This very wild part of Saskatchewan lies roughly 37 miles north of the town of Prince Albert via Route 2. The landscape is a mixture of prairie and northern boreal forest and is home to bison, moose, bears and rare white pelicans, which come every year to nest in a protected lake area. The First Nations people first inhabited this land more than 8,000 years ago. Warm-weather visitors to this four-season park enjoy boating, fishing, camping, hiking and horseback riding. In winter Waskesiu Lake is covered in ice, and the rest of the park is largely blanketed with snow, so out come the skis, snowshoes and ice skates. Winter visitors should be well-versed in the basics of cold-weather travel in the backcountry and carry emergency supplies. The park's visitor center is manned between mid-May and Labor Day; park information is available by phone the rest of the year.
Vehicle-accessible camping is available in the Red Deer and Beaver Glen campgrounds. Reservations for both may be made through Parks Canada, the park's visitor center or by phone, usually beginning the first week in April for the summer camping season. The summer season generally runs from mid-May through early October, although the actual dates are determined by the weather. Red Deer Campground is in Waskesiu Lake, a resort community that is filled with shops, restaurants and pubs. It is beachfront and designed for RV camping, allowing rigs up to 35 feet. Beaver Glen Campground, just outside the resort area, provides a more remote setting and allows both tents and RVs, up to 27 feet.
Prince Albert National Park also has 14 backcountry campgrounds. The adventure begins with a hike or a paddle into the wilderness. Campgrounds have pit toilets, picnic tables and available firewood. Use the bear caches to store food and anything else that is scented. A permit is required to camp and is available at the park's visitor center. Camping is available year-round, but you must be registered. Certain sites are set aside for group camping and may be reserved. If you really want to go off the grid, do some random backcountry camping. This is a true wilderness experience -- just you and your supplies. You may camp in most areas of the park as long as you are more than a mile from a highway or official campground. Some park lakes do not allow random camping, so check with Parks Canada before setting out.
Camping is also available in and around the town of Prince Albert. The Prince Albert Exhibition has its own trailer and RV park, which is open from May through September, depending on the weather. Located on Exhibition Drive in the heart of town, it has 75 campsites with full hookups. Dry camping and full-service rates are available. Mary Nisbet Campground is open from mid-May through mid-September to both tent campers and RVs. Some of the pull-through sites are large enough to handle Class A rigs. Roughly 20 miles northwest is Sturgeon Lake Regional Park, which is open from the beginning of May through September. It has 50 campsites, 40 of which have electrical hookups. Reservations may be made by phone with Regional Parks of Canada. Monthly and seasonal stays are also allowed.
