Canadian Prairies Road Trip: Explore Unique Places in Saskatchewan

Known as Canada’s breadbasket, Saskatchewan is a province of flowing, golden fields and vast, scenic farmlands. There’s nothing quite like driving down the Trans-Canada Highway at sunset, seeing the sun sink down the prairie horizon. 

However, that’s not all there is to experience in this rugged, sweeping land. There are many unique, interesting places in Saskatchewan to explore, hiding just off the beaten path.

The Great Sand Hills

While Saskatchewan might be famous for its flatlands and prairies, the province actually has a diverse array of landscapes. However, few compare to the Great Sand Hills, one of the most unique places in Saskatchewan.

Located east of Regina by the Alberta border, The Great Sand Hills are home to vast, desert-like expanses of rolling sand dunes. Some of the sand hills are so tall, locals use them for tobogganing in the summer! 

Stretching almost 2,000 km, stepping into the Great Sand Hills is like exploring a little slice of the Sahara in the middle of central Canada.

Stone Hall Castle

While Regina might be nicknamed ​“the Queen City,” few would expect to find a full-scale, European-style castle in the middle of this Western Canadian city. Built in 1926 by the city’s former mayor and respected businessman, Francis Nicholson Darke, Stone Hall Castle is a 10,000 sq/​f bastion of Old World elegance and grandeur that’s been lovingly preserved through the years.

Originally built as a gift to his beloved wife Annie, Stone Hall Castle features elegant artwork, hand-crafted furnishings, candlelit chandeliers, and real stone walls. Definitely one of the most cool places in Saskatchewan for fans of unique architecture.

Crooked Trees

The town of Hafford, just north of Saskatoon, is home to one of the most storied, interesting places in Saskatchewan: The Crooked Bush. Living up to its fairy tale name, the Crooked Bush is the home of a grove of twisted aspen trees that seem to grow horizontally, rather than vertically.

The sight of these crooked trees has captivated out-of-towners and Saskatchewanians alike for decades due to their strange appearance…and the lack of explanation for their existence. Over the years, many theories have arisen to try to explain the mystery, ranging from witchcraft to aliens, but the only thing that’s for sure is that there’s no place else on Earth quite like the Crooked Bush.

T‑Rex Discovery Centre

One of the most important paleontological sites in Canada, Saskatchewan is home to countless dinosaur fossils and bones many of which are housed in the T‑Rex Discovery Centre in Eastend. Truly one of the most interesting places in Saskatchewan, the center is a veritable Jurassic Park, filled with rare fossils and skeletons. 

However, the centre’s most famous resident is undoubtedly Scotty the T‑Rex, the largest and oldest Tyrannosaurus Rex ever unearthed.

Little Manitou Lake

Located just over an hour outside of Saskatoon, Little Manitou Lake isn’t just one of the most unique places in Saskatchewan, but in the entire world! Often called ​“Canada’s Dead Sea,” Little Manitou Lake is one of only three lakes in the world with high enough salt content that swimmers are naturally buoyed up to float on the water’s surface.

The lake’s serene waters are also said to have healing properties thanks to their rich concentration of minerals. Stories of their restorative powers stretch back to the area’s indigenous peoples, and locals say a dip in the lake can heal anything from skin conditions to infections. 

Of course, whether or not such legends are true, one thing’s for certain – there’s no other body of water quite like Little Manitou Lake in Canada.

The Tunnels of Moose Jaw

Relieve the heyday of prohibition at the Tunnels of Moose Jaw, one of the most cool places in Saskatchewan for history nuts. The Tunnels of Moose Jaw offer visitors the chance to learn how this small Canadian city became a major hub in Al Capone’s smuggling empire, by exploring the network of subterranean tunnels where hundreds of gallons of illegal liquor were stored.

Read More: Welcome to Little Chicago: Bootlegging, Al Capone and the Moose Jaw Tunnels

The Tunnels of Moose Jaw feature costumed performers and interactive exhibits such as a rum distillery, and a speakeasy with hidden passageways!