The 13 best things to do in Saskatchewan, Canada

From lively urban centers to rugged, adventurous backcountry, the Canadian province of Saskatchewan is much more than fields of billowing wheat. Roam just a short distance from the busy Trans-Canada Highway, and you’ll discover diverse landscapes, rich history and engaging culture. 

Forget everything you might have heard about Saskatchewan. There are plenty of great reasons to visit this corner of Canada. Stargazers can marvel at spectacular views of the Milky Way in North America’s largest dark-sky preserve in the Cypress Hills, the highest point in Canada east of the Rockies. History buffs can explore moonshine tunnels in Moose Jaw, and gaze in awe at the world’s largest T-rex in Eastend. 

To get you started on your Saskatchewan journey, here are the 13 best things to do in Saskatchewan.

1. Learn and reflect at Regina’s RCMP Heritage Centre

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Heritage Centre in Regina, the provincial capital, uses dioramas, artifacts and interactive exhibits to highlight the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s colorful story – from its dangerous frontier beginnings to its modern role in Canadian society. 

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The center also includes tributes to Canada’s Indigenous Peoples and displays on the efforts made by the RCMP to reconcile past missteps. Visitors enjoy posing for photos in police uniforms and vehicles, and meeting the congenial RCMP dog. 

Planning tip: During your visit, be sure to pause at the Place of Reflection – a circle of more than 1500 stones, including small stones to honor children who perished at Canada’s government-run residential schools, and stones recalling the family members of fallen RCMP officers.

2. Come face to face with a giant T-rex at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum 

Love dinosaurs and nature? Head to Regina’s Royal Saskatchewan Museum to see a formidable collection of dinosaur bones discovered in the area, including a cast of “Scotty,” the world’s largest T-rex skeleton, unearthed near Eastend. 

Aside from the impressive paleontological displays, there’s a collection of dioramas depicting Saskatchewan’s diverse ecosystems and Indigenous communities. Before you leave, check out the frieze surrounding the top of the museum’s outer walls, with carvings depicting Saskatchewan’s flora and fauna, and an elusive “Wascana Mermaid” – see if you can find her!

3. Cruise, camp and hike at Grasslands National Park

To find quintessential Saskatchewan landscapes, visit Grasslands National Park, a 3½ hour drive southwest from Regina. The park has two distinct sections – East Block and West Block – and both are worth investigating. 

In the East Block, you’ll find the isolated Rock Creek Campground, the darkest of Canada’s dark-sky preserves, and scenic trails that lead hikers through grassy hills and river valleys. Alternatively, cruise the 11km (6.8-mile) Badlands Parkway, a rewarding driving route with six viewpoints overlooking the fossil-filled Badlands. 

In the West Block, near Val Marie, you can see a herd of 350 plains bison roaming the grasslands. You'll need a bit of luck to spot them, but drivers cruising the park’s 20km (12.4-mile) self-guided Ecotour Scenic Drive often report sightings. Prairie dogs rise from mounds throughout Grasslands National Park, the only place in Canada where they can be seen in the wild. 

For breathtaking views, hit the wildflower-laden Eagle Butte Trail, which connects to the more challenging (and rewarding) 70 Mile Butte Trail, overlooking Frenchman River Valley. The entire hike takes about two hours; anti-snake gaiters are available for loan at Val Marie’s Visitor Centre if the rattler signs intimidate you!

Detour: If you’re willing to endure an extra hour of driving, reach Grasslands via the Big Muddy, a sprawl of dramatic badlands. Book an adventure through Big Muddy Tours for exclusive access to privately owned properties like the Sam Kelly Outlaw Caves. 

4. Reenact historic moments in Moose Jaw 

Less than an hour’s drive west of Regina, the town of Moose Jaw welcomes visitors with… surprise!... a giant moose. Standing 10m (33ft) tall, the statue of Mac the Moose is the world’s largest moose statue. A pole-mounted jet plane soars next to Mac, honoring the Canadian Snowbirds, an elite aerial acrobatic team based nearby. 

Entertaining stories ooze from every nook and cranny in Moose Jaw’s historic downtown. This was once Saskatchewan’s most populous and notorious city. During the Prohibition-era, moonshine was ferreted through secret tunnels to the train station for distribution to secret drinking dens. 

Tunnels of Moose Jaw places you smack in the middle of the action, with three entertaining theatrical tours – you can run moonshine on the Chicago Connection tour, suffer sweatshop treatment on the Passage to Fortune tour, or undergo Cold War training at fictionalized Bunker 24. 

Afterward, stroll Main St and admire colorful murals painted by local artists. Although downtown is walkable, the Moose Jaw Trolley Company offers sightseeing trolley tours (including ghost and true-crime themes) for those who’d rather save their soles.

