A scenic 14-day motorhome experience covers 2,500 km by meandering on country roads through southern and central Saskatchewan. Travel east to the Manitoba border, southwest to Cypress Hills on the Red Coat Trail, and north to Waskesiu in Prince Albert National Park. The trip averages an easy 200 km/day which is consistent with most RV rentals.

Southern and central Saskatchewan may be best known for its vast plains. But more surprisingly is the diversity of the landscape that Saskatchewan has to offer a motorhome traveler seeking adventure in remote regions.

Vast undisturbed grasslands, a patchwork of ponds and lakes in the prairie wetlands region, and pockets of towering sand dunes add to the range of vistas. Rolling hills in the southern badlands with buttes and bluffs are steeped in legend.

The Saskatchewan River is one of Canada’s great drainage systems flowing easterly in two tributaries that are crossed several times on the route. The South Saskatchewan joins the North branch near Prince Albert. Much of the early settlement followed the fur trade, with development of forts, and eventually a vast

network of rail lines with picturesque grain elevators spotted in surrounding towns. History is explained at national historic sites, museums and roadside markers.

Tourism Saskatchewan/Chris Hendrickson Photography

Tourism Saskatchewan/Chris Hendrickson Photography

The road less travelledQU’APPELLE VALLEY | BIG MUDDY | GRASSLANDS | CYPRESS HILLS | PRINCE ALBERT NATIONAL PARK

Parks Canada

Plains bison roam free in Grasslands and Prince Albert National Parks.

Where to camp in Saskatchewan

There are 36 provincial parks. Nine parks in the southern region and six in central Saskatchewan have RV camping facilities. Electrical, fresh water and sani-dumps are available in most provincial parks that accommodate RV camping.

1-800-205-7070 www.tourismsaskatchewan.com/places-to-go/provincial-parks

The federal government is guardian of Grasslands National Park, Prince Albert National Park, and historic sites at Fort Walsh, Batoche, Fort Battleford and Motherwell Homestead.

1-888-773-8888 www.pc.gc.ca

Saskatchewan Regional Parks are locally operated by a volunteer board. More than 70 accredited regional parks are located throughout the province. Check for those offering full-service RV camping. Many have showers and sani-dumps.

1-866-565-PARK www.saskregionalparks.ca

FOR SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL SASKATCHEWAN

RVRAC VOLUME 3. 2019 Grasslands National Park

A. Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Regina.

B. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Heritage Museum, Regina.

C. Historic Bell Barn, Indian Head.

D. Tunnels of Moose Jaw Tunnels, Moose Jaw.

E. Shurniak Gallery, Assiniboia.

F. Grasslands National Park, East and West Blocks.

G. Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, Maple Creek.

H. Great Sand Hills Ecological Preserve, Sceptre.

I. Prince Alberta National Park, Waskesiu.

J. Batoche National Historic Site, Batoche.

K. Wanuskewin Heritage Park, Saskatoon.

L. Prairie Lily riverboat cruise on the South Saskatchewan River, Saskatoon.

M. Fort Battleford National Historic Site, Battleford.

N. Wood Mountain Post Provincial Historic Park, Wood Mountain.

O. T.rex Discovery Centre, Eastend.

Tour highlights in Southern and Central Saskatchewan

Camping at Kaptewa Point Provincial Park

Discover four scenic routesTrans Canada Highway 1

Aptly named as part of the 7,000 km coast-to-coast national highway, this direct route runs through Moosomin, Regina, Moose Jaw and Swift Current. For RV travellers who prefer to meander across the province, there are many stops north and south of the Trans Canada Highway.

The Red Coat Trail. Highway 13

The Red Coat Trail, named after the route followed by the North West Mounted Police, is the most southern route and crosses through many small towns north of the U.S. border and south of the Trans Canada Highway 1.

The Cactus and Dirt Hills are located southeast of Moose Jaw. The distinct ice age formation rises 680 m above the flatlands. Claybank Brick Plant Historic Site is located near Wilcox.

Cypress Hills and Grasslands National Park are a short distance off the southern route. Fossils and a model of the largest Tyrannosaurus rex ever found are on display in Eastend.

The Yellowhead Highway 16

The Yellowhead Highway 16 veers north from the Trans Canada Highway 1 west of Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, passing through Yorkton, Saskatoon, The Battlefords and Lloydminster as part of a 3,000 km stretch through the four western provinces.

Go north from Saskatoon to Prince Albert and onto Prince Albert National Park, which lies in the transition zone between parkland and boreal forest. The park is famous for free range bison herds and a nesting colony of white pelicans.

