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From beautiful national parks to literally thousands of lakes, those looking for places to visit in Saskatchewan are definitely spoiled for choice.
Saskatchewan is most known for being quite flat, which means it’s also a great place to see epic sunsets and the Northern Lights in the big sky, but there’s much more to see in this province than just what’s up above!
In this post, we’ll be sharing our top picks for places to visit in Saskatchewan, including the most interesting cities and stunning natural locations.
We hope you enjoy learning about the “Land of Living Skies” and be sure to let us know in the comments which Saskatchewan must-sees we should add to our list!
Grasslands National Park
One of the most gorgeous natural areas and one of the number one most-visited Saskatchewan tourist attractions is Grasslands National Park.
This park protects one of the last remaining prairie grassland areas in Canada (hence the name) and is the only place in the country where black-tailed prairie dogs live. Other animals that make the park their home include bison, coyotes, foxes, black-footed ferrets, grouse, pheasant and pronghorns.
Aside from wildlife spotting, Grasslands National Park contains a variety of campsites, along with cycling, horse-riding and hiking trails. The entire park is also a Dark Sky Preserve, meaning it’s one of the best places in Saskatchewan for stargazing and night-photography as well.
Looking for the perfect photography spot? There are also seven locations within Grasslands National Parks where Parks Canada has placed red Adirondack chairs for unique photo opps!
Big Muddy Valley
Big Muddy Valley is home to some very cool places to visit in Saskatchewan, especially the mountain known as Castle Butte.
Also known as the Big Muddy Badlands, this area features stunning landscapes that most people associate with old Westerns: big rock formations, dry red dirt and plains of grass as far as the eye can see. These Badlands have apparently provided hiding places for real-life outlaws such as Sam Kelly, Dutch Henry, and the Sundance Kid.
Castle Butte is the most well-known landmark in Big Muddy Valley, a 70-meter-high (230 feet) sandstone and compressed clay outcrop which rises up out of the surrounding flat plains. Head to the Avonlea Heritage Museum to learn about the history of these Badlands, including its indigenous history.
Saskatoon
As the largest city in the province, Saskatoon makes for one of the best vacation spots in Saskatchewan, with plenty of things to see and do.
Spread out over both banks of the South Saskatchewan River, Saskatoon is sometimes called “Paris of the Prairies” or “Bridge City” due to the nine separate river crossings.
An interesting spot in the city center is the Ukrainian Museum of Canada, which details how the agricultural skills of Ukrainian immigrants helped to turn Saskatchewan into the “bread basket” of Canada.
To the south of the city center is the equally fascinating Saskatchewan Railway Museum, although it’s only open during summer.
And for those exploring north of the city center, there’s Wanuskewin Park, a National Historic Site of Canada and one of the best places to learn about the indigenous history of the province. Cultural programs and archaeological lectures are held here, plus you can sleep overnight in a Tipi!
Regina
As the capital city of the province, Regina is one of the best places to visit in Saskatchewan to get a feel for the region’s history and culture.
Regina is built on a flat area with few geographical features, but has been developed into a city filled with parks and green spaces. Wascana Centre, a 9.3 square kilometre park around the beautiful Wascana Lake is bigger than Central Park in New York and home to a number of the city’s main attractions.
The Royal Saskatchewan Museum and the Saskatchewan Science Centre are both worth a visit while wandering through the park, as are the variety of observation points to see the islands within the lake, pretty fountains and gardens.
Take a few snaps of the stunning parliament seat, Saskatchewan Legislative Building (pictured below) while you’re there, or join a guided tour to learn more about this National Historic Site.
Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park
Saskatchewan Landing (often shortened to just Sask Landing) is a Provincial Park located on the western edge of Lake Diefenbaker.
Lake Diefenbaker is more like a river than a lake, but it was created when dams were constructed on both the South Saskatchewan River and the Qu’Appelle River. Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park is located where the indigenous Métis people would originally cross the South Saskatchewan River.
Within the park are a number of campsites so that visitors can spend time fishing, boating, swimming and hiking around the lake. Goodwin House (pictured below) was constructed in 1897, and now houses a museum and interpretive center to learn more about the region.
Prince Albert National Park
Prince Albert National Park is another of the most popular tourist places in Saskatchewan, especially as it’s a year-round destination.
One of the main claims to fame for this national park (aside from it being the first in the province) is that it’s the only place in Canada where you can see a free-roaming herd of bison in their original range, with native predators. So it’s definitely a popular spot with wildlife-lovers who want to see the bison, along with timber wolves, foxes, elk, moose, beavers, deer, black bears and coyotes who call the area home.
