Welcome to Minowukaw Lodge and Joe's Cabins Resort
North Central Saskatchewan's accessible, affordable vacation get-away!
Nestled within Canada's great Boreal Forest on the shores of Candle Lake, Saskatchewan, Minowukaw Lodge offers guests unrivaled exploration and vacation relaxation. A forty minute scenic drive from Prince Albert, guests can unwind on the beautiful crystal white sands of Minowukaw beach sheltered by the bay, sand dunes and trees. Breath in the fresh air as the wind envelops your senses. Marvel at the plethora of wildlife as they welcome you to their backyard. A complete summer or winter getaway, you can enjoy the comforts of home in the wilderness.
Activities special to Minowukaw:
Minowukaw Lodge Joe's Cabins Resort
The lodge is the centre of operations. It is fully serviced for up to 150 people and has a beautiful fireplace for group gatherings or a simple romantic get together. Cabin, motel and boat reservations are done from here. The store, restaurant and lounge are directly accessible from the lodge.
The Convenience Store allows for quick access to amenities, groceries and summer necessities. Wheel chair accessible, the licensed indoor lounge hosts live bands, pig roasts and karaoke singing nights that take place on summer weekends.
The lodge is available for workshops, conferences and retreats for small and medium sized organizations and is a great place to unwind and recharge.
There is a sheltered BBQ area to accommodate a large group and is roofed to ensure comfort on a rainy day.
Whether a guest of Joe's Cabins or the campsite, visitors have access to the following services:
Joe's Cabins Resorts
A village of cabins all within a stones throw from the water, Joe's Cabins offer a perfect get away, family vacation, or group function. There are 14 cabins and 8 motel rooms available. All units are light housekeeping. Seven cabins are located approximately 100 m from the beach. The remainder is approximately 1 block from the beach. Seven cabins and all motels are winterized.
Cabins:
7 Beach cabins 100m from water's edge ideal for family reunions, with a centrally located roofed BBQ shelter with picnic tables to accommodate 50 people
1, 2 or 3 bedroom with kitchen, bathroom, fridge and cooking utensils - with colour TV & microwave
You need to bring towels and bedding unless we supply it at a cost of $10 per bed
Lodge Rooms:
adjacent to the lodge
2 double bed, 1 bathroom
coffee pot, coloured satellite TV
Motels:
bedding, towels supplied
all have 2 double beds with bathroom, microwave and colour satellite TV
4 motel units have kitchenette facilities
Campsites:
there are 20 campsites available within the compound that have electrical hook-ups
Summer Fun and Relaxation
In the summer, take advantage of full access to the clean, refreshing water of Candle Lake and Minowukaw Beach to swim, water ski, wakeboard, sail, canoe and power watercraft. If fishing is more your pace, try your luck in catching a walleye, northern pike, perch or whitefish. Listen to the echo of the loon early in the morning and snap some stunning photos. Enjoy bird watching at its best with hundreds of species found throughout the environment. Pace yourself on a nature walk observing the variety of trees and herbal plants.
Minowukaw Beach
Minowukaw Beach is a Swampy Cree word for good "mino" and bend "wakaw". The kilometer of beach has a gentle bend. Its white sand is backed by sand dunes and native vegetation such as Saskatoon berries, blueberries and raspberries.
Located in the jack pine and aspen forest on the eastern side of Candle Lake, this beach is bordered by a ridge of fragile sand dunes. The product of thousands of years of wind and water erosion, the dunes are home to plants native only to this area and provide sanctuary to wildlife. A fence surrounds the area helping to stabilize the shifting sand, however, the area is open to hikers mindful of protecting the vulnerable ecosystem. The mystic haze bordering the green foliage enhances the purple sand environment.
A number of boardwalks lead from the beach to the campground where 58 electrical sites and 50 non-electrical sites, service centre and boat rentals can be found. A public boat launch in also available. The Candle Lake Provincial Park surrounds the campground and cabins.
Old Baldy Nature Trail
From Minowukaw Beach, a 7 km nature trail leads to Old Baldy, the highest point of elevation. A former fire tower lookout, you can enjoy a picnic overlooking the lake or watch wildlife. The area is also home to many herbal plants. In the winter, it becomes a cross-country ski trail.
Minowukaw Trail Ryders Inc.
