Outdoor pursuitsAlthough Saskatchewan is commonly thought of as consisting mainly of vast prairies, the landscape is quite varied. The wide, treeless plains in the south are broken up by river valleys and ranges of low-lying hills, and there are large forests in the north of the province and close to 100,000 lakes and rivers. Saskatchewan’s two national parks,
Prince Albert National Park of Canada in the north and
Grasslands National Park in the southwest, cover nearly 5,000,000 acres (2,000,000 hectares) between them. Opportunities for wildlife viewing are plentiful,
with wolves, moose and caribou inhabiting the northern forests, while elk and deer can be found further south. When the snow melts, parklands are used for horseriding, camping, canoeing, cycling and hiking. The south of the province is particularly good for birdwatching. The Network Reserve sites of
Chaplin Lake and
Quill Lakes are home to over 300 species including rare ferruginous hawks, peregrine falcons and Hudsonian godwits. Saskatchewan boasts nearly 100,000 lakes and the province is named after the Native American word for river systems (Kis-is-ska-tche-wan). Sailing, water-skiing, swimming and fishing are especially popular in summer months. The fishing season is from May to March, and ice fishing is popular in the winter. There are over 68 species of fish found in Saskatchewan, and 100,000 lakes, rivers and streams.
Wintersports are practiced in the region, including skiing, skating, curling and ice hockey. There are at least 13 downhill and over 25 cross-country skiing areas. With over 250 courses, golf can be played throughout the province. The diverse terrain throughout Saskatchewan provides challenging courses in attractive locations. For general information about sport and activities in Canada, see the main
Canada section.
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