Camping near Saskatoon
Surrounded by areas of staggering natural beauty, there’s plenty to love about Saskatchewan’s biggest city.
- Saskatoon
Popular camping styles for Saskatoon
4 top campgrounds near Saskatoon
Dog-friendly getaways
Camping near Saskatoon guide
Overview
Set on the South Saskatchewan River and known as the Paris of the Prairies, Saskatoon is somewhere you'll want to spend at least a day before heading out into the Saskatchewan wilderness. Its vibrant neighbourhoods are peppered with boutiques, galleries, and murals, plus the massive Remai Modern. The glorious Wanuskewin Heritage Park, a national historic site, offers trails through swishing grasslands that take you through 6,000 years of Indigenous history. Within a few hours' drive of town, you'll find a range of incredible camping locations, from RV campsites to glamping yurts.
- It's best to book campsites in advance, or at least check to be sure that the park you wish to visit is open when you want to go. Some close in September for low season while others are open year-round.
- Pack plenty of bug spray in the summer months, as black flies seem especially vicious and huge on the prairies. It's also good to have a sweater, since temperatures can fall dramatically at night.
- Campers will need their own vehicle to get around Saskatchewan. Saskatoon has transit, but the city is surrounded by rural splendour and parks you'll want to see.
Where to go
Blackstrap Provincial Park
This park has two unique geographical features that make for incredible recreation opportunities: a manmade lake and the manmade Blackstrap Ski Hill, built for the 1971 Canada Winter Games. The lake is surrounded by sand and grass, so it's perfect for a day outside, while a boat launch encourages activities on the water. With lots of trails and serviced campsites, this is a fun spot to explore anytime.
Pike Lake
Popular with families (especially those with younger kids), this park just south of Saskatoon offers grassy lawns, tennis and beach volleyball courts, kayaking, playgrounds, an outdoor pool complete with a waterslide, and a bunch of interpretive trails. Both campsites and cabin rentals are available.
Fort Carlton Provincial Park
History buffs love exploring Fort Carlton, which was first established in 1810 as part of the area's growing fur trade, and offers reenactments of early life in the province. Aside from the fort, the provincial park features hiking trails and a small campground for overnight stays, plus surrounding lakes and trails for even more adventures.
When to go
The best time to visit Saskatoon is in the summer months, when the weather is pretty much guaranteed to be pleasant and tons of festivals take place all summer long. If you're a fine weather camper, the weather is usually good from mid-May through September, but camping in the prairies is possible all year-round.
