Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park Explained

Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park
Iucn Category:II
Photo Width:255
Map:Saskatchewan#Canada
Relief:yes
Map Width:255
Nearest City:Yorkton, Saskatchewan
Established:1931
Governing Body:Saskatchewan Parks

Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park[1] is a provincial park on the eastern side of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Founded in 1931, the park surrounds the western and southern shores of Good Spirit Lake[2] and is one of Saskatchewan's six founding provincial parks.[3] The park is in the RM of Good Lake No. 274, about north of the city of Yorkton. Highway 47 runs along the western boundary and Highway 229 provides access to the park's amenities.

Attractions and activities at the park include campgrounds, picnicking, boating, swimming, and hiking through sand dunes.[4] Within the park is the Donald Gunn cottage subdivision.[5] Two kilometres south of the park at Good Spirit Acres is Good Spirit Golf Resort.[6]

Attractions and amenities

There are three campgrounds with over 200 sites at Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park. Every campsite at Balsam Campground has electrical hookups while Sandy Ridge and Aspen Campgrounds have a mix of electric and non-electric sites. Facilities at the campground include potable water, laundry, a sani-dump, convenience store, playground, boat launch, mini-golf, and showers and washrooms.[7] [8] Other facilities include Mistik Resort cabin rentals[9] and Good Spirit Bible Camp.[10]

In 2004, Good Spirit Lake Beach was named by Maclean's Magazine as one of Canada's top 10 beaches for its shallow waters and natural sand.[11] Kitchimanitou and Good Spirit Beaches are located by the campground on the south-western shore of the lake. Sandy Beach is located on the south-eastern shore of the lake at the park boundary, just south of Burgis Beach.

Dunes and trails

At the southern end of the park and lake are naturally formed sand dunes that rise up to five storeys. The dunes and the sandy lake bottom were formed near the end of the last ice age when a river ran through the area and deposited the sands. Several trails totalling traverse the park and the dunes, including a section of the Trans Canada Trail. The Dune Discovery Interpretive Trail winds its way along the dam at the southern end of the lake and through the sand dunes and is just over long.

In the winter season, of the trails are groomed for cross-country skiing and snowmobiling.[12] [13]

Fishing

There is no designated fishing pier and the shores around the lake are shallow and sandy; the best fishing is by boat. There is a boat launch in the park and several others around the lake. Fish commonly found in the lake include northern pike, perch, and walleye.[14] [15] [16]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park. Canadian Geographical Names Database . Government of Canada . 15 May 2022.
  2. Web site: Good Spirit Lake . Canadian Geographical Names Database . Government of Canada . 15 May 2022.
  3. Web site: Fedyk . Mike . Lozinsky . Ken . Herbison . Bob . Provincial Parks . The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan . University of Regina . 15 May 2022 . 20 September 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220920171434/https://esask.uregina.ca/entry/provincial_parks.jsp . dead .
  4. Web site: Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park . Tourism Saskatchewan . Government of Saskatchewan . 15 May 2022.
  5. Web site: Donald Gunn . Geoview.info . 15 May 2022.
  6. Web site: Good Spirit Golf Resort . Good Spirit Golf Resort . Good Spirit Golf Resort Inc. . 15 May 2022.
  7. Web site: Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park RV Guide . Outdoorys . Outdoorsy, Inc. . 15 May 2022.
  8. Web site: Good Spirit Lake . BRMB . Mussio Ventures Ltd. . 15 May 2022.
  9. Web site: Mistik Resort . Tourism Saskatchewan . Government of Saskatchewan . 1 August 2024.
  10. Web site: Good Spirit Bible Camp . Good Spirit Bible Camp . 15 May 2022.
  11. News: Reynolds . Cynthia . Best beaches . 15 May 2022 . MacLean's . St. Joseph Communications . 12 April 2004.
  12. Web site: Good Spirit Dunes Discovery Trail . All Trails . AllTrails, LLC . 15 May 2022.
  13. Web site: Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park Trails . Tourism Saskatchewan . Government of Saskatchewan . 15 May 2022.
  14. Web site: Good Spirit Lake . Angler's Atlas . Angler's Atlas . 15 May 2022.
  15. Web site: Fishing in Good Spirit Lake . FishBrain . Fishbrain . 15 May 2022.
  16. News: Daniels . Calvin . Good Spirit not so good for shore fishing . 15 May 2022 . SaskToday . Week XVI . Glacier Media Group . 5 September 2012.