Cypress Hills, Saskatchewan
Accessible Accommodation in a Beautiful Provincial Park
Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park offers a forest setting for year-round outdoor vacations in the southwest corner of Saskatchewan, Canada.
Saskatchewan Offers Many Recreational Choices
Saskatchewan is one of Canada's three prairie provinces, located in between Alberta to the west and Manitoba to the east. With an area of over 650,000 square kilometres, (over 250,000 square miles), and a population of about 1 million people, the province of Saskatchewan has lots of wide open spaces. Among the many choices for outdoor recreation - in comfort - is Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park.
Cypress Hills - A Special Prairie Environment
The Cypress Hills are an unglaciated part of the landscape, found in the southwest corner of Saskatchewan and extending into the southeast corner of Alberta. Geologists, archaeologists and botanists all find these Hills to be unique sources of rocks, artefacts and plant life, some of which are either not found or are very scarce elsewhere.
For the visitor who is not an expert, the Hills are simply a beautiful, calm place with tremendous views of the open prairies, and cool slopes with hidden valleys where the wildlife is plentiful.
Accommodations on the Saskatchewan Side of the Cypress Hills
All year round, the Cypress Park Resort Inn offers a choice of hotel, cabin or condominium accommodation. Some of the condominium units have been partly adapted for wheelchair users, with room to manoevre a chair, and the bathroom on the ground floor of the unit. The stove, sink, fridge and table are standard height.
The park campgrounds each have a few tent sites designed to be accessible to wheelchair users. They have a paved surface around the barbeque and an accessible table. These must be booked ahead. For more information, click on the icon of the wheelchair, in the list of facilities available in the park.
There are accessible washrooms and showers in the campgrounds.
Facilities for Wheelchair Users
In summer, there is a paved trail leading to the beach from the campgrounds. The beach is small but fun for families to gather at for a relaxing day beside the small lake, Loch Levin.
There is an outdoor swimming pool with a wheelchair-accessible changeroom, and a large hot pool in addition to the cool swimming pool.
In winter, one of the popular activities at Cypress Hills is cross-country skiing. While this sport is not a wheelchair sport, it is something that some family members might enjoy. Winter activities for wheelchair users could be rather limited at Cypress Hills in winter, as there can often be much more snow here than in the surrounding prairie area. However, there are fireplaces in the condos, and the cabins are being upgraded. These accommodations (at the Cypress Park Resort Inn) are located in a beautiful, open pine forest. The view is calm and tranquil, and there are usually deer and winter birds in abundance. It's a perfect place to curl up with a good book on a snowy day.
Relief from the Hot Summer Sun
Cypress Hills offers a forest getaway during the blazing hot summer. There are open spaces for sun-lovers as well. The Saskatchewan park management has encouraged the development of a friendly, family resort here. The atmosphere is unhurried and friendly, with a small-town feel.
The long list of available activities includes
- fishing
- swimming
- hiking
- interpretive programs
- biking
- golf and mini-golf
- horseback riding
- tennis
and in the winter
- cross-country skiing and
- snowmobiling.
While most of the activities are summer-only, it is possible to camp here in the winter.
Book Ahead
Whether a visitor requires the accessible campsites or not, it is advisable to book ahead for accommodation in the park, especially on the weekends during July and August.
How to Find Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, Saskatchewan
The closest town is Maple Creek, in the southwest corner of Saskatchewan. Swift Current is a larger centre to the northeast.
Driving within Canada, leave the TransCanada Highway at the turnoff for Maple Creek and follow the signs.
From the U.S.A., the choices are many, depending upon which border crossing is chosen. As some border crossings are only open seasonally, it is best to check with Tourism Saskatchewan or with the U.S. authorities as part of trip planning.
