| Porcupine Hills Provincial Park | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
 Townsend Lake | |
  Location of Porcupine Hills Provincial Park within Saskatchewan  Porcupine Hills Provincial Park (Canada) | |
| Location |  Saskatchewan |
| Nearest city | Hudson Bay |
| Coordinates | 52°27′33″N 102°22′55″W / 52.45917°N 102.38194°W |
| Established | 2018 |
| Governing body | Saskatchewan Parks |
Porcupine Hills Provincial Park[1] is the newest provincial park in the Canadian Province of Saskatchewan. It was created in 2018[2] through the amalgamation of five pre-existing provincial recreation sites south-east of the town of Hudson Bay.[3] The park is in the Porcupine Provincial Forest in the Porcupine Hills, which is a geographical feature in eastern Saskatchewan and western Manitoba. The hills are part of a range of hills called the Manitoba Escarpment.
Initial consultation for the creating of the park began in 2011 with local First Nations, Métis people, and other stakeholders to share information, identify concerns, and come up with a name. Porcupine Hills Provincial Park was the overwhelmingly favourite choice.
"Designating this new provincial park is an exciting opportunity for our province," Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Gene Makowsky said. "As an area known for its natural beauty, this new provincial park will ensure it remains available for camping, fishing, hunting and many more of Saskatchewan’s best-known outdoor activities for generations to come."
The park's total area is 29,800 ha (74,000 acres) and is composed of five previously existing recreation parks that were divided between two blocks. The original names for these blocks were Woody River Block and McBride Lake Block. After the creation of the park, these blocks were renamed East Block and West Block with new names to be determined at a later date. The East and West Blocks are quite different in landscape and cultural features with the West Block consisting of open grasslands mixed aspen, birch, and white spruce while the East Block is covered in dense evergreen forests and lakes. The East Block has several campgrounds, a year-round lodge, and a cottage subdivision while the West Block has two campgrounds and three cottage subdivisions. Four of the five original recreation parks are in the West Block. The Woody River Recreation Site plus additional Crown land makes up the East Block.[4]
- ^ "Porcupine Hills Provincial Park". Tourism Saskatchewan. Government of Saskatchewan. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
- ^ "New Provincial Park in Saskatchewan's Porcupine Hills Area | News and Media". Government of Saskatchewan.
- ^ "Porcupine Hills Provincial Park | Town Of Hudson Bay". townofhudsonbay.com. 7 January 2021.
- ^ "Proposed Provincial Park - Park Name | Past Public Engagement". Archived from the original on 22 February 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2021.