Saskatchewan's Great Sand Hills

We discovered a unique site in Saskatchewan while driving back from Calgary. It's north of the #1 highway, off the beaten path taking us down narrow highways, through itty-bitty towns, and desolate but beautiful countryside. We have heard about the Great Sand Dunes in Saskatchewan, and in the past have driven by, saying...."ahh well, we'll see it next time we pass through this neck of the woods". So the time had finally come, and we turned off the #1, and headed towards the dunes.

All the boots in this picture were placed by a man named John Both (1926-2007). In summary, it is written that John made the world a better place by being kind. He was a rancher and the caretaker of the Sand Hills. At 81 years of age he rode a saddle horse every roundup for the past 57 years. John believed in preserving this beautiful, fragile, landscape. He lived his life to the fullest, and built this archway of his boots showing a cowboy's appreciation and love for life. He is pictured here with one of his favourite horse's named Smokey.

There are four active locations of sand dunes in Saskatchewan. 

-Great Sand Hills near Sceptre(pictured above)

-Douglas Dunes at Douglas Provincial Park located at Elbow

-Athabasca Sand Dunes at the Provincial Park located near La Ronge and accessible by plane or boat. 

-Good Spirit Dunes located at Good Spirit Lake 

These amazing dunes were created when the Laurentide Ice Sheet covered nearly all of Canada. As the sheet melted it created huge lakes that covered a large portion of Saskatchewan and left behind large amounts of sand. Over the millennia, the sand has moved with the flow of water leaving behind deposits in the form of sand dunes.

The next time you are driving in and around the town of Leader, and have an hour or so to spare, check out the dunes. You'll find out they are quite breath-taking! It's a free site to visit, and a great family adventure for young and old.