SASKATOON — Nine Saskatchewan provincial parks have been named among Canada’s less busy and often overlooked destinations, according to the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS).
CPAWS national director Chris Rider said this is the best time for Canadians to visit parks in Saskatchewan, as well as seven other provinces and one territory, as many people are choosing to stay in the country this summer.
“There’s never been a better time to do some serious staycation sightseeing and camping in our provincial and national parks. The problem is that everyone else will likely be doing the same thing at the most popular destinations, so it could get crowded,” said Rider.
“The good news is that we have a solid 45 parks that most Canadians overlook in favour of more popular destinations, leaving these hidden gems open for exploration.”
The Saskatchewan parks on the list are: Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, Echo Valley Provincial Park, Last Mountain House Provincial Historic Park, Moose Mountain Provincial Park, Duck Mountain Provincial Park, Eagle Creek Regional Park, Redberry Lake Biosphere Reserve, McKell Wascana Conservation Park and Beaver Creek Conservation Area.
Cypress Hills is located in southwest Saskatchewan. Echo Valley is in the Qu’Appelle Valley. Last Mountain is about a 40-minute drive north of Regina. Moose Mountain is 24 kilometres north of Carlyle.
Duck Mountain is 25 kilometres east of Kamsack and is a lush boreal forest. Eagle Creek is less than an hour’s drive from Saskatoon. Redberry Lake, a UNESCO-designated biosphere, is about 90 kilometres northeast of the city.
McKell Wascana, in the City of Regina, is composed of restored prairie and wetlands in Wascana Creek. Beaver Creek, 13 kilometres south of Saskatoon, features prairie creek cascades into the South Saskatchewan River and the province’s remaining sandhill prairie.
Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Quebec and Yukon are home to other underrated provincial parks on the CPAWS' list.
CPAWS is dedicated to protecting public land, freshwater and oceans across the country. The organization has almost six decades of experience in protecting more than 500 million square kilometres, while working with and respecting the sovereignty and leadership of Indigenous nations.
