, you ask? Well, Cypress Hills is not only a gorgeous chunk of northern-style terrain sticking out like a sore thumb in the midst of the southern prairies, but it also extends beyond the border into Alberta as well.

Surprisingly, considering its location among the flattest of flat prairie landscapes, Cypress Hills is actually very hilly and features the highest point in Saskatchewan at 1,400 metres. Which is nearly as high as famously high Denver (“The Mile-High City”) and actually higher than the highest point in the entire United Kingdom (Ben Nevis). Which theoretically explains the use of several Scottish names in the park.

Cypress Hills has a wide range of fabulous camping options, plus great forest scenery, terrific hiking, excellent lakes and plenty of wildlife. The Saskatchewan section is called Centre Block and contains the best campgrounds and facilities. Meanwhile, West Block is found just across the border in Alberta, features historic Fort Walsh and is the place to go for rustic camping and hiking all by your lonesome.

Cypress Hills Camping: 8 Great Saskatchewan Campgrounds

Saskatoon

Saskatoon, “City of Bridges”, “Paris of the Prairies” and our personal hometown, is the largest city in Saskatchewan (approximately 300,000) and, in our very biased opinion, the best. It is built on and around the lovely South Saskatchewan River, features a lot of bridges, the excellent Meewasin Valley trail network and a busy summer entertainment schedule.

You can take a river cruise, get back to nature in Beaver Creek Conservation Area, check out one of the 10 great golf courses, visit the Western Development Museum, the Forestry Farm Park and Zoo or indulge in my favourite Saskatoon activity – a long and varied downtown walking pub crawl. And you won’t want to (or be able to) miss the Delta Bessborough, the city’s most impressive and historic hotel, offering up some outstanding photo ops from the east bank of the river.

Wanuskewin

This famous indigenous Heritage Park is found just a few minutes north of Saskatoon but is important enough to warrant its own entry in this list. It is located on traditional land, got its name from the Cree word for “sanctuary” and has served as a gathering point for indigenous people for over 6,000 years. These days, Wanuskewin serves as an essential information centre offering museums, cultural goods, important archaeological sites and guided nature walks. You can try traditional indigenous foods such as Bannock, bison or Three Sisters soup, explore the beautiful surroundings or learn about classic practices like bison hunting and tipi building.

Regina

Contrary to what you might hear from biased Saskatonians like myself, Regina is not really the butthole of Saskatchewan. In fact, many people – real, live people, apparently – actually prefer Regina to its larger, cooler and much prettier northern counterpart.

I kid, I kid. Regina’s fine. And, of course, it does happen to be the provincial capital. Which means it boasts all the important government destinations like the Legislative Building, Royal Saskatchewan Museum and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Heritage Museum.

Plus, Wascana Lake is actually quite nice and the area around it is great for enjoying the great outdoors. And if you want to experience Saskatchewan “culture” in its purest form, Regina is the place to catch a Saskatchewan Roughrider game, the local Canadian football team with the most intense and loyal fans in the country.

So, yeah, Regina’s got some stuff going for it. And even the water isn’t so bad… anymore.

Big Muddy Badlands

Not too far south from Regina, you can find another set of pretty badlands and Castle Butte, a spectacular rock formation sticking up from the surrounding prairie like a cartoon goose egg. It is 60-metres-high and 500 metres around and, not surprisingly, has been used as a landmark for thousands of years.

The surrounding hills and ravines offer great hiking and history buffs won’t want to miss the famous Outlaw Caves that were used extensively in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. You can also book a ride on the Southern Prairie Railway, a series of classic train journeys offering terrific scenery and plenty of historic info.

Athabasca Sand Dunes

Taking you from the very south of the province all the way back up to the remote northern reaches, I present to you the incredible Athabasca Sand Dunes Provincial Park, one of the most unique geological destinations in Canada.

Extending for a whopping 100 kilometres along the shores of gigantic Lake Athabasca, these bizarre sand dunes are up to 30-metres-high in spots and are supposedly around 8,000 years old. There are also a number of endemic plants that can’t be found anywhere else on the planet, along with many more that are extremely rare.

Really the only reason it took us this long to mention this phenomenal Saskatchewan highlight is access. Lake Athabasca is seriously huge and seriously fascinating, but also seriously difficult to reach. The only way to get there is by floatplane and/or boat, usually as part of an extensive, very adventurous backcountry adventure.

Golfing

Back to some activities for the more casual visitor, Saskatchewan is a bit of a golf mecca. While it may not have the stunning mountain backdrops found in the Rockies, it does have a surprising number of top golf courses. Golf is hugely popular in Saskatchewan, something clearly illustrated in both the number and quality of available courses.

Both Saskatoon and Regina feature several top-class courses and both Waskesiu Lake Golf Course (in Prince Albert National Park) and Elk Ridge (just a couple kilometres outside Prince Albert National Park) are ranked among the top public courses in Canada. Meanwhile, the province is littered with more fabulous options, from lush, professionally manicured resort courses to fun, informal 9-hole gems popping whenever you least expect them.

For more ideas, check out:

Saskatoon Golf Courses: All 10 Ranked

The Best Multi-Day Saskatchewan Golf Trips

Nipekamew Sand Cliffs

One of the top hidden gems in Saskatchewan, the ancient Nipekamew Sand Cliffs are an amazing natural phenomenon tucked away in a remote part of northern Saskatchewan. Featuring three different sets of impressive sand cliffs located along a slow-moving river perfect for floating and even some impressive hoodoos, they are one of the most unique Saskatchewan highlights.

For more details on how to visit, check out:

Nipekamew Sand Cliffs: Lazy River Floating

Narrow Hills / Gem Lakes

Another hidden treat in northern Saskatchewan is Narrow Hills Provincial Park, featuring the extraordinarily beautiful Gem Lakes, seven separate beauties sparkling in the sun. There are several hikes in the park offering exceptional scenery without any intense hills to wear you out.

