The city of bridges has a lot of places to enjoy a good walk, no matter what the season. Take a drive to the outer reaches, or enjoy one of the neighbourhoods and the lovely river valley. Each place has its benefits and gives walkers the chance to get outside to spend some time in the fresh air and lovely scenery that encompasses the city. Walking outside helps support both mental and physical health and allows you to spend time in natural surroundings and even catch a glimpse or two of local wildlife.
1. The Meewasin Valley Trail
Well-known to locals, this trail actually covers about 90 kilometers all together and runs through the heart of Saskatoon. With kilometre upon kilometre of paved paths, you can enjoy the trail both inside and outside the city, walking alongside the South Saskatchewan River.
Perfect for families, just grab your stroller, walking, shoes, and spirit for adventure and get hiking. Access points are found throughout the city, with maps and interpretive signage along the route. Choose your start point and wind your way under bridges, through landscaped parks, and along the river. Every step will make you glad to be there. Meewasin Map
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2. Beaver Creek Conservation Area
Okay, technically this walk is not in the city itself, but it is close enough to count! Beaver Creek offers a range of hikes such as the Discovery Trail at just under a kilometer, to the longer3.2-kilometer Living Sky Trail. The terrain is hilly, treed, and comes with all the beauty that nature has to offer. This is probably not the best trail system if you have a stroller, as trails can be narrow and have stairs at times.
If the Interpretive Centre is open you can take a moment to explore the (man-made) beaver den and grab some birdseed to feed the chickadees. If you’re still and calm enough, the birds will come to you and eat right out of your hand. Check opening hours before you head out. BCCA Map (PDF)
13 km South on Highway 219
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3. Chief Whitecap Park Trail
This easy to moderate walk starts at the parking lot near Riverside Golf & Country Club, or, if you prefer at Diefenbaker Park near the Gordie Howe Bridge. The lovely trail will take you from the bridge to Chief Whitecap Park, which is a 3 kilometer walk each way. Go as far as you want and just enjoy the views of the open prairie, Yorath Island, and the South Saskatchewan River. If you are a pet owner you will be happy to know that dogs are allowed off-leash on this section of the trail.
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4. Cranberry Flats Conservation Area
A popular destination for families and outdoor lovers of Saskatoon, you can choose to enjoy a saunter down the easy boardwalk or head off into wilder territory by taking one of the trails down to the riverbank. Be careful, the trails off the boardwalk can be steep. Take some time to soak up the gorgeous vistas of the South Saskatchewan River and Wilson Shepley Island.
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5. Broadway Neighbourhood
If you long to walk somewhere bolder, why not venture onto Broadway? This dynamic area is rich in the arts, locally owned retail stores, unique locals, small cafes, lovely restaurants, interesting art galleries and fun pubs. Break up your walk with a coffee or something sweet, a meal, a visit or some shopping. Or, simply enjoy the atmosphere and walk to your hearts content.
6. The Great Trail
This multi-use trail is part of a larger network that came out of a dream to connect Canada. Stretching almost 24,000 kilometers across the country, it links over 1000 communities and is the largest trail system in the world.
The Great Trail enters Saskatoon from the north parallel with Wanuskewin Road, jogging over to start following the river’s western shore by the Silverwood Golf Course. From there it continues south through Meewasin Park, eventually reaching the Kinsmen Park area. It continues from there through the downtown core and River Landing. Here it crosses the river over to the east side at the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge and enters Rotary Park.
It heads south through Gabriel Dumont Park, where The Great Trail pavilion showcases more than 4000 names in support of this great legacy. It then crosses Diefenbaker Park and then out of city limits, finishing its Meewasin leg at Chief Whitecap Park. Walk a little or walk the entire 20 kilometers, we know you will enjoy every stride this winter.
