Great Sand Hills

Great Sand Hills
The Great Sand Hills
Highest point
Elevation727 m (2,385 ft)[1]
Prominence20 m (66 ft)[2]
Coordinates50°41′54″N 109°17′15″W / 50.6984°N 109.2876°W / 50.6984; -109.2876
Dimensions
Area1,900 km2 (730 sq mi)
Geography
Great Sand Hills is located in Saskatchewan
Great Sand Hills
Great Sand Hills
Location in Saskatchewan
Great Sand Hills is located in Canada
Great Sand Hills
Great Sand Hills
Great Sand Hills (Canada)
LocationSaskatchewan, Canada
Rural municipalitiesRM of Clinworth No. 230
Geology
Formed byGlaciation
Age of rock12,000
Mountain typeSand dune

The Great Sand Hills,[3] also spelt Great Sandhills, are sand dunes in the south-west region of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The Great Sand Hills are the second largest active dunes in Saskatchewan, after Athabasca Sand Dunes, and are part of Great Sandhills Ecological Reserve,[4] which covers an area of about 1,900 km2 (730 sq mi). The sands that make up the dunes are made up of very finely ground sand called rock flour that were deposited near the end of the last ice age. The region around the sand hills is often windy and, as a result, the wind blows the fine sands around creating an ever-changing landscape.[5]

Swift Current, the fifth largest city in Saskatchewan, is 159 kilometres (99 mi) to the south-east while Leader, the closest town, is 38 kilometres (24 mi) to the north-west. Access is from Sceptre, which is 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north of the hills. Sceptre is home to the Great Sandhills Museum & Interpretive Centre.[6]

  1. ^ "Maps showing Great Sand Hills, Saskatchewan". Canmaps. Yellow Maps. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  2. ^ "The Great Sandhills". Great Sandhills Museum. Great Sandhills Museum. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Great Sand Hills". Canadian Geographical Names Database. Government of Canada. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  4. ^ "Unique Places to visit in Saskatchewan". To Do Canada. 21 July 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Great Sandhills". Tourism Swift Current. Tourism Swift Current. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  6. ^ "Welcome to the Great Sandhills Museum & Interpretive Centre". Great Sandhills Museum. Great Sandhills Museum. Retrieved 5 August 2022.