Is it fair to say that Saskatchewan is best known for flat prairie landscapes and wide open skies? That may be so, but the boreal forest of northern Saskatchewan offers a completely different part of the province! If you have the chance to visit Prince Albert National Park, check out the iconic Grey Owl Trail for a one-of-a-kind backpacking route to Grey Owl’s cabin. This has to be one of the best hikes near Saskatoon!
Last Updated: February 5, 2024
In September 2021, I found myself in Prince Albert National Park with my friends, Brendan and Matt. We planned to hike to the historic Grey Owl’s Cabin along the Grey Owl Trail over a couple of days. After picking up our backcountry permits, we left the Parks Canada Visitor Centre in Waskesiu and made our way to the Grey Owl Trailhead. I was pleasantly surprised to discover a completely different side of Saskatchewan!
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Table of Contents
About Grey Owl Trail — Unmissable Hiking in Saskatchewan
Location: Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan
Distance: 42 km out and back
Difficulty: Moderate (due to length)
Elevation: 260 metre gain
Time: 2 days
Dog-friendly: Yes, but dogs must be kept on a leash.
Features: In northern Saskatchewan’s boreal forest, Grey Owl Trail is an iconic backpacking route with multiple campgrounds beside the impressive Kingsmere Lake. Admire the lake from lookout points along the way, and find beach access to get up close to Kingsmere. Grey Owl Trail’s popularity largely comes from the historic cabin on Ajawaan Lake, an easy side trip from Northend Campground. If you’re looking for an adventure, Grey Owl’s Trail is one of the best hikes in Saskatchewan!
Grey Owl Trail Map
Finding the Trailhead
Finding the Grey Owl Trailhead is quite straightforward. If you’re coming from Saskatoon, drive north on Highway 11 until Prince Albert and then continue north on Highway 2. About 75 km after Prince Albert, head west on Highway 264 until reaching Waskesiu Lake — both the name of the town and the large lake in Prince Albert National Park. Highway 264 turns into Kingsmere Road for about 33 km to the Kingsmere parking lot. There’s an outhouse next to the parking area, and this is also the boat launch for Kingsmere Lake.
Read next: Your Complete Guide to the Bagwa Canoe Route in Saskatchewan
Prince Albert National Park Reservations
When I visited in 2021, Prince Albert National Park’s backcountry campsites could only be reserved in person at the Parks Canada Visitor Centre in Waskesiu. Furthermore, all backcountry campgrounds required same-day bookings. PANP backcountry sites are still not available for online reservations. Therefore, planning your Prince Albert Park backcountry camping trip is somewhat tricky, as your preferred sites may not be available. I suggest arriving with a plan B (and even plan C) during peak season. Thankfully, Labour Day Weekend wasn’t too crowded and we were able to book campsites for our route.
At the Parks Canada Visitor Centre in Waskesiu, reserve your campsites and pick up your backcountry permit. You’ll also need a Parks Canada Discovery Pass or a day pass before heading out. Purchase your pass online or at the visitor centre.
Note: Call the Parks Canada Visitor Centre in Waskesiu at 1-306-663-4522 the day before your arrival to find out which sites are available. That may help you determine the likelihood of booking your desired campsites. Then plan to arrive first thing in the morning to reserve available sites.
2-Day Grey Owl Trail Itinerary — Best Hiking in Saskatchewan
Given our availability, we planned to hike Grey Owl Trail over two days. If you can swing it, you may want to consider planning three or four days for a slower hiking pace through the beautiful boreal forest along Kingsmere Lake. But if you’re strapped for time, you can certainly have an enjoyable two-day trip.
Here is our 2-day itinerary on the Grey Owl Trail:
Day 1 — Trailhead to Northend Campground (18 KM)
Side trip to Grey Owl’s Cabin (6 KM roundtrip)
Day 2 — Northend Campground to Trailhead (18 KM)
We chose to spend only one night at Northend Campground. There are several other campgrounds along Grey Owl Trail, though Northend is the largest option. That being said, backpackers can easily turn this into a three or even four-day trip.
