Fifty-one kilometres north of the city, Prince Albert National Park protects nearly 3,900 square kilometres of boreal forest, lakes, and wetlands — the transition zone where the great northern forest meets the grasslands of the south. Canada designated it a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve; it remains one of the few places in North America where you can watch white pelicans nesting on an island they have used for centuries, hear wolves calling at dusk, and encounter a free-roaming bison herd without a fence between you.
The park's southern zone is accessible by road, with day hikes around Waskesiu Lake and longer backcountry routes that take canoeists deep into the interior. The Amiskowan Trail and the Boundary Bog boardwalk are good introductions; the Grey Owl Trail (20 km return from Kingsmere Lake) leads to the most famous cabin in Canadian conservation history.
Entry requires a Parks Canada Discovery Pass or a daily vehicle permit. The main visitor centre is at Waskesiu.