Planning tip: Don’t rely on GPS mapping while driving through rural areas beyond Moose Jaw; you may end up on under-serviced, winding, dirt-and-gravel roads that take longer to navigate.

5. Explore the natural beauty of Prince Albert National Park 

The one-million-acre Prince Albert National Park is the gateway to Saskatchewan’s northern wilderness, and it’s an uplifting area to explore. Launch your backcountry adventures from Waskesiu, or stay at one of the park campsites or lodges. 

In Waskesiu, you can watch a first-run movie (with mini-donuts) at Twin Pine Cinema, rent bikes, e-bikes, paddleboards, canoes and quadracycles at Grey Owl Center, or enjoy a round of tennis, mini-golf, basketball or 18 holes of golf. Waskesiu’s 600m-wide (1969ft) Main Beach is a popular gathering spot particularly at sunset.

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Housed in the historic park warden’s headquarters, the Waskesiu Heritage Museum traces the history of the park since its inception in 1928. The adjacent Friends of Prince Albert National Park Bookstore sells books, artwork and crafts, and you can view a replica of Grey Owl’s cabin. 

Kids will have fun at the Prince Albert National Park Nature Centre (open mid-May to August), while Waskesiu Marina rents all manner of watercraft for fun on Waskesiu Lake. Hiking trails ranging from 1.2km (0.75 miles) to 40km (25 miles) take hikers into the wilds around Waskesiu. 

Planning tip: You’ll need a vehicle to reach the park, but once you’re there, it’s great fun to explore on foot. For safety, hikers should walk in groups, be extra cautious around abandoned structures, carry pepper spray and follow other predator-safe hiking practices. .

6. Bike or stroll through Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park 

Straddling Saskatchewan and Alberta, Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, southwest of Maple Creek, is a scenic sprawl of forests, grasslands and wetlands. The hills here represent the highest point between the Canadian Rockies and the Labrador Peninsula on the east coast, although the gain in elevation is barely noticeable. 

The Saskatchewan portion features two blocks – Centre Block, containing most of the park’s year-round campsites, hiking trails and amenities, and the wilder West Block, featuring backcountry campsites and free-roaming cattle. If camping isn’t your thing, spoil yourself in year-round luxury at the Resort at Cypress Hills, offering hotel rooms and cabins. 

For aspiring astronomers, the park’s observatory provides thought-provoking glimpses into interstellar space from this respected dark-sky preserve. To explore at ground level, grab an “auto-tour” map and explore the rugged West Block, including the scenic Conglomerate Cliffs.

Guides in period dress lead tours through Fort Walsh, a re-creation of a North West Mounted Police camp from the 1870s. For more history, hike to the thought-provoking Cypress Hills Massacre Grounds, where many Nakota, accused of stealing horses, were slaughtered by traders, resulting in the creation of Canada’s national police force. 

Planning tip: Be aware that cougars occasionally shelter inside the trading shacks at the Massacre Grounds, so explore cautiously. You’ll need a 4WD to explore the tracks of the West Block when it’s wet.

7. Meet cowboys and more in the Cypress Hills 

From forests packed with elk, moose and cougars to working cattle ranches, the area of the Cypress Hills outside the Provincial Park is also worth seeing. The hills are a five-hour drive west of Regina, but leave time for a couple of memorable detours along the way. 

Savor the Old West flavors of Maple Creek, where little has changed in over a century, and you can hitch your iron horse outside the Jasper, Saskatchewan’s oldest saloon, built as a hotel in 1903. Prefer to meet real-life cowboys? Head over to Diamond C Cowboy Church on Tuesdays for 7pm service; city slickers are welcome!

Drive 75 minutes north of Maple Creek to view the Great Sandhills – windswept sand dunes, reaching 20m (66ft) in height, created by glaciers some 12,000 years ago. The Great Sandhills Museum, in nearby Sceptre (open May to September), educates visitors about this distinctive ecosystem. 

Kids will want to make a stop at Eastend, home of the fascinating T-rex Discovery Centre, which overlooks the fossil-filled Frenchman River Valley and displays the world’s largest T-rex skeleton, found nearby. 

8. Tour Saskatoon’s beautiful parks and trails 

The scenic, tree-lined paths of the Meewasin Valley near Saskatoon run for more than 90km (56 miles) alongside the South Saskatchewan River, offering stunning views of vintage bridges and the city skyline. 

The trail is split into sections, with maps posted for each leg. Along the way, you’ll pass a skate park, splash pads, a fitness park, war memorials, pagodas celebrating Saskatoon’s early Chinese immigrants, and a fountain and bandstand in Kiwanis Memorial Park, as well as the iconic, gargoyle-flanked Delta Bessborough Hotel. 

