GET LOST IN WILD CANADA THIS SUMMER

Three highlights of a Canadian road trip in Saskatchewan

With over 100,000 rivers and lakes, boreal forest covering half the province, and a history as knotted as its geography, Saskatchewan, Canada’s ‘Land of Living Skies,’ rewards those with four wheels...

1 Discover Saskatoon

Begin your road trip in Saskatoon, a frontier city with a cosmopolitan vibe. The ‘Paris of the Prairies’ was once a dry farming community. Today, its Downtown and historic Broadway districts are home to hip bars and boutiques as well as a burgeoning foodie scene.

Like many frontier settlements, Saskatoon was built on a river. Now fringed with lush parks, paths and the $84 million Remai Modern art museum, its banks form part of the over 80km Meewasin Trail, a wonderfully green way to explore the city.

Finish north of town at Wanuskewin, home to what was once a sacred First Nations’ gathering place. Alongside the 6,400-year-old site, the plains here have been rewilded with bison, offering a chance to learn about indigenous history.

2 Go wild in Prince Albert National Park

From Saskatoon, drive north to the boreal forests of Prince Albert National Park. As the swoon of the prairie gives way to a thick blanket of jack pines and white spruce, it can feel like driving into another world.

The 3,874 sq km park is riddled with chances to embrace the wild. Escape on horseback to aspen groves and fescue grasslands in early summer when the bison are still calving, or canoe the Bagwa Channel for an overnight adventure, emerging in still lakes under the gaze of majestic white pelicans.

Hikers should take inspiration from Grey Owl, a famed naturalist whose former cabin lies on a 20km trail along the eastern shore of Kingsmere Lake. The park has 150km of walks, with regular glimpses of elk, deer and black bear serving to remind you that this is their world and you’re only visiting.

3 Whatever floats your boat

Saskatchewan is the province of 100,000 lakes and rivers. Water is everywhere, from the rapids and lakes of the Churchill River where kayakers can glance wild moose, to the remote fringes of Lake Athabasca, ringed by sand dunes as high as 30 metres.

The Churchill River in particular flows through countless lakes, with the glacial waters of Lac La Ronge, wrapped by beautiful boreal forest, easily one of the more perfect spots in its network to explore by kayak or canoe.

Head south of Saskatoon to Little Manitou for Canada’s answer to the Dead Sea. The water is three times saltier than the ocean, and its density means you can float without trying.

No matter where you go in Saskatchewan, you’re in for a wild treat and the next destination will inevitably be the best. After all, in the Land of Living Skies there’s always a good reason to drive into the sunset...