Camping & Hiking · Fishing · Saskatchewan
A cluster of small, strikingly coloured lakes in Saskatchewan's Narrow Hills area, with a scenic hiking loop, swimming, fishing, canoeing and rustic backcountry campsites. Bring bug spray, and expect no cell signal.
Gem Lakes is a group of small glacial lakes in the jack pine forest near Narrow Hills Provincial Park, and visitors say it proves Saskatchewan isn't all flat prairie. The water colours are the draw, and hikers describe the trail as going from one great view to the next. Wildlife is common, and one group spotted a family of otters.
The trail network runs roughly 5 to 8.5 km depending on the route, with some elevation changes. Reviewers call it well groomed but challenging, taking anywhere from an hour for the short loop to half a day for the full circuit. It's mostly easy to follow, but a junction or two can be confusing, so snap a photo of the map. Facilities are rustic, with open-air toilets.
Visitors swim, fish and paddle here, and reaching the other lakes means portaging. There are backcountry tent sites for a night or two, and day visitors staying at the Narrow Hills campground find it an easy drive. It's especially pretty in fall.
This is wild country. Mosquitoes and horse flies can be extreme, there's no cell signal, and one solo camper at site S2 had a bear visit their tent before dawn. Carry bear spray, water and offline maps.
Summarised from visitor reviews on Google Maps. Based on 80 Google reviews. Details change — confirm hours, prices and bookings with Gem Lakes directly.
