Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park sits on the highest point of land between the Rockies and Labrador — a plateau that rises above the surrounding prairie to about 1400 metres elevation. The Alberta side (Elkwater) gets more attention. The Saskatchewan side gets less, which makes it better to camp at.

The Loch Leven campground on the Saskatchewan side is what you’re heading to. Loch Leven is a small lake tucked in the hills, surrounded by spruce and fir and lodgepole pine — the kind of tree cover you don’t see anywhere else in Saskatchewan. If you’ve only camped in the parkland north of Saskatoon or the flat prairie parks in the southeast, Cypress Hills looks foreign. It looks like the foothills of Alberta got dropped 150 km east of where they belong.

Getting there

From Saskatoon it’s about 4.5 hours — south on Hwy 11 to Moose Jaw, then west on Hwy 1 to Swift Current, then south on Hwy 21. From Regina it’s about 3.5 hours, same general route but quicker to Swift Current. Swift Current is your last major supply stop. There’s a Co-op and Canadian Tire there. Maple Creek is the town at the base of the hills — it’s worth a stop, small cowboy town, has a Co-op and gas and is about 30 km north of the park on Hwy 21. Super fun toy store is famous, if it is open, go there!

Do not confuse the Saskatchewan side with the Alberta side. Elkwater, Alberta is a completely different park system under Alberta Parks. The Saskatchewan side is booked through parks.saskatchewan.ca and is what I’m describing here. GPS sometimes tries to route you to Elkwater. Watch the signs from Maple Creek.

The campground

Loch Leven campground has full-service, electrical, and non-electrical sites around the lake. It’s smaller than the big prairie campgrounds — this is a more intimate setting because the terrain forces it. Treed sites with real privacy between them, which is not always the case at the flat-prairie parks where you can see your neighbour’s campfire from 30 metres away.

The Fort Walsh National Historic Site is about 35 km west of Maple Creek on a gravel road — a reconstructed North-West Mounted Police fort, free to Parks Canada pass holders. Worth the side trip on a full day.

The dark sky

Cypress Hills is a dark sky preserve. The elevation and isolation from city light make the night sky genuinely remarkable. Bring a red-light headlamp if you’re into stargazing — white light kills your night vision. In August, the Perseid meteor shower peaks and the plateau is one of the better places in Saskatchewan to watch it. This was a hit with my kids, and they loved going out into the VERY dark.

Weather

Cypress Hills is consistently cooler than the surrounding prairie — typically 5°C cooler than Swift Current on a summer day. In July when Swift Current is 32°C, you might be looking at 25°C up on the plateau, which is genuinely comfortable camping weather. The evenings cool to the mid-teens. Bring a real sleeping bag — not the summer cotton thing. Mornings can be cold even in July.

The hills also get more precipitation than the surrounding prairie. Rain in August is a real possibility. The trails get muddy. Pack a rain jacket and don’t bring white shoes.

Booking

Cypress Hills is in the third tier of the provincial parks reservation schedule — April 16 in 2026, (changes yearly) two days after the first wave. Demand is lower than the central Saskatchewan beach parks because it’s further from the main population centres and the drive is longer. You can often get a good site here with less competition than Candle Lake or Moose Mountain. Still book on April 16 if you want the July long weekend — it does fill.

The honest assessment

Cypress Hills is the best park in Saskatchewan for camping purely for the environment. The landscape is unique in the province, the trees are real trees, the dark sky is excellent, and the elevation keeps it comfortable in summer heat. The drive from Saskatoon is the barrier, but it’s the same length as Moose Mountain or Duck Mountain and the experience is different enough to justify it. Did I mention the lack of bugs? The high elevation (like Kenosee at Moose Mountain) means a lower amount of mosquitos and flies. Just my take.

One gripe: the Loch Leven beach is not a swimming beach in the way that Good Spirit Lake or Candle Lake is. The lake is cold even in July — it doesn’t get the heat a shallow prairie lake gets. If swimming is the point of the trip, go elsewhere. If the landscape and the cooler temperature and the trees are the point, Cypress Hills is the best choice in the province.