Southwest Saskatchewan is full of incredible landscapes and wonders of nature, but the location I was able to visit was particularly distinct. The Great Sandhills are a sight straight out of an old western movie, with seemingly no connection to the thousands of miles of surrounding fertile land.

 Upon entering The Great Sandhills Museum and Interpretive Centre,  I was blown away by the detail, variety, and sheer amount of exhibits. The museum boasted hundreds of varying artifacts from the small town of Sceptre and surrounding area, including historical pieces related to the sandhills, sports, military, medicine, wildlife, indigenous life, and ranch life. 

Just a short drive south of Sceptre took me to the northernmost point of the 15,000 year old sand deposit left by glaciers during the Wisconsin Ice Age, which covers 1,900 square kilometres. Walking through the fine sands lends a very alien feeling to a prairie-dweller like me,  and was certainly an experience to remember. The wind rushing over the dunes creates the most beautiful streams of sand, and allows you to watch your footprints disappear behind you.(many of us have only witnessed that spectacle in harsh blizzards.) 

There were a few creatures who enjoyed the sandhills with me, including many types of birds, a fox, and some cattle who graze the area for seven months a year. I was not lucky enough to capture an image of the rare Ord’s Kangaroo Rat, which is very seldom seen, and almost never in the daytime.

Overall, I would say the sandhills and the museum in Sceptre are both must-sees. The dunes truly are a natural phenomenon unlike any I have ever seen, and the museum supplements their beauty with science, along with a great collection of rare and unique artifacts.