About Saskatchewan

The Land of Living Skies... And Some 100,000 Lakes and Rivers

Where is Saskatchewan?

Saskatchewan is located in central Canada, bounded on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota.

Saskatchewan contains two major natural regions: the Canadian Shield in the north and the Interior Plains in the south. Northern Saskatchewan is mostly covered by boreal forest except for The Lake Athabasca Sand Dunes, the largest active sand dunes in the world north of 58°, adjacent to the southern shore of Lake Athabasca.

Southern Saskatchewan contains another area with sand dunes known as the "Great Sand Hills" covering over 300 square kilometres. The Cypress Hills, located in the southwestern corner of Saskatchewan and Killdeer Badlands (Grasslands National Park) are areas of the province that remained unglaciated during the last glaciation period. The province’s highest point, 1,468m/m4,816ft is located in the Cypress Hills. The lowest point, 213m/700ft is the shore of Lake Athabasca in the far north. The province has nine distinct drainage basins  made up of various rivers and watersheds draining into the Arctic Ocean, Hudson Bay, and Gulf of Mexico.

Home of the RCMP

The birth and development of Saskatchewan is uniquely tied to the history of the world-famous Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), originally known as the North West Mounted Police. Saskatchewan’s capital, Regina, remains home to the sole training academy for new members of the force. Over 1,000 new Mounties graduate each year. 

Learn more about the RCMP. 

What you’ll find here

Saskatchewan has more than 2 million hectares (5 million acres) of parkland, including two national parks, 34 provincial parks and 101 regional parks, which make Saskatchewan the perfect place for a nature-based vacation. Many of the parks feature beautiful lakes, great for swimming, boating, fishing and sailing. There are also opportunities for golfing, hiking, horseback riding and wildlife viewing.

With nearly 100,000 lakes, Saskatchewan attract anglers from around the world. They come not only for the trophy fishing but also to relax in comfortable lodges tucked away in remote and pristine wilderness. To canoeists and kayakers, northern Saskatchewan ranks as one of the all-time great adventure destinations.

Saskatchewan’s wide open spaces make the province a paradise for animal lovers. Birdwatchers can see endangered species, such as the piping plover, sage grouse, burrowing owl and whooping crane. And Grasslands National Park of Canada is the only place in Canada where colonies of black-tailed prairie dogs are still found in their natural habitat.

Learn more about Saskatchewan...