Planning tip: Yearning to get on the water? Jump aboard the Prairie Lily, a historic and romantic riverboat, for a narrated, one-hour cruise from May to September. For an aerial perspective, take a spin on the Ferris wheel at Nutrien Playland at Kinsmen Park.

9. Relax by Little Manitou Lake

A quaint summer resort village just over an hour’s drive southeast of Saskatoon, Manitou Beach will bring back memories of childhood cottage forays, with an extra dose of magic. The density of salt and minerals in Little Manitou Lake, comparable to the famed Dead Sea, enable swimmers to float effortlessly at the surface, 

The town’s population of 350 surges every summer with vacationers eager to experience the water’s reputed healing powers. Combine a soak with a trip down memory lane by taking in a movie underneath the prairie sky at the Salty Cinema Drive In Theater at Manitou Beach – one of only four left in Saskatchewan.

Planning tip: Swinging since 1928, Manitou Lake’s ever-popular Danceland is a family-friendly dance hall, featuring one of North America’s last-remaining horsehair-sprung dance floors, zapping partygoers to a bygone era. In the summer, you can join the party every Friday and Saturday night.

10. Sightsee on the trails in Wanuskewin

The Indigenous cultural heritage site of Wanuskewin, home of Canada’s longest-running archeological dig, is currently under consideration for UNESCO World Heritage status, and it’s worth visiting to delve into 7000 years of history. 

This site was an Indigenous meeting spot for millennia and numerous arrowheads, stone tools and pottery fragments have been unearthed here, some predating the Egyptian pyramids. On-site exhibits honor the Indigenous cultures of the northern plains and the site’s rich history. 

The grasslands here once thundered with bison, and Wanuskewin recently reintroduced 34 of the animals as part of a managed herd. Guided tours take visitors to observe them (from a safe distance) along the Bison Viewing Trail. 

Planning tip: Before leaving Wanuskewin, visit the restaurant (open daily) to savor a delicious Hot Elk on Bannock Sandwich. 

11. Explore Saskatchewan’s cultural scene at local festivals 

Don’t miss out on sampling some of Saskatchewan’s best festivals during your trip. Nutrien Winter Shines, Saskatchewan’s premier winter festival, invites visitors to celebrate February’s cold weather by building an igloo or learning to carve snow and ice. 

Every summer, the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival hosts hundreds of artists performing jazz, blues, folk and pop to throngs of music fans in Saskatoon in July. Another popular summer event in Saskatoon, the Fringe Festival features theater performances from around the world in late July and August.

Also in July, the Métis Nation hosts an activities-packed Back to Batoche Days festival in the town of Batoche to celebrate and promote their culture, culminating in a procession to the grave of late-19th-century Métis leader, Gabriel Dumont.

12. Gamble and stargaze at Dakota Dunes Resort & Casino 

Around 35km (22 miles) south of Saskatoon, the Dakota Dunes Resort and Casino welcomes visitors to Whitecap Dakota Unceded Territory. Situated among gently rolling dunes, this ultra-modern hotel offers a fascinating introduction to Dakota culture through activities such as tipi-building, Bannock bread bonfires, Indigenous games and powwows. 

You can also embark on stargazing tours to learn about the Dakota interpretation of the skies, or go fishing, take guided canoe excursions, or e-bike around the challenging, dune-packed trails encircling the 18-hole golf course. With onsite restaurants and lounges, a rooftop pool and casino, it’s a one-stop vacation destination.

Detour: A 10-minute drive north, the Beaver Creek Conservation Area offers four scenic trails (one accessible to less mobile visitors) and an interpretative visitor center. Swing by to explore aspen forests and scenic outlooks looking over Beaver Creek and the South Saskatchewan River.

13. Tour historic sites in the city of Prince Albert 

Housed in a decommissioned 1912 firehall, Prince Albert Historical Museum in Prince Albert exudes an aura of yesteryear. Memorabilia highlighting the city’s early days, and the role of its townspeople in WWI and WWII complement displays playing tribute to the region’s original Indigenous residents. 

Grab a map from the museum and embark upon a 30-stop self-guided historical walking tour of downtown Prince Albert. Stops include such storied buildings as the Old Library, formerly a working men’s club; it’s the only library in the US with a basement wine cellar and lockup.

Join a 30-minute tour at the Rotary Museum of Police and Corrections to view an assortment of artifacts from municipal and provincial police agencies and penitentiaries, from uniforms and firearms to improvised weaponry made by inmates and early forms of prisoner punishment.

Planning tip: A vehicle is essential for exploring this part of Saskatchewan, and Prince Albert is among the country’s busiest car-rental locations – be sure to book your vehicle early.

This article was adapted from Lonely Planet’s Canada guidebook, published in June 2024.