Douglas Provincial Park | |
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![]() Sacred stone in Douglas Provincial park (Lake Diefenbaker and Qu'Appelle Dam in background) | |
Location | ![]() ![]() |
Nearest city | Elbow |
Coordinates | 51°02′57″N106°28′07″W / 51.0491°N 106.4686°W |
Area | 6,300 ha (16,000 acres) |
Established | 1973 |
Governing body | Saskatchewan Parks |
Douglas Provincial Park [1] is a provincial park in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Established in 1973, it is named after Tommy Douglas, the seventh premier of Saskatchewan and father of Canada's first single-payer, universal health care programme. The park is located along the Gordon McKenzie Arm [2] of Lake Diefenbaker and at the Qu'Appelle River Dam, which is the source of the Qu'Appelle River. The closest community is Elbow and access to the park is from Highway 19. [3]
Attractions to the park include access to Lake Diefenbaker, camping, hiking, and the Elbow Sand Hills. [4] Less than 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north of the park and just south of Elbow is Harbor Golf Club & Resort. [5]
Located on the shores of Lake Diefenbaker, the largest body of water in southern Saskatchewan, Douglas Provincial Park has many recreational activities associated with the lake from swimming [6] to boating to fishing. Inside the park, there is a campground, hiking trails, picnic area, and sand dunes.
There are 150 campsites in total, 140 of which are electrified. Campground services include laundry facilities, potable water, washrooms/showers, sani-dump, convenience store, concession stand, and a fish cleaning station. [7]
Douglas Provincial Park has two different trail systems–the Trans Canada Trail and the Dunes Nature Centre Trail. The portion of the Trans Canada Trail in the park is about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) long and it begins at the beach. It winds its way around the campground through birch forests and flat prairie with views of Lake Diefenbaker. The Trans Canada Trail continues on out of the park and heads north for about 30 kilometres (19 mi) towards Danielson Provincial Park. The Dunes Nature Centre Trails system is made up of different trails that traverse different parts of the sand dunes. [8] [9]
The Elbow Sand Hills, [10] also known as Sand Hills [11] and Douglas Sand Dunes, are glacially deposited sand dunes [12] that cover an area of about 13,500 ha (33,000 acres) at the head of the Qu'Appelle River. The tallest dune is almost 30 metres (98 ft) high and more than a kilometre long. [13]
The Elbow Sand Hills, and neighbouring Great Sand Hills, were formed about 12,000 years ago near the end of the last ice age. As the glaciers were retreating, they created proglacial lakes, spillways (South Saskatchewan Valley and Qu'Appelle Valley), and huge piles of sandy debris, glacial till, and moraines. This debris is what makes up the sand dunes. [14]
Flora found in and around the dunes includes prairie grasses, western spiderworts, aspens, prickly pear cacti, and ball cacti. [15]
The Qu'appelle River Dam is the smaller of two embankment dams along the South Saskatchewan River that created Lake Diefenbaker in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The bigger of the two dams is Gardiner Dam, which is the largest embankment dam in Canada and one of the largest in the world. Construction of both dams began in 1959 and was completed in 1967. Lake Diefenbaker is the largest lake in southern Saskatchewan.
The Rural Municipality of Maple Bush No. 224 is a rural municipality (RM) in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within Census Division No. 7 and SARM Division No. 2. It is located in the southwest portion of the province.
Duck Mountain Provincial Park is a provincial park, located in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) east of the town of Kamsack and stretches about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) eastward to the Saskatchewan / Manitoba boundary. The park covers approximately 150 km2 (58 sq mi). Road access to the park is via Highway 57, which connects Saskatchewan Highway 5 to Manitoba Highway 83.
Buffalo Pound Provincial Park is in southern Saskatchewan, Canada, about 30 kilometres (19 mi) north-east of Moose Jaw and 86 kilometres (53 mi) north-west of the city of Regina. Access to the provincial park is from Highways 301 and 202.
Elbow is a village in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within the Rural Municipality of Loreburn No. 254 and Census Division No. 11. Elbow was founded in 1909, near what is now Lake Diefenbaker. It is 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) north-west of Mistusinne, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north-west of Douglas Provincial Park, and 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) south-east of Loreburn. The village got its name from its position on the elbow of the South Saskatchewan River.
Meadow Lake Provincial Park is a northern boreal forest provincial recreational park along the Waterhen and Cold Rivers in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The park was founded on 10 March 1959, is the largest provincial park in Saskatchewan, and encompasses over 25 lakes in an area of 1,600 km2 (620 sq mi). The park was named "Meadow Lake" after the city of Meadow Lake and Meadow Lake. The city and the lake are not in the park and are located about 40 kilometres (25 mi) south-east of the nearest park entrance, which is about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north of Dorintosh. The length of the park stretches about 113 kilometres (70 mi) from Cold Lake on the Saskatchewan / Alberta border in the west to the eastern shore of Waterhen Lake in the east.
Blackstrap Provincial Park is a provincial park in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan in the RM of Dundurn No. 314. Prior to the park's establishment in 1986, it was a provincial recreation site. The park runs along the eastern shore of Blackstrap Lake and consists of a conservation area, campground, beaches, Mount Blackstrap, cross country ski trails, biking and hiking trails, and several picnicking areas. It is about 8.5 kilometres (5.3 mi) east of the town of Dundurn and accessed via Highway 211. Mount Blackstrap is a man-made mountain built as a ski hill for the 1971 Canada Winter Games. It continued to operate as a ski hill until 2007.