Parks Saskatchewan

Little Manitou Lake

I hope you aren’t getting bored hearing about fascinating geological anomalies unique within Canada, but here’s another one. Little Manitou Lake is often called “The Dead Sea of Canada” because of its very high – some might say “insane” – saltiness. In fact, the salinity of Little Manitou Lake is roughly half that of the actual Dead Sea, and a crazy 5 times that of the ocean. So, yeah, you’ll definitely be able to float.

It is full of other minerals, as well, making the water look kind of metallic and leading some to claim it can cure a wide range of ailments, from skin conditions to thyroid problems to arthritis and joint pain. Just don’t open your eyes underwater.

Meanwhile, Manitou Beach is a popular summer destination, featuring a luxury resort and mineral spa, impressive art galleries and even some nice hikes.

Great Sandhills

Despite the grand name, these dunes aren’t quite as extensive as the Athabasca Sand Dunes. However, they are still pretty impressive and far easier to access, located just a short detour off a small highway in the southern part of the province.

Thanks to the almost endless flatness of the area, the area around the dunes is almost always windy, explaining both how the dunes came to be in the first place, as well as why they are constantly shifting and moving.

Great Sandhills Ecological Reserve covers 1,900 square kilometres but the dunes themselves only comprise a small portion of that. There are (usually) a couple of smallish dunes right next to the parking area but the largest and most impressive ones are still just a 10-15-minute walk away.

For all the details, check out:

The Great Sandhills: Saskatchewan’s Hidden Gem

Nistowiak Falls

Arguably the most famous waterfalls in Saskatchewan, Nistowiak Falls are wild and photogenic. Located near Stanley Mission, well up past La Ronge, the main town in the central north, you’ll probably need to get to the falls by boat, either your own or on a guided tour. Once nearby, though, you could choose to spend a night (or three) at Jim’s Camp, a rustic spot just a few minutes walk to the falls.

While in the area, make sure you continue on a scenic journey through the maze of river channels and head past the Stanley Mission Cliffs, a historic spot frequented by indigenous hunters of yesteryear, and the Holy Trinity Anglican Church, the oldest standing building in Saskatchewan (built in 1854). Some tours also include fishing if you’ve got the time and inclination.

To read the whole story, check out:

Nistowiak Falls: A Northern Saskatchewan Tour

Moose Jaw Tunnels

This eerie and fascinating underground labyrinth has spawned all manner of dramatic stories, some of which might even be true. From Chinese homes to a mafia hideout to simple underground storage, the exact origins and usage of the tunnels isn’t entirely clear.

Were they mainly used by rum runners smuggling booze into the United States during Prohibition? Did Al Capone actually settle in for awhile? What is that smell? All valid questions. And worth a look if you’re in the area.

Churchill River

One of the longest and most picturesque rivers in Saskatchewan, the mighty Churchill River starts near the small town of Buffalo Narrows (5 hours north of Saskatoon) and winds its way through some of the wildest sections of the Canadian shield for an unbelievable 1,600 kilometres before draining out into massive Hudson Bay.

If features impressive rapids, photogenic waterfalls and dozens of fish-filled lakes, all entirely surrounded by rugged, rocky terrain and lush boreal forest. Not surprisingly, it is one of the best places for a canoe trip not just in Saskatchewan, but anywhere in Canada. Most people recommend the section between Pinehouse and Misinipe, although the possibilities are virtually endless.

Boreal Trail

The only true multi-day trek in Saskatchewan, the Boreal Trail spans 135 kilometres in the northwest section of the province near Meadow Lake. Much like the Churchill River, the trail passes through awesome boreal forest (hence the name), and by a number of a creeks, rivers and small lakes. You’ll just be working your legs instead of your arms.

It is well-marked and is broken into 5 sections but can be done in a variety of ways, as there are 13 basic campgrounds scattered along the way, each with pit toilets, BBQs and bear lockers. And if you aren’t into the whole sleeping in the bush thing, it is easy enough to pop in and out at various points to enjoy the Boreal Trail on day hikes.

The Twisted Trees

Also called “The Crooked Bush”, to the immediate snickers of teens and immature adults alike, this bizarre landmark can be found right in the middle of the province, yet somehow a long way from just about anything. I mean, it is less than a half-hour drive from Hafford, if that helps, but if you’re already familiar with Hafford, you probably don’t need this list.

The trees are Quaking Aspens and, for some reason, they grow sideways and, even then, can’t seem to stay straight for more than a foot or two. Weird, I guess, is the point. There isn’t much else to see but there is a boardwalk to help you wander the area.

Saskatchewan Highlights Map

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Summary

Saskatchewan will never be one of the most popular tourist destinations in Canada. Which makes sense. I mean, the Rockies, Vancouver Island, the Maritimes, etc. – as cool as a herd of buffalo rolling around in the dirt can be, it still doesn’t really compare.

But if you’re looking for some fascinating off-the-beaten-path destinations, gorgeous lakes, untouched wilderness and enthralling Prairie history, be sure to squeeze a bit more time into your cross-Canada itinerary for a thorough exploration of ol’ Sask.

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Saskatchewan posts for reference:

The Great Sandhills: Saskatchewan’s Hidden Gem

Cypress Hills Camping: 8 Great Saskatchewan Campgrounds

Grasslands National Park: Big Sky Hiking, Camping and Wildlife

Grey Owl’s Cabin: A Hike with Burritos

Lazy Floating on the Kingsmere River

Nistowiak Falls: A Northern Saskatchewan Tour

Nipekamew Sand Cliffs: Lazy River Floating