The Minowukaw Trail Ryders have been riding together since 2001. A club sponsored quad rally is held annually, usually during the first weekend in May. Many participate in this event, riding the 40-mile track that weaves through wet and dry terrain. When it comes to safety, the same rules apply to quad Ryders as do to snowmobilers. Each year, this sport becomes more popular enjoyed by families, local groups and provincial associations.
Rentals
Boat Rentals:
14' aluminum boats with 6 - 9.9 hp motors
$100 per day, $70 per half day (4 hours)
rental includes 1 tank of gas, lifejackets and paddles
Kayak Rental:
$10 per hour
Aquabike Rental:
$5 per half hour
Paddleboat Rentals:
$5 per half hour
Canoe Rentals:
$20 per day or $10 per half day (4 hours)
Fishing & Hunting
Fishing in Saskatchewan
From Minowukaw Lodge and within the Candle Lake Resort village, guests have access to five boat launches where fishing enthusiasts can enjoy a relaxing afternoon casting from the shores of Fisher Creek.
The area is know as an “angler's paradise” with fish stocking programs including Tiger trout and an unbelievable wide variety of species.
On days when Candle Lake is rough, Musker Pond, the wheelchair accessible trout pond, is an ideal location. Stocked each month during the summer, the pond is a sure catch.
Trout and other species are within reasonable driving distance and can be directed by guide.
Visit Virtualsk.com to learn more about the fishing opportunities and regulations at this angler's paradise at Candle Lake.
Hunting in Saskatchewan
For the many serious hunting enthusiasts from across North America, and those starting out, the area just north of the Minowukaw Lodge is teeming with deer, elk, bear and moose. White-tailed deer hunting is accessible in various locations on both public and privately owned land.
Regulations require non-Canadians to hunt bear, moose and white-tailed deer with a licensed outfitter. Let Minowukaw Lodge be your guide to some of North America's finest big game hunting with experienced and knowledgeable outfitters.
Fall Deer Hunt
rifle and bow hunting
arrive at lodge Sunday, sight in rifles, buy licenses
hunting begins Monday
leave lodge Saturday
transportation to and from stands by guide
sheltered stands
Spring Bear Hunt
rifle and bow hunting
arrive at lodge Sunday, sight in rifle, buy licenses
hunting begins Monday
leave lodge Saturday
transportation to and from stands by guides
Explore the Area around Candle Lake Saskatchewan
Legend has it Candle Lake received its name from First Nations people who believed the lake was haunted.
It's said their unease arose from the strange, glowing lights that appeared on the water at the northern end of the lake where several Indian graves are situated. According to the legend, Indian people visited this area during hunting expeditions but never settled here because they believed the 'candles' on the lake were a bad omen.
Today, the legend and mysterious lights add to the charm of this small but popular provincial park and resort village, located less than an hour's drive from The City of Prince Albert in the mixed boreal forest of central Saskatchewan. "I used to see them when I was a kid," longtime resident Dennis Chamberlain says of the mysterious lights. "They looked something like very low northern lights, bouncing around."
Chamberlain says it's unlikely the lights frightened all aboriginal people. Indian artifacts discovered in the area that's now the Minowukaw campground show First Nations peoples were at least visiting this area for hundreds of years. An old Hudson Bay Company report of a smallpox outbreak in the district seems a more likely explanation as to why so few Indian people were present when Euro-Canadians like Chamberlain's father settled in the region in the 1920s. "The haunting was probably part of it. But the (local history) says they left the area because of smallpox. . . Those that didn't die, left."
The unusual lights continue to be reported on occasion. Scientific speculation suggests the 'candles' are swamp gas or a phosphorescent glow created by decaying driftwood.
Read more at Virtualsk.com.
Minowukaw Lodge is ten kilometers from Candle Lake Resort Village, home to Saskatchewan's only lakefront golf course. Beaches, restaurants, shops, a liquor store, post office, bank, and two full service garages provide all the amenities needed to enjoy the great outdoors.
Vacation packages at Minowukaw Lodge and Joe's Cabins Resort
Family, Group and Seniors Packages
With so much to do, enjoy the flexibility of our group planning to ensure that every visit to Minowukaw Lodge is relaxing but eventful. Minowukaw Lodge can accommodate special interests and individual group needs. Reunions are becoming a very popular trend at Minowukaw as families come and go from their own cabins centered on the sheltered BBQ pit that serves as a focal point for dinners and activity planning.
