Saskatchewan is great for outdoor enthusiasts. There are lots of little campgrounds and one national park north of Prince Albert. In the summer, there's hiking, windsurfing, horseback riding and swimming. In winter, try skiing (cross-country and downhill), ice fishing or snowmobiling. Many rural bed-and-breakfasts will arrange these activities. Saskatchewan has more golf courses per capita than anywhere else in Canada.
If you're going into Saskatchewan from Montana, you might consider driving north on Highway 21 to Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park. This large preserve has the highest elevation in the province and is part of a forest of lodgepole pines. Wildlife includes moose and the endangered trumpeter swan. There are plenty of recreational activities in the park: horseback riding, hiking, swimming and golf, among others. Adjacent to the western section of Cypress Hills is Fort Walsh National Historic Park, which contains a trading post from the 1870s and a Northwest Mounted Police post from the 1880s.
Native American petroglyphs can be viewed at St. Victor's Petroglyphs Provincial Historic Park. See them at sunset, when the angle of light brings them into sharpest relief against the cliff top.
Another interesting park in the southern region of the province is Grasslands National Park. This prairie-preservation project south of Highway 18 between Val Marie and Killdeer has extensive grasslands, pronghorn antelope, sage grouse and a prairie-dog town. Aboriginal groups hunted bison in the area, and there are thousands of archaeological sites throughout the park.
Lake Diefenbaker, the large, serpentine freshwater lake in Saskatchewan's southwest quadrant, boasts no less than three provincial parks: Danielson, Saskatchewan Landing and Douglas (all offering a variety of water and beach activities).
The Athabaska Sand Dunes Provincial Wilderness Park is the desert of the north, a great expanse of shifting sand dunes accessible only by floatplane. More easily accessible are the Great Sand Hills near Leader in the southwest.
Meadow Lake is one of the largest provincial parks in Saskatchewan. It runs along a chain of lakes near the province's northwest border with Alberta and has a lot of nature trails, hiking routes and good sandy beaches.
Makwa Lake (100 mi/165 km north of North Battleford) offers good opportunities for skiing, canoeing and fishing. And Candle Lake (40 mi/65 km northeast of Prince Albert) has sandy beaches and lots of possibilities for picnicking, boating and enjoying winter sports.
Many of the provincial parks have camping areas. If you'd rather not rough it, a few parks—Duck Mountain near Kamsack and Moose Mountain at Kenosee Lake, for example—offer cabins or other types of lodging. Call Tourism Saskatchewan at 306-787-2300, or toll-free 877-237-2273 for more information.
Shopping
You might find a treasure at a small-town antiques shop (such as at Kenaston). Shop for craft work, particularly that of the aboriginal and Ukrainian residents of the province.
Pysanky, the elaborately dyed Ukrainian Easter eggs, are a local specialty. Also be on the lookout for ceramics, wood carvings, textiles, wheat weavings, basketry and leather work. The Saskatchewan Made Market in Regina and Saskatoon sells local food products and other goods.
Day By Day
The following eight-day itinerary will give first-time visitors a fairly complete introduction to Saskatchewan. Add days for fishing or hunting if you'd like to get away from it all. Keep in mind that Saskatchewan is a big province and drive times may be somewhat lengthy. This schedule takes you back to Saskatoon midweek to help keep the drives manageable.
Day 1—Arrive Saskatoon. Spend the day exploring and overnight there.
Day 2—Drive north on Highway 11 to Prince Albert. Spend the day and night there.
Day 3—Take Highway 2 North to the town of Christopher Lake. Head west into Prince Albert National Park. Spend the day and night there.
Day 4—Head back south on Highway 11 into Saskatoon. Make a day trip to the Battlefords on Highway 16 West.
Day 5—From Saskatoon, take Highway 7 West to Highway 4 South to Swift Current. Stop in at the museum, or take the Trans-Canada Highway west to Highway 32, then go northwest to Sceptre and the Great Sand Hills. Return to Swift Current and overnight there.
Day 6—Take the Trans-Canada and make a long drive east to Regina. See the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, the Diefenbaker homestead and the Saskatchewan Science Centre.
Day 7—After touring more Regina sights in the morning, take Highway 11 to Saskatoon. Overnight there.
Day 8—Depart Saskatchewan.
