Regina 
When travellers consider heading out for a scenic drive, the province of Saskatchewan probably doesn’t even cross their minds. Saskatchewan has some incredibly diverse and beautiful landscapes, along with interesting history, unique towns, and more kilometres of roads than any other province, which makes it absolutely perfect for scenic drives.
Exploring the highways, byways and backroads gives travellers the opportunity to view everything that the province has to offer – from the prairies and grasslands to the boreal woodlands; the multitude of large lakes and rushing rivers; dramatic ice age landscapes; interesting historic sites; unique sand dunes; off-the-beaten track badlands; and much more.
The Qu’Appelle Valley
Southern Saskatchewan has one incredible defining feature – the gorgeous Qu’Appelle Valley – which allows travellers to drive more than one-quarter of the province through some of the most picturesque landscape that the area has to offer.
This valley is ancient, gouged out of the surrounding prairies by glacial meltwaters and provides a wonderful contrast to the Trans Canada Highway, which parallels the valley just to the south. While the most common part of this valley is viewed by travellers between Regina and Saskatoon, for a complete experience of this scenic drive, you can start by Fort Qu’Appelle and Fishing Lakes, and continue almost all the way to the Manitoba border.
Using this drive, you can create a fantastic road trip that will take you past historic sites, provincial parks, beaches, nature reserves, farmland, forest, and long sections of backroads. Keep in mind that the roads are a mixture of a few paved sections, good quality gravel grid roads, and some stretches that are fine in dry weather but best avoided when wet.
Candle Lake to La Ronge (or vice versa)
If you are heading north and would like to experience an alternative way to travel from Prince Albert to La Ronge, you can start by heading to the popular Candle Lake, then to the series of lesser-visited lakes north of here on the way to Narrow Hills Provincial Park.
If you are not in a hurry, stop for a hike or two at the stunning Gem Lakes, where the beautiful wilderness trails wind through tiny lakes. Another stop to enjoy might be the beautiful Clarence Steepbank Lakes Provincial Park with its remote wilderness which seems never ending. This northern route gives you a completely different view of Saskatchewan, with thickly forested areas, exquisite remote lakes, and the stunning white cliffs and sand pillars along the Nipekamew River before reaching La Ronge.
Narrow Hills Scenic Drive
A good day trip if you are in the area, Narrow Hills Provincial Park offers a fantastic journey along the top of a glacial push moraine, providing amazing views over the surrounding lakes and heavily wooded areas. The road is open from May 15th to October 31st, and while it is a beautiful drive at any time, a really good time to experience this scenic route is in the fall, when the colours of the trees come to life.
Complete with interpretive signage and opportunities to get out and walk a variety of trails, you can even pack a fishing pole and try your hand at fishing in the lakes below. Located northeast of Prince Albert, this short scenic drive will only take up one day, but there is plenty to do in the area if you want to spend a couple of days here.
La Ronge to Meadow Lake Provincial Park (or vice versa)
Another lovely northern drive takes you from the lake town of La Ronge, on the mighty Lac La Ronge, to the impressive Meadow Lake Provincial Park, home to the famous Boreal Trail.
Most travellers take the straight trip from La Ronge to Prince Albert, but this route gives you an opportunity to meander through some gorgeous forested lake lands and soak in the northern ambiance that you just can’t find anywhere else. The route is remote and serene, and an excellent opportunity to experience the northern wilderness exactly as it is meant to be.
Cypress Hills
Located along the south-west border of the province, Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park offers up easy, accessible drives that will stun you.
Sharing the area with the province of Alberta, hence the name Interprovincial, both the Centre and West Blocks of this gorgeous wilderness park have exceptional routes that offer up amazing viewpoints overlooking the escarpment along Battle Creek Valley.
You can travel all the way to historic Fort Walsh, or along the Gap Road between the two blocks along pretty pastureland. Try the drive between Eastend and Ravenscrag, which follows the Frenchman River Valley – a unique area with slopes lined with badland-like formations. Another route, called Middle Bench Road, will take you higher into the hills, providing panoramic views over the Frenchman River.
