Val Marie Saskatchewan – Gateway to the Grasslands
By Donna Berdan, Robert Berdan and Kamal Varma
September 09, 2026
Sunflowers on a back road near Val Marie by Donna Berdan
In this article I will summarize our experience during our recent trip to Val Marie SK and try to do justice to this little known gem in the Canadian prairies. This was our third trek as a group which consisted of my husband Robert Berdan, our friend Kamal Varma and myself, a novice photographer. We previously travelled to Newfoundland in 2024 and to the Dempster Highway up to the Arctic Ocean in 2025. Our goal is to explore as much of the beauty in every corner of Canada as we possibly can.
Fence south of Val Marie featuring typical grassland country by Donna Berdan.
Years ago I would have driven past vast open fields of grasslands. But after living with Robert who has been photographing for decades, I have also learned to really look and see the beauty in the patterns of nature. I now notice a dramatic sky, a colourful bird and the ribbons of shifting hues in a landscape. Val Marie is not a place for people seeking glitz, glamour and excitement. It is for those searching for serenity for it is a place of quiet contemplation and admiration of nature’s handiwork. It seems like a place frozen in time where for the most part, the natural world was able to take its course. The people in Val Marie are friendly and everyone we met took the time to chat as people do in a quaint village.
Pattern in the grass along the roadside outside of Val Marie by Donna Berdan.
The History of Val Marie
Val Marie (meaning Valley of Mary) is the gateway to Grasslands National Park in Saskatchewan, Canada. It was founded in 1910 by French settlers in the Frenchman River Valley in southern Saskatchewan. The area was rooted in indigenous bison cultures. It’s now hard to imagine the earliest history of the area when massive herds of bison roamed the area and now only few remain. The Metis lived along the Frenchman River in the late 1800’s and recorded the last buffalo hunt in 1885. Upon the arrival of the French settlers, the era of ranching and homesteading took the place of the bison.
Val Marie experienced its peak in the 1950’s when the population was 450 residents and the village had a private hospital, a convent (which still exists as a lodging) and bustling local commerce. Declining grain prices and severe droughts through the 1980’s caused a sharp decline in the population. The current population is 120 residents. The establishment of Grasslands National Park was officially proclaimed in 2001 and transformed Val Marie into a vital ecotourism hub preserving the native prairie ecosystem. This is a scenic location and should be on the bucket list of photographers seeking to capture the breathtaking Canadian landscape.
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Old homestead near the East block of Grasslands National Park by Donna Berdan.
West block of Grasslands National Park by Donna Berdan.
Kamal making friends with some horses on the edge of Grasslands by Donna Berdan.
I photographed with my Iphone-13. I do have a professional camera but still haven’t been able to muster enough courage to use it on a regular basis. That being said, I did manage to get some great shots with my phone. I thoroughly enjoyed photographing the scenic dwellings in the village and some of the abandoned buildings outside the park which seemed ghostly shadows of another time. I found the honey coloured grasses beautiful in the sunlight and the country roads reminiscent of a bygone era. I didn’t capture much in terms of wildlife with my phone with the exception of some horses grazing in a field. As we stopped to look at them, they were curious and slowly made their way over to us and after realizing we meant them no harm, these lovely creatures of various heights and colours moved close to us and we were able to pet them. I only wished that I had carrots or apples to give them.
A group of black-tailed prairie dogs along one of the roads into the west part of the park by Kamal Varma.
One of our goals was to photograph the burrowing owls who reside in the park. Rob and Kamal got shots of them, but I could not get these shots with my phone as they were too far away. We noticed burrowing owls near the back of the prairie dogs but you need binoculars or a telephoto lens to see them. You are only allowed to walk there from the road in Grasslands National Park. The prairie dogs are also fun to watch and Kamal got a great shot of them.
Black-tailed prairie dogs are a daytime species. They usually spend the first two hours after sunrise foraging and eating, and the remainder of the day grooming, dustbathing, stretching, socializing and repairing their burrows. The West Block and neighbouring lands are the only places in Canada where black-tailed prairie dogs exist in their natural habitat. While there, look out for burrowing owls and rattlesnakes that may have reclaimed an abandoned burrow for a home.
There are also bison in the park, but we did not see them. Robert got pictures of them on a previous trip to Val Marie. We were also hoping to photograph the night sky as light pollution is not a problem in Val Marie and the Perseid meteor shower was occurring while we were there. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate and cloudy skies and rain prevailed every night during our stay. We were disappointed but maintained a que sera sera attitude about it as we had comfortable but economical lodgings at Don’s Place. We’ll get those shots next time. We are sharing some of the other visual highlights below:
Burrowing owls were tough to spot at the back of the prairie dogs along the road in the park. You will need binoculars and a long lens to photograph them and you are not allowed to walk in where the praire dogs are living.
Burrowing owl photographed along the road in the park. We found several beyond the prairie dog colonies, just past the active burrows - photo by Kamal Varma with a 500 mm Canon lens.
Pronghorn photographed next to the road in the West side of the park by Kamal Varma.
Homestead on the east side of Grasslands Park by Kamal Varma.
