Our favorite hikes in the Living Skies & Badlands zone

In southwest Saskatchewan the horizon is wide and the sky fills most of the view. Between the shores of Lake Diefenbaker to the north and the U.S. border to the south, the land shifts from mixed-grass prairie to badlands.

Grasslands National Park

Grasslands National Park protects native mixed-grass prairie, with prairie dogs and, in places, badlands where erosion has carved the coulees. The park is also a dark-sky preserve.

Lake Diefenbaker

Douglas Provincial Park, to the north, is known for its sand dunes on the shore of Lake Diefenbaker. Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park, farther southwest, also sits on the lake.

Before you go

There is little shade and little water: carry both, plus a hat. Prairie rattlesnakes live in the southwest of the province, so watch where you put your feet. Services are limited at Grasslands National Park; fill up before you go.