As a second itinerary option, if you can’t book Northend, Sandy Beach Campground is also a lovely spot. You could hike into Sandy Beach, set up camp, and then hike the roundtrip to Grey Owl’s Cabin in one day. Then hike out the next day or enjoy more time on the trail. Remember to make your reservation before you go camping in Prince Albert National Park.
Grey Owl Trail Distances
| KM | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Grey Owl Trailhead | |
| 3.3 | Westwind Group Campground | 2 single and 2 double campsites. Group camping for educational groups (24 people). Outhouse, fire pit, and bear cache available. |
| 6.7 | Chipewyan Portage Campground | 1 single and 1 double campsites. Outhouse, fire pit, and bear cache available. |
| 12.8 | Sandy Beach Campground | 2 single and 1 double campsites. Outhouse, fire pit, and bear cache available. |
| 16.8 | Northend Campground and Group Camping | 4 single and 1 double campsites. Group camping for educational purposes (24 people). Outhouse, fire pit, and bear cache available. Shared kitchen shelter. Large sandy beach. |
| 19.8 | Grey Owl’s Cabin | No camping. |
All backcountry campgrounds on the Grey Owl Trail offer sand or gravel tent sites, outhouses, picnic table and fire pit at each site, bear cache, and firewood.
Day 1 — Grey Owl Trailhead to Northend Campground (18 KM)
After double-checking our gear, we left the Grey Owl Trailhead around 10:30am on Saturday. Not a bad start to Labour Day Weekend, with crisp summer air and leaves beginning to turn. Hiking from the trailhead to Northend Campground took about 6 hours and over 18 km, including a lunch break by the lake and plenty of photo stops. By the time we arrived at Northend Campground, there wasn’t too much time to waste before sunset. We quickly set up our tents (I brought the Marmot Tungsten 2-Person Ultralight), tossed our food on top of the bear cache, left our heavy packs (I brought my Osprey Kestrel 68-litre), and hastily set off for Grey Owl’s Cabin.
Read next: Jasper Skyline Trail: 3 Days Backpacking in the Rockies
Northend Campground to Grey Owl’s Cabin (6 KM)
From Northend Campground, it’s definitely worth the 6 km roundtrip hike to Grey Owl’s Cabin. This historic hiking in Saskatchewan attracts plenty of visitors, and you’ll have to put in some extra effort to reach this idyllic location. As Grey Owl writes, “Far enough away to gain seclusion, yet within reach of those whose genuine interest prompts them to make the trip, Beaver Lodge extends a welcome to you if your heart is right.” I can’t say for certain, but I think my heart was right when we visited.
Who is this Grey Owl character? Archibald Stansfeld Belaney (AKA Grey Owl) is known as Canada’s first naturalist, a trailblazing conservationist, and… an imposter. Born in England in 1888, Archibald moved to Canada when he was 17 years old, married an Ojibwa woman, and followed the life he had always wanted. Portraying himself as an Indigenous person (more than a little controversial), he would hunt, trap, and canoe his days away in northern Ontario. He eventually moved to Ajawaan Lake in Saskatchewan.
Despite the controversy, Grey Owl is credited with saving the Canadian beaver from extinction, and you can see where two beavers, Jelly Roll and Rawhide, lived with Grey Owl and his wife in their cabin. The second cabin up on the hill is where Archibald’s wife, Anahareo, lived when she was tired of sharing her home with beavers.
Read next: 2-Day Goat Lake Hike and Avion Ridge in Waterton Park
Northend Campground — Camping Prince Albert National Park
If you’re backpacking Grey Owl Trail, I highly recommend staying at Northend Campground. You can book individual campsites at the Visitor Centre, but it’s difficult to know which campsites are which with limited signage. Even so, we found a place to pitch our tents. In Northend Campground, there are four individual campsites (two single, two double) and group camping as well. Northend is the largest and most well-equipped campground on Grey Owl Trail, with two outhouses, picnic tables and fire pits at each campsite, and access to firewood. Northern has a food storage platform (bear cache) and a shared kitchen shelter. Most impressive were the stars above Kingsmere Lake; the best and brightest I had seen in years!