Swainson's hawk (Buteo swainsoni) photo by Kamal Varma. There are 4 species of hawk in Grasslands National Park: Swainson's hawk, Ferruginous hawk, red tail hawk and rough-legged hawk. Other species include the diurnal raptors like the Northern harrier, often called the marsh hawk—and falcons like the Prairie Falcon.
Donna with horses found next to a fence in Grasslands National Park.
A typical prairie scene on the way back to Calgary from Val Marie in Bracken Saskatchewan by Donna.
Pronghorn antelope photographed by Robert Berdan. We saw several pronghorns on the trip around Val Marie.
Bison from the west side of the park photographed in previous years by Robert Berdan. Plains bison were re-introduced to Grasslands National Park in December 2005, after 120 years of absence. The initial herd, consisted of 71 bison, including 30 male calves, 30 female calves and 11 yearlings, all of which originated from Elk Island National Park in Alberta. Grasslands National Park today manages a population of 400-500 bison (parks Canada). See live video cameras in the Park - Bison hole.
Burrowing owls previously photographed by Robert near Brooks, Alberta with help finding them from Dr. Wayne Lynch in Calgary.
Night Hawk resting on a fence at the Frenchman valley camp ground.
Grass covered hills form an abstract pattern in Grasslands National Park.
Shades of grass by Donna Berdan.
Convolvulus is a genus of about 200 to 250 species of flowering plants in the bindweed family, photographed beside the road.
Outside a grocery store in downtown Val Marie. The store was renovated and also offers ice cream and drinks. Kamal and Donna.
Grain elevator and old firetruck in Val Marie, SK.
A couple of stores and a massage service in Val Marie on the right for a relaxing visit.
Downtown Val Marie from the Grain elevator beside the war memorial. The population of
Val Marie is about 120 and even has a hockey rink.
Canada Park office in Val Marie with information, tours, maps and friendly guides.
Kamal and Robert hamming around in front of the sign at the entrance to the West end of the park - close to where we photographed prairie dogs and burrowing owls.
Other animals to look for in Grasslands Park are rattle snakes, greater short-horned lizards, swift foxes, greater sage-grouse, and eastern yellow-bellied racer snakes. Robert photographed a rattle snake on a previous visit with a biologist who was studying them. See Grasslands National Park (2011).
Prairie Rattlesnake by Robert Berdan
Parks Canada offers rattlesnake eco-tours. Pre-registration is required by calling the visitor centre at 1-877-345-2257. Meet at Ecotour Scenic Drive Stop #3 The Tabletop September 24, 25, 26 and 27, 2026 10:30 am to 3:30 pm. Pets are not permitted.
Grassands National Park is also outstanding for viewing the night sky. When the skies are clear, you can see the milky way clearly and even in later summer you can sometimes see the aurora borealis (shown in Robert Berdan, 2011) article. Grasslands National Park is designated as a Dark Sky Preserve.
Places for accomodation in and around Val Marie
There are several places to stay in Val Marie with a range of prices to match anyone’s pocketbook. Here is a list of some:
Don's Place – This is where we stayed and I highly recommend it. Don Brown is a local entrepreneur, photographer and hospitality host. He offers self-contained rental suites which can accommodate various functions such as weddings, retreats and photography workshops. Don is very personable and goes out of his way to ensure his guests enjoy a comfortable stay on his premises. His suites are equipped with everything you need to cook meals. His rates are economical. Here is the link to his website https://donsplace.ca/ He also has houses to rent in Val Marie be sure to enquire about them if interested.
Aerial photo courtesy of Don Brown showing of land and affordable rooms. We paid- $125\night + $15 extra per person. We stayed in eoom 9 which had 2 bedrooms, shower, bath and kitchen. He let us use one of his BBQs. We recommend Don's place as one of the best places to stay if you want to visit Val Marie and the surrounding Grasslands National Park. The property above includes a Disc Golf course and R.V. campground with 22 sites each with power, sewer and water facilities. Also a seperate building with washroom facilites, lounge, BBQ etc. for tenters and a fire pit with seating for groups. Ask Don about pricing.
Living room at Don's Place Val Marie was roomy and clean.
One of two bedrooms in Don's Place where we stayed outside Val Marie.
Don Brown entrepreneur, photographer and owner of several businesses in Val Marie.
Rob met Don at a photography workshop on Vancouver Island several decades ago. Be sure to visit Don's web site to see examples of his outstanding photography - he has a beautiful photo of lightening over Val Marie at night.
DON’S PLACE
Val Marie, Saskatchewan
Call to book:250-710-2886 or 250-746-7302
Email: donbrown@xplornet.com Website: https://donsplace.ca/area-information/ Other places Don offers fully equipped houses in the Village rented out by the night, week or longer - enquire about their availability and cost.
Sanctuary Inn in Val Marie - we stopped to talk with guests who allowed us to take photographs.
Bedroom and living quarters at the Sanctuary Inn
The Convent in Val Marie above offers single rooms in town.