Trails of 1885

The Trails of 1885 commemorates the significant events that occurred in 1885 during the Northwest Resistance. There are many sites and points of interest in Saskatchewan that played a major role in the historic events.

Castle Butte, Big Muddy BadlandsTourism Saskatchewan Sandy Keele Tourism Saskatchewan/Greg Huszar Photography

Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park

16

7

11

2

10

PRINCE ALBERTNATIONAL PARK

NARROW HILLSPROVINCIAL PARK

LAC LA RONGEPROVINCIAL PARK

CLEARWATER RIVERPROVINCIAL PARK

MEADOW LAKEPROVINCIAL PARK

GREENWATER LAKEPROVINCIAL PARK

NORTH DAKOTA (USA)MONTANA (USA)

REGINA

WANUSKEWINHERITAGE PARK

GREAT SAND HILLS

ReindeerLake

Cree Lake

Lac La Ronge

SASKATCHEWAN

DUCK MOUNTAINPROVINCIAL PARK

Qu‘AppelleIndian Head

Kenosee

WEYBURN

Wilcox

ESTERHAZY

Assiniboia

Gravelbourg

Wood MountainEastend

Fort Walsh

SASKATCHEWAN LANDINGPROVINCIAL PARK

LakeDiefenbaker

THE BATTLEFORDSPROVINCIAL PARK

SASKATOON

Batoche NationalHistoric Site

PRINCE ALBERT

Waskesiu Lake

16

YORKTON

SWIFT CURRENT

11

39

HUMBOLDT

Watrous

MANITOBA

ALBERTA

1

GRASSLANDSNATIONAL PARK

1

MOOSE JAW

LLOYDMINSTER

MELFORT

NIPAWIN

BATTLEFORD

HUDSON BAY

Maple Creek

Carlyle

Val Marie

Chaplin

Killdeer

Mankota

Coronach

Mossbank

RosetownKindersley

Emma Lake

CYPRESS HILLS INTERPROVINCIAL PARK

South Saskatchewan River MELVILLE

Shaunavon

Moosomin

Biggar

Macklin

Leader

Whitewood

Bengough

Wakaw

North Saskatchewan River

Quill Lakes

Old Wives Lake

Fort Battleford National Historic Site

MOOSE MOUNTAINPROVINCIAL PARK

BLACKSTRAPPROVINCIAL PARK

Last Mountain Lake

Sceptre

Tobin Lake

ECHO VALLEYPROVINCIAL PARK

13

92

18

21

32

4

40

2

< TO CALGARY

< TO CALGARY

< TO EDMONTON

TO WINNIPEG >

TO WINNIPEG >

Castle Butte

190818_sask_map.indd 1 18.07.2019 15:33:57 Uhr

Tourism Saskatchewan/Greg Huszar Photography

Wildlife

Sightings include moose, bear, elk, wolves, pronghorn antelope, prairie dogs, fox, badgers and coyotes. A healthy deer population brings cougar warnings that can be posted at times in the southern region. Free range bison herds have been reintroduced to their ancestral lands in Grasslands and Prince Albert National Parks, and in Buffalo Pound Provincial Park.

Birdlife Saskatchewan has more than 400 bird species that are attracted by a variety of habitats, including forests, bogs, fresh water and saline lakes, grasslands, ponds, marshes and sloughs with distinct soil and vegetation.

Breeding and migration resting areas are key birding hot spots.The Quill Lakes play a crucial role in preservation of the wetlands, and account for over 300,000 migrating shore birds that nest in the Arctic and travel south as far as South America.

Regina The stately Saskatchewan Legislative Building is situated in Wascana Centre. The provincial capital is home to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police training academy. The March of the Mounties exhibit follows their history from the time that the force was established in 1874.

Moose JawThe Tunnels of Moose Jaw lie beneath the historic city. Re-enactments of gangsters and bootleggers working for Al Capone during the prohibition era come alive with honky-tonk piano and gun shots. A Chinese laundry shows the isolation of new immigrants living in the tunnels.

Saskatoon

Located on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River, the city offers scenic views from seven bridges. A classic riverboat offers sighseeing tours. At the Western Development Museum – Saskatoon, stroll through 1910 Boomtown, a life-size recreation of a main street from yesteryear.

Official Saskatchewan Road Map

Order a copy of the road map from Tourism Saskatchewan. Speak to a professional Travel Counselor by calling toll-free 1-877-237-2273.

