Porcupine Hills Provincial Park

Porcupine Hills Provincial Park is the newest provincial park in the Canadian Province of Saskatchewan. It was created in 2018[1] through the amalgamation of five pre-existing provincial recreation sites south-east of the town of Hudson Bay.[2]

Porcupine Hills Provincial Park
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
Location of Porcupine Hills Provincial Park within Saskatchewan
Location Saskatchewan
Nearest cityHudson Bay
Coordinates52°27′33″N 102°22′55″W
Established2018
Governing bodySaskatchewan Parks

The park is in the Porcupine Provincial Forest in the Porcupine Hills, which is a geographical feature in eastern Saskatchewan and western Manitoba.

Initial consultation for the creating of the park began in 2011 with local First Nations, Métis people, and other stakeholders to share information, identify concerns, and come up with a name. Porcupine Hills Provincial Park was the overwhelmingly favourite choice.

“Designating this new provincial park is an exciting opportunity for our province,” Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Gene Makowsky said. “As an area known for its natural beauty, this new provincial park will ensure it remains available for camping, fishing, hunting and many more of Saskatchewan’s best-known outdoor activities for generations to come.”

The park's total area is 29,800 hectares (73,637 acres) and is composed of five previously existing recreation parks that were divided between two blocks. The original names for these blocks were Woody River Block and McBride Lake Block. After the creation of the park, these blocks were renamed East Block and West Block with new names to be determined at a later time. The East and West Blocks are quite different in landscape and cultural features with the West Block consisting of open grasslands mixed aspen, birch, and white spruce while the East Block is covered in dense evergreen forests and lakes. The East Block has several campgrounds, a year-round lodge, and a cottage subdivision while the West Block has two campgrounds and three cottage subdivisions. Four of the five original recreation parks are in the West Block. The Woody River Recreation Site plus additional Crown land makes up the East Block.[3]

West Block (McBride Lake Block)
  • McBride Lake Recreation Site[4]

McBride Lake Recreation Site is on the north shore of McBride Lake. The site is accessed by Highway 983.

  • Pepaw Lake Recreation Site[5]

Pepwaw Lake Recreation Site is on the eastern shore of Pepwaw Lake and is accessed by Highway 982.

  • Parr Hill Lake Recreation Site[6]

Parr Hill Lake Recreation Site is on the north-east corner of Parr Hill Lake, just north of Swan River. It is accessed by Highway 982.

  • Saginas Lake Recreation Site[7]

Saginas Lake Recreation Site is located on the north-east corner of Saginas Lake, right beside Pepaw River. Highway 982 runs along the east side of the site. It was formally part of Hudson Bay Regional Park.

East Block (Woody River Block)
  • Woody River Recreation Site[8]

Woody River Recreation Site contains several lakes for fishing and swimming, with the most common fish being walleye, perch, and northern pike. Campsites and picnic areas exist at Spirit, Isbister, Smallfish, and Townsend lakes.[9] The Recreation Site can be reached via Highway 980 or by snowmobile. When travelling by snowmobile from Hudson Bay, there are two warm-up shelters along the way.

Amenities

Rental cabins are available within the park at Moose Range Lodge. Moose Range Lodge also contains a restaurant, gasoline, and groceries. There are several lakes, including Isbister Lake, Townsend Lake, Elbow Lake, Woody Lake, Spirit Lake, Island Lake, and Smallfish Lake. Six of the lakes have a boat launch, and four of them have filleting stations. Hunting, ATVing, and snowmobiling can also be done in the area. The snowmobile trails are connected to Highway 684. There's a 14km-network of trails maintained by the Hudson Bay Trail Riders.[10]

See also

References
  1. "New Provincial Park in Saskatchewan's Porcupine Hills Area | News and Media".
  2. "Porcupine Hills Provincial Park".
  3. "Proposed Provincial Park - Park Name | Past Public Engagement".
  4. Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada. "Place names - McBride Lake Recreation Site". www4.rncan.gc.ca.
  5. Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada. "Place names - Pepaw Lake Recreation Site". www4.rncan.gc.ca.
  6. Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada. "Place names - Parr Hill Lake Recreation Site". www4.rncan.gc.ca.
  7. Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada. "Place names - Saginas Lake Recreation Site". www4.rncan.gc.ca.
  8. Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada. "Place names - Woody River Recreation Site". www4.rncan.gc.ca.
  9. "Greenwater Lake Provincial Park". Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  10. "Hudson Bay Trail Riders Inc" (PDF). Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  •  Canada portal
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