Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan features the largest section of prairie of any Canadian province. All of the province’s major cities are located on its grassy plains, so most of your time in Saskatchewan will be spent on flat, open land, not far from buffalo. Head north within the province to find wooded lakes that define much of central Canada. Visit Saskatchewan for its natural landscapes, its charming prairie cities and its frontier history.
Saskatchewan’s two main cities of Regina and Saskatoon are within a 3-hour drive of one another. Regina, the provincial capital, is crowned by the grand 1912 Saskatchewan Legislative Building. After touring this government structure, explore the network of parks and museums around Regina’s central Wascana Lake.
Drive northwest to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan’s largest city. Heritage buildings from the area’s early 20th-century origins stand throughout the city, especially on the picturesque campus of the University of Saskatchewan. Walk or bike on the Meewasin Trail, which extends along the 37-mile (60-kilometer) Meewasin Valley.
Explore Saskatchewan’s two distinct natural landscapes in its national parks. See the beauty of the province’s prairie landscape at Grasslands National Park. The western Frenchman River Valley lies at the foot of scenic buttes, while the colorful hills of the eastern Killdeer Badlands hide one of Canada’s richest dig sites for dinosaur fossils. Make a trip north to Prince Albert National Park to see the southern reaches of Saskatchewan’s boreal forest. Find the lakeside cabin of Grey Owl, an English-born naturalist who adopted an indigenous lifestyle and served as one of Canada’s most prominent conservation advocates during the early 20th century.
Another of Saskatchewan’s prime attractions is its wealth of Royal Canadian Mounted Police history. The Cypress Hills in the province’s southwest corner feature the 1875 Mountie base of Fort Walsh, while Regina has the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Academy and a nearby heritage center where you can learn about Mountie history.
Fly, drive or take a train to Regina to begin your stay in Canada’s prairie province of Saskatchewan.