Lakeland District for Sport, Culture and Recreation
Anglin Lake Recreation Site
If you are looking for a great northern Saskatchewan hike, this could be the one for you! This beautiful location takes your right into the beautiful aspen and spruce trees in the boreal forest of northern Saskatchewan.
Anglin Lake Recreation site located in Great Blue Heron Provincial Park– which boarders Prince Albert National Park- offers plenty of year- round activities for all types of trail enthusiasts. Anglin Lake is located 70km north of Prince Albert. This location offers hiking, canoeing, cross country skiing, and snowmobiling activities.
This four season park has many activities for any type of camper. In the spring, summer and fall this site offers 18km of beautiful hiking trails along the Jacobsen Bay north shore. There are also several shorter hiking trails around Anderson Point Campground. This site offers great day hikes; as well there are ample serviced campsites available at Anderson Point Campground, as well as Land of Loon Resort close by, so you can spend the weekend
A few of the trails offered are the historic site of Anderson’s Cabin, the steep and challenging Fire Tower Road, and the Jacobsen Bay Loop which offer a variety of difficulty. The Fire Tower trail is an intermediate level trail, with the final half kilometer being a little more steep and challenging. However, the hike is worth it, as this trail offers a beautiful view over the lakes and forest and has a lovely picnic spot to take a rest. Canoeing enthusiasts may want to schedule an overnight canoe trip as there is plenty of terrain to cover and group camping sites to enjoy along the shores.
In the winter months, the park offers 18km of regularly groomed cross country ski trail. These trails are perfect for the beginner and intermediate cross country skier, and have warm-up shelters available. As well, there are 50km of snowmobiling trails that can be found in the area. Snowmobiling enthusiasts would particularly enjoy the Trans-Canadian Snowmobile Trail which runs through the park. The site links up with the beautiful Spruce River Highland trail in the Prince Albert National Park. However, in order to utilize this trail you must first purchase a park pass.
This park also includes play structures, a service, centre, and a beautiful beach with a shallow swimming area, making it perfect for the whole family. This park truly has something for everyone. Here you can spend your time boating, fishing, hiking, swimming, or just enjoying the Saskatchewan scenery. With the campgrounds open all year, the Anglin Recreation Site is sure to become a favourite destination.
If you would like to read a personal recommendation of Anglin Trails Recreation Site made by Saskatchewan trail blogger, SaskHiker you can head to his website.
Anglin Lake Cross Country Ski Trails
Anderson Point Campground at Anglin Lake Recreation Site
Photos of Anglin Lake are used with permission from Saskhiker (2015)
Candle Lake Trails
Candle Lake Resort offers a variety of activities for all types of nature enthusiasts. Candle Lake offers a phenomenal golf course, shopping, mini-golf, ice-cream, as well it is home to a variety of beautiful paved and natural terrain trails that provide roughly 58 km of trails for walkers, cyclists, hikers and cross country skiers. Some of these trails feature benches, and there are interpretive trails available as well.
The Minowukaw Nature Trail – located in the provincial park – offers four beginner to intermediate level hiking, walking, cycling and cross country ski routes, including the Centre Trail, Outside Loop, Bottom Loop and the Lake Lookout path. The Centre Trail (2 km one way) is a fairly easy trail leading to the Old Baldy Lookout point. It features gentle slopes and generally flat terrain; however, there is a 100 metre area that is a very steep climb. The Outside Loop (5.8 km) is also mostly flat, but half of the route has some steeper inclines, so this route is recommended for more advanced hikers. Meanwhile, the Bottom Loop (2.3 km) and Lake Lookout (1.2 km) routes are designed for beginner hikers and walkers.
In the wintertime, these routes are combined into what is also known as the Hill Top Trail for intermediate level cross country skiers. During this time, small fires are allowed in the designated fire pits to act as warm-up areas for the skiers.
Parking is also available at the start of the Minowukaw Nature Trail, and while on the trail, you will likely encounter a variety of wildlife and bird species, including deer, elk, spruce grouse, red squirrels, snowshoe hares and ruffed grouse.
There are a number of other popular trails in the Candle Lake area, particularly ones that are ideal for walking and cycling activities. The Resort Village Community Trail, which consists of two major pathways – the Fisher Creek Trail and the Sandy Bay and Musker Trout Pond Trail – are designed for beginners, travel through the village and feature picturesque views of Candle Lake. Two paved trails – the Waskateena Beach (1.3 km) and West Side Bike trails (2.3 km) – ensure that people of all ages and abilities can get out and enjoy the trails. The Simon Lehne (2 km) and Tapawingo trails (3 km) connect several trails in the area. And, the Northview (2.3 km), Old Horse (4.4 km), Nobles Point Forest (1.6 km) and the Nobles Point Shoreline trails travel through forested areas. Unfortunately, the trails in these forested areas are not being maintained at this time, and visitors are asked to watch for deadfall trees.
Meanwhile, cross country skiing and hiking enthusiasts will love the Old Baldy Trail (which can range in length from 1.2 to 5.3 km), the Bay Lake Trail #1 (a 4.3 km long, groomed, intermediate level trail), and Bay Lake Trail #2 (a 4.5 km long, groomed, beginner level trail that can feature some wet sections in the spring, summer and fall).
Just 3 km south of Candle Lake is the Homestead Heritage Forest, which boasts five hiking and cross country ski trails – totaling 4.7 km – that are full of history and breathtaking scenery. Along the Beaver Pond Trail (1.3 km) you will see beavers hard at work building a dam, as well as the original homestead of Ansgar and Christina Aschim. The Aschim’s originally purchased the homestead in 1932 to farm, but they eventually became woodlot managers, harvesting trees for export to Wisconsin, USA, which also helped prevent forest fires and improve the overall quality of the area’s white spruce forest.
Scenes of marshes, prairie grasses, berry bushes and wildflowers can also be seen along the other trails in the Heritage Forest, including the Homestead Trail (1.2 km), the Canoe Landing Trail (0.2 km), the Mossey Glen Trail (1 km) and the Forestry Trail (1 km). Visitors to the area will also be able to see ruts from a wagon supply train that brought supplies to General Frederick Middleton’s troops during the 1885 North West Rebellion and later became a well-used logging trail.
Notes: the first 500-600 metres of the Minowukaw Nature Trail can be nearly impassible in the spring and summer due to wet weather and moisture conditions. Visitors are asked to respect the trails by taking all garbage with them, not taking any souvenirs from the trails (except photos), staying on the pathways, and keeping a distance from all wildlife and bird species. ATVs and snowmobiles are not allowed on trails in the Candle Lake or provincial park areas.
If you are interested in reading a personal recommendation of Candle Lake Trails by SaskHiker you can visit his website.
Following pictures are used with permission from SaskHiker
Header
Content