Read next: Amisk Wuche Trail: Short Elk Island Hike in Alberta
Day 2 — Northend Campground to Grey Owl Trailhead (18 KM)
After a good night’s rest at Northend Campground, we packed up our gear and started the 18-km hike back to the Grey Owl Trailhead. I had planned to paddle the Bagwa Canoe Route later that day, so I needed to have an early start. The three of us said goodbye to Northend around 9:30am and arrived in the Grey Owl parking lot before 3:00pm. We had taken a few decent breaks along the way. Give yourself between 5 to 6 hours to complete this return trip.
Grey Owl Trail Packing List
Are you wondering what to pack for the Grey Owl Trail? Here’s my packing list:
- Tent
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping pad
- Sleeping bag liner
- Hammock
- Siltarp
- Hiking boots
- Rain shell
- Rain pants
- Jetboil camp stove
- Pots
- Campsuds soap
- 2L water reservoir
- Nalgene water bottle
- Trekking poles
- Lighter / matches / flint
- Thermos
- Spork
- Sunscreen
- Bug spray
- Toilet paper
- Towel
- Toothbrush + toothpaste
- Water filter
- Headlamp
- Knife
- First aid kit
- Merino wool t-shirt
- Long sleeve shirt
- Pants
- Shorts
- Merino wool underwear
- Merino wool socks
- Down jacket
- Fleece sweater
- Warm hat / gloves
- Map / compass
- Zoleo satellite comms
- Powerbank
- Backcountry permit
- Meals / snacks
- Bear spray
Know Before You Go
Parks Pass: Purchase a Parks Canada Discovery Pass or a day pass before heading out. You can buy online or at the visitor centre in Waskesiu.
Parking: You’ll find a large parking area at the Grey Owl Trailhead, with an outhouse nearby.
Toilets: Outhouses are available at the Grey Owl Trailhead and in the backcountry campgrounds on Grey Owl Trail. When you’re not near an outhouse, practice Leave No Trace principles by burying your waste far enough away from trails and water sources. Bring a lightweight trowel just in case.
Campsites: Hikers must reserve backcountry campsites before heading out. You’ll find four backcountry campgrounds on the Grey Owl Trail.
Bugs: Autumn may be preferable to summer in Prince Albert National Park. Why’s that? One word… mosquitoes! If you decide to visit in the summer, bring a bug jacket and bug repellent along. We saw very few bugs during our September visit. The weather was perfect, the bugs were few!
Paddling: While Grey Owl makes a great beginner backpacking route, it’s also possible to reach these campsites from the water. If you’re a paddler, pack your canoe or kayak and head up the east side of Kingsmere Lake for some great camping. Parks Canada recommends 3 hours (on a calm day) to paddle from the boat launch to Northend Campground. You could even portage 600 metres to Ajawaan Lake to visit Grey Owl’s Cabin.
Leave No Trace: Remember to pack out all your garbage and leave no trace. And please, always pick up after your pet. Bring a smell-proof bag to pack out dog poo.
Safety: It’s always important to come prepared with the right gear. In the shoulder season, bring multiple layers, including an insulated jacket for the cooler evenings. Also, black bears frequent this trail; we saw a big pile of fresh scat. Bring bear spray and know how to use it.
Have you hiked Grey Owl Trail in Prince Albert National Park? What was your experience like? Leave a comment below!
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Thomas Coldwell has always been fond of the outdoors. He loves hiking, paddling, and camping, and thoroughly enjoys creating outdoor adventure resources for people like you. Originally from Nova Scotia, Thomas has lived in four Canadian provinces (NS, NB, ON, AB) and has travelled in 20 countries and counting.