Email: travel.info@tourismsask.com.

Saskatchewan Travel Guide Describes the overall tourism areas including the southern, central and northern regions. www.tourismsaskatchewan.com

Saskatchewan Provincial ParksBrief descriptions of amenities including electrical hookups in provincial parks at The Battlefords, Duck Mountain, Fort Carlton, Buffalo Pound, Crooked Lake, Moose Mountain and other parks in southern Saskatchewan. www.tourismsaskatchewan.com/places-to-go/provincial-parks

Southern Saskatchewan Vacation Guide Detailed description of southern regions, including Moose Mountain, Qu’Appelle Valley, Big Muddy, Great Sand Hills/Lake Diefenbaker, and Cypress Hills.

Saskatchewan Regional ParksLists accredited provincial parks throughout the province, with designated categories for family recreation and unique natural settings with amenities that include camping, showers, washroom, sewage dump, laundry, hiking, fire wood, food service, etc. www.saskatchewanregionalparks.ca

RV travel and where to camp

RCMP Sunset Retreat Ceremony Wascana Park by the Legislative Building Standing Buffalo First Nation Powwow

Broadway Bridge in Saskatoon

Tourism Saskatchewan/Hans-Gerhard Pfaff Tourism Saskatchewan/Greg Huszar Photography Tourism Saskatchewan/Greg Huszar Photography

Tourism Saskatchewan/Douglas E. Walker

Spring planting season and the fall harvest brings out the big farm equipment for vast acreages of wheat and canola. Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture

Grain elevators dot the horizon along rail lines Very long trains haul crops to seaports Pasture land in Qu’Appelle River Valley.

Regina and Saskatoon are logical places to begin and end a self-drive tour. Tourists crossing the province between Manitoba and Alberta can easily take the less travelled routes through southern and central regions, which can also be visited in two parts. This itinerary covers approximately 2,500 km and allows for back tracking to campgrounds and various attractions that are off the beaten path.

Day 1: ReginaSpend the day exploring the provincial capital, including Wascana Centre and the Saskatchewan Legislative Building, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Heritage Centre where the Sergeant Major’s Parade is conducted on weekday’s year-round, and the First Nations Gallery in the Royal Saskatchewan Museum. Overnight at King’s Acres Campground.

Day 2: Regina – Fort Qu’Appelle – Indian Head (120 km)Take a scenic drive through the Qu’Appelle Valley, passing by small towns and fertile farmland. Enjoy the spectacular vistas. Visit the Treaty Four Governance Centre in Fort Qu’Appelle and enjoy some of the local sights and hospitality before

moving on to Indian Head, where the Historic Bell Barn is a local landmark. Overnight at Indian Head Campground.

Day 3: Indian Head – Esterhazy – Kenosee (260 km)Visit Motherwell Homestead National Historic Site, near Abernethy, dedicated to development of prairie farming. Travel east to Esterhazy to visit the Saskatchewan Potash Interpretive Centre, and then south to Crooked Lake Provincial Park. Drive to Kenosee Lake. Make a round trip to Cannington Manor Historic Provincial Park. Overnight at Moose Mountain Provincial Park.

Day 4: Kenosee Lake – Weyburn (140 km) Enjoy the surrounds of Kenosee Lake and Moose Mountain Provincial Park before departing for Weyburn. Overnight at Nickel Lake Regional Park in Weyburn.

Day 5: Weyburn – Wilcox- Moose Jaw (150 km)Vast prairie grain fields span the horizon. Visit a famous hockey haven in Wilcox. Overnight at Peanut Hills Campground in Moose Jaw, or proceed to Buffalo Pound Provincial Park.

Day 6: Moose Jaw - Gravelbourg – Assiniboia (230 km)Spend a half-day exploring the Tunnels of Moose Jaw tunnels. It is wise to make a reservation. In Gravelbourg, the cathedral and convent are national historic sites. Murals highlight the history of this French settlement. Overnight in Assinboia Regional Park.

Day 7: Assiniboia – Gravelbourg – Wood Mountain (120 km)The Shurniak Gallery in Assiniboia showcases Canadian and international art. The Assiniboia & District Museum has a great collection of antique vehicles. Head south to Wood Mountain Post Provincial Historic Site near Wood Mountain Regional Park. Swing by St. Victor Petroglyphs Provincial Historic Park, but phone the Friends of the St. Victor Petroglyphs first to confirm access. Overnight at Wood Mountain Regional Park.