For another sedate drive, try Brady Coulee Road, which follows the valley formed by the pretty, meandering Conglomerate Creek. In short, there is more than one scenic drive in this area, easily done by any type of vehicle. It’s a good idea to stop at the Visitor’s Center for a map and directions before heading off to explore.
The Souris River and Southern Saskatchewan
The more off-the-beaten track pathways, the better, and this route is no exception to that. This is a journey that is not well known, but you won’t regret taking the time to enjoy the scenery of the Souris River and the valley.
Starting from the town of Estevan, far in the southern part of the province, you head southeast to the incredible rock formations at Roche Percee, then follow meandering backroads alongside the beautiful Souris River, all the way south of Oxbow to Highway 9. This route gives travellers excellent scenic views, interspersed with historic coal mining sites, landmarks such as Sugarloaf Hill, and unique natural structures including sandstone outcroppings. Take your time and enjoy this drive!
Grasslands National Park
To be honest, like some of the other places listed here, Grasslands National Park has more than one breathtaking drive to enjoy. This is an exceptional area full of rugged buttes, hidden coulees, magnificent badlands, and a plethora of wildlife.
Located in the southern part of the province, Grasslands National Park has several different “blocks” to explore in your vehicle.
Head on over to the West Block to partake of a loop trip through little-travelled parts of the wild backcountry, or try out one of the best scenic drives in the province – the approach to the badlands lookout in the East Block. This drive is nothing short of breathtaking, as the sudden appearance of the valley below from the relatively flat farmlands is a welcome surprise. The road travels along the rim of the valley and allows you to look down upon a spectacular landscape, complete with buttes; gullies formed by natural erosion; shockingly steep hillsides; uniquely shaped hoodoos; and wooded coulees.
Of course, you shouldn’t miss the shortcut route between the two blocks of the park, which is equally stunning. If you have a lot of time to just road trip in the area, you can also drive over to the adjoining Wood Mountain Uplands between the park and Rockglen, where you could almost pick a road at random and not be disappointed. Stop at the Visitor’s Center to get a map of all the roads that you can enjoy in the area.
Thickwood Hills
It seems that no matter where you go in the province, you will find fascinating scenery and beautiful backgrounds that range in landscapes.
The Thickwood Hills, located northeast of The Battlefords, are different from any other area of Saskatchewan. A variety of routes wind through farm land mixed with aspen forest, countless bird-rich wetlands perfect for those who love to travel with a bird book and binoculars, and even large areas which have been set aside as wildlife habitats. One particular route takes you to the mysterious Crooked Bush, where the branches and trunks of the aspen trees are twisted and contorted. It’s a phenomenon which is not seen anywhere else, including in the surrounding areas, so it’s well worth a visit during your scenic drive.
Lake Diefenbaker
The circular route that takes you around the incredibly large Lake Diefenbaker is another must do if you are looking for an awesome scenic route to drive. Here there are some of the most dramatic landforms in the province of Saskatchewan, as well as several parks, historic sites and the lake itself. Start and end at the Visitor’s Center in Douglas Provincial Park to experience a fairly complete circuit.
Take the off-shoots to enjoy small towns and unique places, or spend the night in one of the many campgrounds to make this a multi-day journey.
Great Sand Hills
Starting at the town of Sceptre, you can travel south to the Great Sand Hills – one of the most accessible major sand dunes in Canada. This is a unique 1,900 square kilometre area of active desert-like sand dunes. Native grasses and small clumps of trees such as aspen, willow and sagebrush flank the dune formations, and you might even see some wildlife while visiting or driving by.
Mule deer and antelope are known to frequent this area. If you want to stop, you can park in the main parking lot and enjoy a short walk with interpretive signage about the area while climbing to the top of a sand dune to enjoy the view.
Otherwise, continue your circle route back to Sceptre, passing by some designated prairie wildlife areas and the lovely farmland.
At last someone who sees and knows the Saskatchewan I love