Rice River Canyon - 2026
Last year we misjudged the technicality and difficulty of this hike. We started late, we wasted time avoiding getting wet, and as a result we only made it 7 km up the canyon before we had to make the call to set up camp before we got stuck hiking in the dark.
This year we weren't going to make those mistakes again!
We met at the store at 4AM (this meant a few of our Saskatoon adventurers were up before 3!). We hit the road by 4:22AM and arrived in Nipawin before 7AM for coffee and breakfast at McDonald's. We were parked at the trailhead and hiking by 8:45AM, nearly 2 hours ahead of last year's start time.
Within just an hour of hiking, we were already making better time. The weather was cool and overcast to start, with a nice breeze coming down the canyon to keep any bugs away and help cool us down.
If you haven't done this route before, it's not an easy hike. In fact, it's one of the most technical trails in Saskatchewan. Every step carries a risk of injury as you dance around, over, and between the endless rocks, boulders, and fallen trees lining the riverbed. By September, the river is typically at its lowest levels, winding back and forth through the valley as the water carves its path down. Because the terrain is made of sand, gravel, and clay, the banks are constantly eroding—meaning the riverbed and the path itself change every single year.
Everyone picks the route they think offers the straightest path with the fewest obstacles—it really is a 'choose your own adventure.' At times we were hiking side-by-side; other times we were scattered across the riverbed. Sometimes we chose wisely; sometimes we didn't! A path that looked promising would suddenly force us to double back due to fallen trees or steep drops, while a dead-end route would surprisingly open up and let us breeze through.
We made good time, and after two hours of a good pace, we finally stopped, removed our heavy packs and had our first break. Nutrition is vitally important during a hike like this. So we all snacked on our various treats from peanut butter sandwiches, to candy and of course some Honey Stinger waffles. All of these offered our bodies some much needed energy and replenished calories burned.
We also took the chance to refill some water from the river the MSR Miniworks EX pump filter. This unit is perfect! It screws onto your common Nalgene-type water bottle and filters the water through as you pump it straight from the creek. Water is heavy, so when we have a natural source in abundance like this, we can take advantage of only carrying a small amount and topping up our bottles during the breaks with this filter.
After the break, we continued on. The canyon narrows here, limiting our choices and often forcing us to choose between deeper water crossings or climbing the steep, loose riverbank. At times, the only option was to walk directly down the middle of the river itself. Our pace slowed as we carefully picked our footing, knowing full well the danger of misreading a slick rock or a rotting log.
With a few more breaks here and there, and our energy waning, the second half of the hike started to slow. We checked out the site where we had camped last year around the 7km point. It still looked relatively the same, but the overgrowth and the way the river moves through this canyon, everything looked different and hard to recognize at first. We continued on, excited that we were passing last year's distance with time to spare.
Around 3 PM, we finally spotted the light at the end of our canyon and reached the forks! Having never been here before, we weren't sure what to expect, but heavy overgrowth and young trees had transformed the landscape compared to old blog posts. The forks themselves didn't look drastically different from the rest of the riverbed, but that only reinforced the truth: this trip was always about the journey more than the destination.
We took a few minutes to catch our breath and relish in the idea that we wouldn't have to put those backpacks on again until the next day. We chose our individual campsites, some started making the fire, while others brewed coffee. The girls even brought a variety of syrups for their Rampage coffee. They weren't messing around!
Once the tents were pitched, we made dinner—enjoying a variety of freeze-dried meals ranging from Spaghetti to Chicken Pot Pie, all of which tasted absolutely delicious after a long day. As the sun set and the moon rose, we gathered around the fire for conversation, laughter, and reminiscing about the arduous hike behind us. A few of us groaned at the thought of doing it all over again tomorrow, but ultimately, we were just grateful to relax and stretch our sore muscles. Soon, we retired to our tents, curled up in our warm blankets and sleeping bags, and drifted off into dreamland. Well, most of us did...
The next morning came as the darkness was slowly replaced by the growing sunlight. The wind brought in chillier temperatures, so a few of us started gathering more firewood to get the fire going again. Breakfast and coffee were quietly enjoyed while we discussed our various sleeping success rates. Most of us slept well, a few didn't sleep much at all! We discussed our plans for making it back down out of the valley that day.
The previous day had been a slow, drawn-out climb, but a climb nonetheless—we had gained 400 meters of elevation from the trailhead. That realization was a welcome thought. While the trek back down would still be tough and strenuous, knowing we were going 'downhill' provided a mental boost for our tired, sore muscles.
We packed up our tents, put out the fire, filled the water bottles and began the trek downstream. Our pace was better than we'd expected - we actually improved on our speed from the day before. Towards the end we slowed our pace as each step was a question of whether or not our legs would actually respond as expected! As Sarah and Nic stated, "My legs aren't legging anymore".
Soon, the bridge marking the end of our trail came into view. Excitement took over and our pace quickened—before long, we were tossing our backpacks into the vehicles and slipping into dry clothes for the drive home. We were done!
This trail is highly rewarding precisely because of its difficulty. It’s technical. It’s demanding. But it’s also breathtaking, incredible, and a trip we hope to make every single year. If this trail is on your bucket list, be sure to sign up for our Adventure Awaits club and join us next year as we traverse the canyon once again!
Comments