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7. Meewasin Northeast Swale
An ancient river channel that starts at Peturrson’s Ravine, the Meewasin Northeast Swale carves its way along a 26-kilometer path next to the South Saskatchewan River. While you might not be able to see everything in the dead of winter, the greater swale has signs of human habitation and use over the past several centuries, including a remnant section of the Moose Woods – Batoche Trail, Middleton’s staging camp on the trek to the Battle of Batoche, the site of the telegraph line that linked North America to Europe by way of Russia, the site of the old town of Clarkboro and tipi rings from the encampments of the original residents of the Saskatoon area. Not to mention the more recent archeological remains, which are the lime kilns near the swale and the holes left by the movement of large limestones used to build the University of Saskatchewan. Take a walk and soak up the history of the area. Map of the Swale (PDF)
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8. Saskatoon Natural Grasslands
This 34-acre parcel of grasslands lies within the area known as Silverspring. Located in the northeast sector of Saskatoon, just 8 kilometres from the city centre along the South Saskatchewan River, this is a great place to get out for a walk if you are looking for something close and unique. The fescue grassland is not just grass, but an ecosystem – a complex association of grasses, flowering and non-flowering plants, birds, animals, and insects representing 10,000 years of natural history since the glaciers receded.
9. Gabriel Dumont Park
A lovely park filled with paved and non-paved walking trails. Appropriate for walking with pets or strollers, this area can be busy at times when the weather is nice, but all in all, is a pretty and peaceful area in which to spend time this winter. There are flush toilets available, which are very convenient if you are out with small children.
715 Saskatchewan Crescent W, Saskatoon
10. Wanuskewin Heritage Park
Again, not located right in the city, but only minutes away. You will come across a range of hiking opportunities that will inspire you to return again and again. The beautiful prairies hold such history and it takes little imagination to take yourself back to the time when the prairie peoples walked these same plains. There are 6 kilometers of connected trails that take you through historical areas and lovely scenery. Keep in mind that there is an entrance fee and you need to check open and close times before heading out.
Off Highway 11 on Wanuskewin Rd.
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11. Cosmopolitan Park
This is probably one of the best spots to get up close and personal with the bridges of the city. The trails meander along the riverside, with beautiful views of the various bridges and the city’s incredible buildings that line the river. You will be able to spend some enjoyable hours exploring the paths and the bridges!
725 Saskatchewan Crescent E
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12. Harold Tatler Parks
Located in the Nutana Park neighbourhood, there are two parks with walking trails to enjoy here – Harold Tatler Park South and Harold Tatler Park North. The South part offers up beautiful walking paths through 9.2 acres of parkland, and the North park includes 21.1 acres of area to enjoy. The neighborhood takes pride in their piece of nature here and you can tell. A lovely mixture of trees and open spaces make this a perfect place for a walk.
2591 Jarvis Dr #2545
13. The Weir
Created as a make-work project in the 1930’s the Weir is now used as a sightseeing lookout and a great place for birdwatching. This is a very well-developed area in which to take a walk, as it is part of the Meewasin Valley Trail network. There are plenty of benches on which to take a rest, and informative plaques and lookout points to enjoy. Once you have checked out the Weir itself, you can continue your walk to hike up a set of stairs to the railway bridge for some awesome views or connect to the continuing network of trails that lead from here.
Spadina Crescent E
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14. River Landing
With its downtown location, this is an easy place to get to and surprisingly can offer up a long walk for those looking to spend a nice amount of time outdoors this winter. This is part of the same area that the Weir is located in, so you can easily combine walks in the area. With a lovely atmosphere, the paved paths take you right alongside the riverbank and provide some peace and quiet amidst the city.
Spadina Crescent E
15. Arbor Creek
This neighbourhood is home to five different parks varying in sizes, so if you don’t mind walking some of the city streets in between, hitting up all five parks and their walking paths makes for a good day out. Kaplan Green only has 0.6 acres, but the parks get larger in size from there – Beckett Green Pocket Park has 1.8 acres, Budz Green Pocket Park covers 2.1 acres, Arbor Creek Linear Park provides 7.0 acres of space to explore and the Arbor Creek Neighbourhood Park covers an amazing 20.7 acres. The open spaces of the parks provide a great place to get out and get walking this winter.
Kenderdine Rd