I admit to not having traversed the Qu’Appelle Valley in its entirety, yet. However, even the small areas I have not personally been to I have travelled at ‘street level’ in Google Maps. If you have not tried this it is a great way to do ‘virtual travel’.
Getting to the most beautiful spots, though, the decision is fairly easy.
Number One is The Little Church in the Valley, aka St. Nicholas. This is easily the most beautiful location in the entire 300 km drive.
Number Two is an easy choice too. The small town of Lumsden takes that position.
Lumsden is now almost a bedroom community of Regina but still retains its own character.
Not to be missed while visiting Lumsden is the cafe/restaurant named Jane Dough’s. You can grab a good coffee and breakfast or lunch there for a low cost.
The Qu’Appelle River flows through this small town. People are friendly and there is a lot to see and do.
In third place is the route from Katepwa South to Ellisboro, including that cute historical burg. The route is called the Fort Ellis Trail and it is a good one.
Mostly very narrow and gravelled, it is not great for large RV’s, or in bad weather. As you can see below, it is a ‘dry weather road’. But if you do get good weather, it is a route not to be missed and culminates in the very scenic valley that contains Ellisboro. Definitely worth the trip.
One of my favourite photos was taken in that area, and to me, it sums up the feeling of the valley better than any other photo. It is very welcoming.
Rural, remote, sparsely populated, everything I love in one photo.
Ellisboro has two churches and two houses. Small but beautiful and, as with most of the Qu’Appelle Valley, it is great for photographers.
This is the first view I had of Ellisboro, approaching from the West. In this scene, the red and white church pictured above would be on the left (North) side.