There are many lakes within Prince Albert National Park, the three largest are Kingsmere (more on that one in a moment), Crean and Waskesiu Lake. The lake and resort town with the same name of Waskesiu Lake is the most developed lake in the park, with lots of facilities for camping, hiking, swimming, enjoying the beaches and even a spot of golf!
Kingsmere Lake
For the best watery places to go in Saskatchewan you have plenty of choices, as the province contains 100,000 lakes! One of the best of these is Kingsmere Lake, located within Prince Albert National Park.
While it’s not as developed for tourists as Waskesiu Lake, Kingsmere Lake is an excellent spot for backcountry camping, fishing and hiking. It’s not too far from Waskesiu Lake, so it can also be visited as a day-hike from the main camping areas if you’d rather not forgo running water and other luxuries.
The Grey Owl Trail takes visitors from the southern edge of the lake all the way along the eastern side up to Grey Owl’s Cabin on the very top tip. This cabin was originally built in 1931 for “Grey Owl” (Archibald Stansfeld Belaney) a British immigrant who became a noted naturalist and conservationist, sharing his home with two adopted beavers!
Greenwater Lake Provincial Park
Greenwater Lake Provincial Park is one of the oldest provincial parks in Canada and one of our favorite Saskatchewan places to visit.
In summer, this is a fantastic spot for swimming, fishing, boating, hiking and golf, while in winter opportunities abound for skiing, snowmobiling, ice-skating and tobogganing! There are campgrounds and cabins for visitors to stay in at Greenwater Lake, while the lake marina offers rental pontoon boats, fishing boats, canoes, kayaks and paddle boats.
Greenwater Lake Provincial Park is very popular with birdwatchers, as it’s home to over 200 different bird species’, including Trumpeter Swans, bald eagles and ospreys. Other wildlife living in the area includes foxes, otters, coyotes, moose, black bears, and elk.
Buffalo Pound Provincial Park
Buffalo Pound Provincial Park is centered around Buffalo Pound Lake, so it’s a great place to visit in Saskatchewan if you want a mix of land and water activities.
There are two public beaches on the shores of the lake, as well as a pool in the park, so swimming is a popular pastime for visitors in summer. Camping, fishing and hiking is also possible, with part of the Trans Canada Trail passing through Buffalo Pound Provincial Park.
The area that is now a provincial park was traditionally used by the First Nations people to corral bison, and there’s still a captive herd within the park if you want to see the quintessential prairie beasts grazing on the plain. It’s also an Important Bird Area of Canada, with excellent opportunities to spot wild ducks, pelicans, herons, gulls and terns.
Lake Athabasca
Lake Athabasca spreads out across the border into both Saskatchewan and Alberta, although the largest section is within Saskatchewan.
The lake covers 7,850 square kilometers (3,030 square miles), is 283 kilometers (176 miles) long and 50 kilometers (31 miles) wide at it’s widest point, so there are plenty of places to discover around it! Probably the most interesting lake shore settlements in Saskatchewan are Uranium City and Eldorado, both former mining communities.
Also within Saskatchewan is the Athabasca Sand Dunes Provincial Park, a park formed to protect the most northerly active sand dunes in the world, on the southern side of the lake. You can only access the park by boat or plane, but Lake Athabasca is a popular boating and fishing location anyway, with many fish species living within it.
Churchill Lake
We’ve mentioned the many, many lakes in Saskatchewan but another notable one worth visiting is the beautiful Churchill Lake.
Churchill Lake is the source of Churchill River, which flows all the way to Hudson Bay. It was named for John Churchill, the governor of the Hudson Bay Company from 1685 to 1691, although the local Cree called it Missinipi, which means “big waters”.
With many fish species within it, Churchill Lake is a popular place for fishing trips, although it can freeze over for months between November and May.
Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park
When it comes to nice places to visit in Saskatchewan, you can’t go past the lovely Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, especially if you enjoy outdoor activities.
Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park actually stretches across both Saskatchewan and Alberta, and was the first Interprovincial Park established in Canada, in 1989. It marks the highest point in Saskatchewan and provides habitat for many species of flora and fauna, including 14 different species of orchids.
Of course, wildlife spotting is a big drawcard for visitors to the park, with a “Big Five” species of large hoofed mammals found in the park – elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer and pronghorns. You might also spot wolves, lynxes, coyotes, beavers, bobcats and mountain lions!
There are many places to camp, go hiking, mountain-biking, kayaking and canoeing in summer, or ski and do other fun snowy activities in winter. Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park is also a Dark Sky Preserve, so you can gaze at the stars all night.
Did We Miss Any of Your Favourite Places to Visit in Saskatchewan?
Let us know in the comments so we can add more amazing spots to our list!