Narrow Hills Provincial Park is a northern boreal forest provincial recreational park in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is located in a hilly plateau called the Cub Hills and contains several recreational facilities and over 25 accessible lakes within its boundaries. The geographical features of the park, including the lakes, valleys, and lowlands were formed over 10,000 years ago during the last ice age. The town of Smeaton is the closest community and it is located 70 kilometres (43 mi) to the south.
Mistusinne is a resort village in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within Census Division No. 7. It is on the shores of Gordon McKenzie Arm of Lake Diefenbaker in the Rural Municipality of Maple Bush No. 224.
Echo Valley Provincial Park is a provincial park in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, located west of the town of Fort Qu'Appelle in the Qu'Appelle Valley between Echo Lake and Pasqua Lake in the RM of North Qu'Appelle No. 187. The three main roads to access the park are Highways 210, 56, and 727.
Greenwater Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is located on the eastern side of the province in the Porcupine Hills on Highway 38. The closest town, Porcupine Plain, is about 28 kilometres (17 mi) to the north-east of the park visitor centre. Founded on 19 February 1932, Greenwater is one of the oldest provincial parks in Saskatchewan. The original six parks were established in 1931 and Greenwater Provincial Park was added one year later. In 1964, the park was expanded to its current size.
Danielson Provincial Park is located at the northern end of Lake Diefenbaker in the southern part of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The park surrounds the Gardiner Dam, which was built in 1967 and is among the largest embankment dams in Canada and the world. The South Saskatchewan River flows north beyond the park, towards Outlook and Saskatoon. Saskatchewan Highways 44, 45, and 219 provide access to the park. SaskPower's Coteau Creek Hydroelectric Station is located near the park.
Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park is a provincial park in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is in the valley of the South Saskatchewan River at the western end of Lake Diefenbaker in the RM of Saskatchewan Landing No. 167, about 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of Swift Current. The park is 5,735 hectares in size.
Good Spirit Lake is a lake on the eastern side of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is a shallow lake notable for its naturally sandy beaches, parks, and sand dunes. One of Saskatchewan's six founding provincial parks, Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park, surrounds the western and southern shores of the lake. The lake is in the RM of Good Lake No. 274 and Yorkton, 48 kilometres (30 mi) to the south, is the nearest city. The hamlets of Burgis Beach and Canora Beach — the only two communities on the lake — are located on the eastern shore. The southern shore of the lake is accessed from Highway 229 and the northern shore is accessed from Highway 746. Highway 47 runs north to south west of the lake and Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park.
Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park on the eastern side of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Founded in 1931, the park surrounds the western and southern shores of Good Spirit Lake and is one of Saskatchewan's six founding provincial parks. The park is in the RM of Good Lake No. 274, about 48 kilometres (30 mi) north of the city of Yorkton. Highway 47 runs along the western boundary and Highway 229 provides access to the park's amenities.
The Battlefords Provincial Park is a recreational provincial park in the Canadian Province of Saskatchewan. It is about 39 kilometres (24 mi) north of the city of North Battleford in the RM of Meota No. 468 on Jackfish Lake. Highway 4 runs north from North Battleford to the park and Highway 204 runs through the park providing access to the amenities.
Candle Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park in the central region of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Prior to the park's establishment in 1986, it was a provincial recreation site. Located in the Rural Municipality of Paddockwood No. 520, Candle Lake Provincial Park surrounds most of Candle and Torch Lakes in the boreal forest ecozone of Canada. The park has a variety of activities including camping, boating, fishing, swimming, mini golfing, hiking, and golfing. Around the lake there are also boat launches and several marinas. Natural attractions include a purple sand beach, sand dunes, mature forests, crystal clear lake water, and several natural sand beaches.
The Great Sand Hills, also spelt Great Sandhills, are sand dunes in the south-west region of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The Great Sand Hills are the second largest active dunes in Saskatchewan, after Athabasca Sand Dunes, and are part of Great Sandhills Ecological Reserve, which covers an area of about 1,900 km2 (730 sq mi). The sands that make up the dunes are made up of very finely ground sand called rock flour that were deposited near the end of the last ice age. The region around the sand hills is often windy and, as a result, the wind blows the fine sands around creating an ever-changing landscape.
Great Blue Heron Provincial Park is a recreational park in the central region of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan in the boreal forest ecozone of Canada. It is adjacent to the eastern boundary of Prince Albert National Park, about 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of the city of Prince Albert. The provincial park was established in 2013 from two pre-existing provincial recreation sites – Emma Lake and Anglin Lake Recreation Sites – and the addition of a large tract of Crown land.
Makwa Lake Provincial Park is a recreational provincial park in the west-central region of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan in the transition zone between parkland and boreal forest. The park was established in 1986 and is centred around the lakes of Big Jumbo, Little Jumbo, and Makwa. Prior to its establishment, the park was a provincial recreation site. The main entrance to Makwa Lake Park is at the south-east corner of Makwa Lake about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) west of the village of Loon Lake. Access is from Highway 699.