Eco Tourism
This package takes full advantage of the natural environment surrounding the Lodge. Two nights are spent in the forest where guests set up tents after taking a wagon trek to secluded areas. Day’s activities include hiking, fishing, observation of plants and wildlife guided by a local naturalist. Campfires are held nightly. Remaining days are spent at the Lodge with visits to a local Elk or Buffalo farm, a hike to Old Baldy observation point, fishing, and canoeing from Minowukaw Beach. All suppers included in package.
Wilderness Wagon Trek
Go back in time when local residents lived and traveled the land by Wagon and Cart. Start the week with a trek to a campsite fully equipped to experience how life used to be, and is still, lived in northern Saskatchewan. Camp set-up, campfire, music and singing in the majestic Boreal Forest landscape is an experience found nowhere else. Listen to stories from the area's past and learn of its rich folklore and culture. Scavenger hunts, fishing and wagon trek riding are just some of the unique experiences awaiting you.
Art, Cultural, and Rural Experience Package
This tour takes advantage of Northern Saskatchewan's rich artistic, aboriginal and rural culture. It begins with a tour of Candle Lake with stops at several art galleries, craft shops and woodcraft artisans. Day two involves a long tour with travel of approximately two hours from starting point to destinations including Fort Carlton, Batoche Historical Site, Duck Lake Museum and Art Gallery. Day three allows for a break in adventure. Day four is a short tour to an Elk or Buffalo Farm, Wood Crafts and a Log House to experience settler history. Day five involves a fish fry on Curly's Island or if rainy, a day trip to shop in Prince Albert or visit its historical places. Day six involves a comprehensive experience with First Nations culture through the building of Teepees, visiting a trapper's cabin, observing a beaver dam, making bannock by campfire, bow and arrow target practice and a Pow-wow dance. Experience a culture full of wonder, knowledge and respect of the environment!
Family/Group Quad Ride
This allows for families or groups to ride groomed quad trails enjoying the forest for all its beauty. Package includes fishing, campfire and guided quad trail runs and one overnight camp set up.
Seniors Three-Day Getaway
Enjoy two days of rest, relaxation and fun with our senior’s packages that focus on socializing and light adventure. The pace is lazy but most activities are outdoors including short hikes, walks on the beach, short tours of the area, including galleries and special interests, ending with evenings in the lodge playing bridge or bingo or other ways of socializing.
Retreats
Minowukaw hosts Retreats for groups of six to ten people.
Meetings, Special Events and Conferences
Minowukaw Lodge is quiet, secluded within a unique natural environment but equipped with all amenities giving group conferences full service accommodation in an envious setting. Groups of up to 100 individuals can host workshops, conferences, weddings or other special events taking advantage of all Minowukaw has to offer.
Include an Ecotour, hunting excursion, fishing trip
or water activity in your meeting or event.
Winter Wonderland at Minowukaw Lodge and Joe's Cabins Resort
Minowukaw Lodge is a year round facility that caters to sports enthusiasts who appreciate the winter and the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors during all four seasons. The Northern Lights are more prominent at this time of year seen dancing across the sky in full color.
Come participate to shake the winter blues or plan your special winter event to include any of the following:
Snowmobiling
Extending in four directions are 550 miles of groomed trails inter-connecting with "Route 66" in a vast and scenic forest allows for individuals and families to ride outdoors uninhibited through forest on marked trails throughout the area. You will go places that only a snowmobile can take you in the winter months – far away from life's usual demands. Spending the day in the cold faced with wind, sun, glare, vibration and motion is great exercise and hard work. It reduces tension, leaving you feeling rejuvenated. Every year, special snow mobile rallies are held, such as the Sask Snowmobile Rally, bringing the community together with participants throughout the province for special fund-raisers or just to get together to enjoy Saskatchewan's winter.
Cross country Skiing
From November until thaw, groomed trails from Minowukaw take you around the lake on the novice trail or up hill to "Old Baldy" on the expert trail. Come enjoy the fresh air and nature's beauty as a backdrop for outdoor exercise.
Ice Fishing
Candle Lake sport fish include Walleye (Pickerel) and Northern Pike (Jack).
Snowshoeing
Snowshoes are available for small groups and provide a unique winter experience for those new to this past time and form of transportation through dense snow and forest.
Dog Sled Races
The Canadian Oval Sled Dog races are hosted at Minowukaw Lodge on the first weekend in March.
Winter Wonderland at Minowukaw Lodge and Joe's Cabins