Saskatchewan's provincial parks system recognizes the need to better accommodate the growing numbers of RVers, and they're doing something about it.
Four provincial parks, each situated near a major entry point to Saskatchewan, now offer full-service sites with direct hook-ups to water, electricity and sewer:
Cypress Hills, less than an hour from the TransCanada Highway in southwest Saskatchewan, has 10 full-service sites;
Moose Mountain, less than an hour off the TransCanada in the southeast, has 11;
Meadow Lake park, located three hours north of the Yellowhead (Highway 16) in the west central part of Saskatchewan, has nine;
and Duck Mountain, about an hour north of the Yellowhead on the Manitoba boundary in the east central part of the province, has 15.
Prince Albert National Park has 152 full-service sites in a trailer park located within the townsite of Waskesiu, about an hour northwest of The City of Prince Albert. The trailer park, which can accommodate the largest RVs, is situated adjacent to Beaver Glen campground, which has a number of pull-through sites with electricity.
Prince Albert is one of several national parks testing a new Parks Canada Campground Reservation Service launched in 2004. Reservations for the trailer park and Beaver Glen can also be made by calling toll-free 1-877-737-3783.
The TransCanada Highway in southern Saskatchewan was once considered the natural choice for out-or-province travellers arriving in the province from the east or west. That's no longer the case. The Yellowhead, which spans the province north of the TransCanada in what's called "central" Saskatchewan (the geographic centre of the province is more than 100 km, or 60 miles, north of Prince Albert), is now the preferred route for many because of its scenery and proximity to the parklands.
Dusk at Meadow Lake Provincial Park.
Running roughly parallel to Saskatchewan's boreal forest, which lies two hours north of the highway, the Yellowhead links Edmonton, AB, Saskatoon, SK, and Winnipeg, MB. It's twinned most of the way from Lloydminster, on the Alberta boundary, to Saskatoon. However, much of the stretch from Saskatoon to Yorkton, near the Manitoba boundary, is not.
If you're travelling via the Yellowhead and arriving in Saskatchewan from Alberta, The Battlefords Provincial Park offers a safe and pretty setting that's much closer than the park at Meadow Lake. The Battlefords park, half an hour north of North Battleford, does not yet have full-service hook-ups, but it does have pull-through sites and group camping areas that can accommodate 35 footers. Water levels at Jackfish Lake can vary from one year to the next, but the beautiful scenery and challenge awaiting golfers at Jackfish Lodge Golf and Convention Centre is consistent.
For RV visitors driving the TransCanada and arriving from Manitoba, Echo Valley Provincial Park has a couple of group camping areas with multiple plug-in power pedestals that allow several parties to share company as well as an electricity source. The park, one-half hour north of the TransCanada Highway near Qu'Appelle, is about an hour northeast of Regina in the splendid and storied Qu'Appelle Valley.
Echo and 11 other provincial parks participate in the Reserve-a-Site program that takes the gamble and stress out of finding a campsite. For information on specific parks,
e-mail or phone 1-800-205-7070 (SK only) or 1-306-953-3751, Saskatchewan Environment Parks Inquiry Centre. Click the link for a list of Saskatchewan provincial parks rates and fees, including campfire permits. And if you're looking for RV service, parts, accessories or sales, here's a contact list of Saskatchewan RV dealers.
Hey, Saskatchewan has been a friendly place all along. Now, it's an even friendlier place for RVers.