Day 8: Wood Mountain – Grasslands National Park (East Block) (50 km)Access to the East Block of Grasslands National Park is near the village of Killdeer. You’re in dinosaur country. The Rock Creek Badlands yield a treasure trove of fossils and adventures. Lay out

RV DISCOVERY TOUR. A 14-day circle itinerary through southern and central Saskatchewan

Photos: Sandy Keele

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Produced by RV Rental Association of Canada in co-operation with Tourism Saskatchewan

Planning RV travelRV visitors will need time to visit the multitude of natural and historic attractions outlined in the 14-day itinerary through southern and central Saskatchewan. While roads may appear to be endlessly straight, the landscapes are so varied and the towns so frequent along miles of country road that the daily mileages can serve as a guide to each of the stage lengths.

Most Saskatchewan national, provincial and regional parks offer campgrounds with toilets,

showers and sani-dumps that are open from late spring until early fall. Some may open in mid-June and close after the Labour Day weekend. Many villages welcome visitors to their municipal campground tucked away behind a baseball diamond or an ice hockey rink. The Canadian Campground Directory lists more than 300 campgrounds in Saskatchewan.

Campground reservations are strongly advised during July and August, and on long weekends in May and September. Self-registration may be required at provincial regional parks in the shoulder seasons. Be aware that service stations

on secondary roads can be few and far between. Some gas stations close on Saturday evening and do not open again until Monday.

Look for interpretive markers and roadside maps that display the history of wagon trails that criss-cross the province.

Watch for sudden weather changes with strong cross-winds and intense thunderstorms that suddenly develop over the prairies. It is advisable to pull over to wait out the approaching storm and observe the wonderment of the sky above.

The open space beckons.

blankets to star gaze in the Dark Sky Preserve. Overnight at Rock Creek Campground.

Day 9: Grasslands National Park – Eco-Tour (West Block) (170 km)Head to the West Block, where mixed-grass prairie displays flashes of vibrantly coloured wildflowers. More than 12,000 tipi rings dot the vast landscape. Block off at least 2.5 hours for the self-guided Ecotour Scenic Drive. Keep an eye out for a large colony of black-tailed prairie dogs, burrowing owls, pronghorn antelope, and Plains bison. Overnight at Frenchman Valley Campground.

Day 10: Grasslands National Park – Eastend – Cypress Hills (200 km)Head west via Climax and cut north to Eastend, where the T.rex Discovery Centre displays Scotty, the largest Tyrannosaurus rex ever found. Then travel north toward Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, which straddles the border between Alberta and Saskatchewan. Campgrounds are available around the resort area within the park’s Centre Block.

Day 11: Cypress Hills (Fort Walsh) – Saskatchewan Landing (340 km)Take time to hike down a gentle slope to visit Fort Walsh National Historic Site and cairn to mark the Cypress Hills Massacre. The fort was built in the 1870s as a North West Mounted Police post to control lawlessness when the illegal whiskey trade was running rampant. Head straight north to the Great Sand Hills Ecological Reserve near Sceptre to visit the Sand Hills Museum. Climb sand dunes towering 35 m above the surrounding prairie landscape. Overnight at Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park.

Day 12: Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park – The Battlefords (280 km)Continue due north through Rosetown to The Battlefords, situated along the North Saskatchewan River. Overnight at at Eiling Kramer Campground in Battleford.

Day 13: The Battlefords – Prince Albert National Park – Waskesiu (290 km)Spend some time exploring Fort Battleford National Historic Site or the Western Development Museum – North Battleford. Travel east to Prince

Albert, the Gateway to the North, via Highway 40 and 3. Prince Albert National Park is straight north of the city. Experience the beauty of the resort village of Waskesiu Lake. Overnight at Red Deer or Beaver Glen Campgrounds.

Day 14:Waskesiu – Batoche – Saskatoon (250 km)Head toward Prince Albert and visit the Prince Albert Historical Museum. Continue toward numerous historic sites from the Northwest Resistance. The Trails of 1885 connect the regional interpretive centre in Duck Lake and Batoche National Historic Site, where there is a Parks Canada display, theatre, historic church and cemetery.

Visit Wanuskewin Heritage Park in Saskatoon. Interpretive programs depict Indigenous heritage and culture. Archaeological tours reveal ancient artifacts and traces of human occupation dating back more than 6,000 years.

While in Saskatoon, take time to enjoy an evening cruise on the South Saskatchewan River aboard the Prairie Lily riverboat. Overnight at the Gordon Howe Campground in Saskatoon.

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