Autumn hikes in Saskatchewan

Whether you head to the thick boreal forest and clear lakes in the north or the rolling grasslands in the south, autumn is a beautiful time to go hiking in Saskatchewan

Petrofka Orchard

This 46-acre fruit farm hugs the North Saskatchewan River and grows apples, plums, sour cherries and haskaps, a ‘super berry’ that has three times the anti-oxidants of a blueberry. As well as wandering the trails and admiring the changing leaves, visitors can relax on the riverfront beach, pick apples (in September) or shop for cider in the country store. The Prairie Sensation Café offers sandwiches and desserts with a view.

Wanuskewin

Active archaeological dig sites unveil the past at Wanuskewin, a national historic site that echoes the stories of Indigenous peoples who gathered, hunted and worshipped here as long as 6,400 years ago. Set amidst the beautiful and unspoiled natural prairie landscape, the park offers scenic walking trails, interpretive sites, dance performances, galleries and a restaurant serving traditional cuisine with a modern twist.

Saskatchewan Landing

The rolling sagehued prairie of this provincial park blushes bronze in autumn. The short Prairie Vista Trail is a one and a half hour hike which passes a babbling stream and climbs a hill for breathtaking views of the South Saskatchewan River Valley and Lake Diefenbaker. Hikers often see deer and antelope while twitchers can spot rare birds including prairie falcons, burrowing owls and golden eagles.

Duck Mountain

Situated on the provincial border with Manitoba, this park is the southern limit of Saskatchewan’s boreal forest and comprises a small pocket of hills towering over the surrounding prairies. The 4.4 km Pelly Point Nature Trail follows a long, narrow peninsula across Madge Lake and passes a patch of Manitoba maples which turn blazing red in autumn. Here you can kayak, hike, bike or just relax with a picnic.

Prince Albert National Park

Fall comes in September for this wild million-acre park, where vast prairie meets endless boreal forest and free-roaming bison live with timber wolves. The Narrows Peninsula Trail is a 3 km loop around Waskesiu Lake. It moves past beach, over fern beds and weaves through forests of balsam fir and jack pine, leading to a look out for views across the lake to the burnished tree line on the other side.

Lac La Ronge

This year-round provincial park sits in the heart of the Churchill River System, a series of rivers and lakes that form a chain of waterways. Some of these waterways are smooth flowing and some come with rapids, while the park’s must see Nistowiak Falls is the highest waterfall in the province. The Nut Point Trail follows a long peninsula through dense forest, rocky outcrops and bogs typical of the

Canadian Shield.