Like the Wild West of the United States, the prairies and west of Canada abound with ghost towns - many of which have largely been lost to history. One of the most rewarding ghost town road trips to enjoy in Canada is the Ghost Town Trail in Southern Saskatchewan.

Ghost towns are a great way to learn about the history of the region. Learn about the "Old West," "Wild West," and even the "Last Best West" through the tale told by the ghost towns there today. The best-preserved ghost town in Canada is Val-Jalbert in Quebec (and it has a stunning waterfall).

Saskatchewan & Canadian Prairies - The Last Best West

Development for Saskatchewan came fairly late. For a long time, it was part of what was really the Wild West of Canada (just a rather chillier one).

The settlement and development of the Canadian prairie region tended to develop later than their American counterparts to the south. The heyday of this western settlement was from around 1896 to the start of the First World War in 1914 (which prevented people from leaving Europe).

• Heyday Of Settlement: 1896 to 1914

The phrase "Last Best West" was used for marketing the Canadian prairies to encourage immigrants to settle in the largely empty vast region in the middle of Canada. At that time, Canada and the US weren't the friendly neighbors they are today, and there were fears that American settlers would steam over the border, settle the region, and weaken Canada's claim to them.

Most of the best land in the USA had been taken, and the American frontier had been declared closed by 1890. This meant that the prairies of Canada were the last habitable region left largely unpopulated by Europeans.

The marketing program "the Last Best West" was so successful that Canada was able to form the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan out of the North-West Territories in just nine years.

Related: Saskatchewan Vs. Alberta: Which Canadian Wilderness?

History Of Canada's Saskatchewan Province

Saskatchewan sits to the north of Montana and North Dakota and has a population of around 1.2 million. The province is famous for its vast flat southern prairies (although the northern half is mostly forested and very sparsely populated).

Europeans first arrived in the area in 1690, and the first settlements date from 1774. Saskatchewan became a province of Canada in 1905, having been carved out of the vast North-West Territories.

After the Louisiana Purchase, parts of southern Saskatchewan were claimed by the United States but were ceded to Britain in 1818 when the two expanding countries managed to work out their borders. Today it is full of ghost towns offering a Canadian version of the American Wild West ghost towns to the south.

Related: These Excursions In Saskatchewan Were Made For Adventurous Travelers

Have An Epic Road Trip On The Saskatchewan Ghost Town Trail

The Saskatchewan Ghost Town Trail is some 675 miles or 1,087 kilometers long and follows Saskatchewan Highway 13. The trail goes from Govenlock to Wauchope and connects 32 ghost towns. Highway 13 is known as the historic Red Coat Trail.

• Length: 675 Miles
• Road: Saskatchewan Highway 13

The 32 ghost towns of the Saskatchewan Ghost Town Trail are: Altawan, Govenlock, Senate, Vidora, Olga, Ravenscrag, Neighbour, South Fork, Instow, Scotsguard, Crichton, Gouverneur, Meyronne, Melaval, Valor, Arkwick, Willows, Readlyn, Verwood, Horizon, Glasnevin, Wallace, Amulet, Khedive, Forward, Axford, Trossachs, Tatagwa, Hume, Griffin, Froude, Forget, Armilla, Freemantle, Steppes, and Wauchope.

It is not possible to go into detail here about each ghost town - each has its own story from boom to bust. Some towns only ever had a population of around 60 or so inhabitants, while larger ones peaked at around 1,250 residents.

Examples Of Ghost Towns On The Saskatchewan Ghost Town Trail

Today some of these towns have almost completely disappeared, with only plaques and the marking where the bustling hamlets once stood.

Ghost Town Of Forward

The Town of Forward was one of the larger ghost towns along the Ghost Town Trail. It is marked by a cairn 43 kilometers west of Weyburn along Highway 13. It once had a population of around 1200 and had a lumberyard, notary public, printing-publishing shop, post office, implement agency, jail, school, church, drugstore, cafe, Firehall, blacksmith, and livery barn.

A plaque there reads:

Forward gradually declined. Structures were not rebuilt after fires. It lacked a grain elevator and other towns growing along the railway provided competition. The last house was removed from the site in 1966.

Ghost Town Of Scotsguard

Soctsguard is a ghost town 10 kilometers northeast of Shaunavon. While the town's six-grain elevators have been demolished, some buildings of the settlement do survive today. In 2020 only two people lived in Scotsguard, and they had acquired most of the land there as the residents left and work to preserve the ghost town as a museum today.

When many people think of Canada, they may think of the majestic Canadian Rockies of British Columbia and far western Alberta (that is where famous Canadian national parks like Banff, Jasper, and Yoho are found). Or people may think of the low rolling hills of Ontario or the charming fishing villages of the Maritimes. But Saskatchewan is none of that. It occupies the northern extension of the Great Plains of North America.

When To Go And What To Expect Of The Climate & Geography Of Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan is the only province of Canada without a natural border. Its borders drawn over the plains in longitudinal and latitudinal lines. The province is in the shape of a large rectangle (or, more accurately, a trapezoid). To the south, it borders the states of Montana and North Dakota - so to find Saskatchewan, head up to North Dakota and then keep on going. So if one thinks that the sweeping plains and the badlands of the Dakotas are worth visiting, then continue up and see the Canadian extension of the region.

Almost all of the population of the province occupies the southern prairies (few live in the massive boreal forests to the north).

In terms of climate, the province is actually the sunniest province in Canada. The summers are warm as it has a humid continental in the central and southern parts of the province. To the north, the climate becomes subarctic. The summers can get above 38 °C (100 °F) but the winters can get bitterly cold.

• Hottest Temperature: 45 °C (113 °F)
• Coldest Temperature: −56.7 °C (−70.1 °F)

It is also noted for its thunderstorms during the early spring to the late summer. For those with a love of lightning, the location in the world that experiences the most lightning strikes is Maracaibo Lake in Venezuela.