The Crossing at Grassland offers high end accommodation and is located about 1 mile south of Val Marie on the Edge of Grasslands Park. The Crossing offers a scenic location with self-contained one and two bedroom suites. We tried booking in March, but they were full and required a 3 night minimum at more than $300\night. Robert stayed here 15 years ago and enjoyed its proximity to the park. Numerous bird species, such as shrikes, frequent the area. It is under new management and is appropriate for those willing to pay for a luxury experience.
Val Marie Hotel and Restaurant. The owners are a lovely lady named Rainbow and her husband, Bob. They serve a variety of Canadian dishes and Chinese cuisine. Delicious! It is the only restaurant that offers year round full service dining and also has rooms available.
The Val Marie Hotel offers rooms, lunch and dinner. We had both lunch and dinner here and enjoyed Chinese food.
Interesting places to visit in and around Val Marie
Prairie Wind and Silver Sage. This was once a small school which closed but is now a seasonal combination of a gift shop, bookstore, museum, art gallery and espresso bar. Kamal got his expresso there every morning during our stay.
Kamal waiting for the shop to open to get his morning espresso in Val Marie.
Kamal Varma having his morning cup of Espresso.
Triple R Honey Ranch is where you can buy honey and various gifts made from organic beeswax. We took the tour of the premises. The people are super friendly and we bought several jars of honey and candles for ourselves and as gifts for our friends.
Grassland Inn Mankota, SK is about half way from Val Marie to the West block of Grasslands National Park. We stopped here for lunch and found the food to be excellent. They also offer hotel rooms starting at about $125. I think this could be a place to stay a few days if you decided to explore the East side of Grasslands National Park.
Our original route from Calgary was Highway 1 to Swift current, then straight south on Highway 4 to Val Marie. The drive from Swift current to Val Marie
is about 1 hour and 20 min (120 Km). On the way back home we drove south to Maple Creek, stopped for an excellent lunch and then continued home to Calgary, Alberta. The drive from Calgary to Val Marie is about 6 hours. 600 km without stopping.
I thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Val Marie and would go back if given the chance. I would recommend that people make the trip there. It is a worthwhile experience and is ideal for hikers, campers, photographers, writers, artists, birders, astronomy and history buffs. We liked the absence of crowds that we experience in many of Alberta's parks. We plan to continue exploring other parts of Canada focusing on less visited locations.
Map of Val Marie in south east Saskatchwan courtesy of Canada Parks Visitor Centre.
References
Robert Berdan (2011) Photographing Grasslands National Park Saskatchewan -
Village of Val Marie and the Crossing Resort https://www.canadiannaturephotographer.com/grasslands.html
Grasslands National Park - Government Canada
Village of Val Marie. History. valmarie.ca
"History." Village of Val Marie, valmarie.ca/about-val-marie/history/. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026 https://valmarie.ca/about-val-marie/history/.
Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Val Marie. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. wikipedia.org
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Val_Marie
Bison - Parks Canada. https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/sk/grasslands/nature/faune-wildlife/bison
PLACES TO STAY IN OR AROUND VAL MARIE
DonsS Place Val Marie, Saskatchewan
Call to book: 250-710-2886 or 250-746-7302 $125/night $15 extra person
Email: donbrown@xplornet.com
web site: https://donsplace.ca/area-information/
The Snctuary Inn 504-4th ST Val Marie 306-298-1 $275 to $295 per night, 2 night minimum. https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Hotel_Review-g1205128-d24193505- Pet Fees extra, rates based on 2 people per night. 306 298 7886
The Convent Inn Val Marie prices $109 to $150. See their web site https://www.convent.ca/
https://thesanctuaryinn.blogspot.com/p/about.html
Val Marie Hotel - food and accomodation and Pub Val Marie campground is near the middle of town and is pet friendly, offers showers and washroom, cost is $5 for non-registered guests. Camping prices start at $27 per person per night https://www.tourismsaskatchewan.com/listings/106/val-marie-campground
Grasslands Inn in Mankota hotel and restaurant, simple motel offering spacious guest rooms with TVs and essential amenities. rates per toom around $125 with excellent food. (306) 478-2909. Town population 198.The town's name was cleverly coined by its early 20th-century settlers by combining Manitoba and North Dakota 306 478-2909 https://www.facebook.com/grasslandsinn/
Mankota Campground The campground offers 6 - 30 amp serviced sites, washrooms, free showers and sani dump. It is 68 Km from Val Marie, west on highway 18.
The Crossing at Grasslands outside of Val Marie. https://thecrossingatgrasslands.com Minimum 3 day stay at > $300 per night for one bed room suites, not suitable for children, about 1 mile outside Val Marie next to Grasslands park.
Sky Story Bed & Breakfast 305 - 1st Ave E, Val Marie. Call or email for direction 306-550-5377 Located in Val Marie, adjacent to Grasslands National Park. Sky Story Bed & Breakfast offers year-round accommodation, three guest rooms and healthy breakfast. Additional offerings include customized driving routes, a yoga studio, lifestyle consultations, art and nature-based retreats and workshops. https://skystory.ca/ 14 days cancellaton last day bookings welcome. $175/night double occupancy $145/night single occupancy.
Frenchman Valley Campground is located in the West Block of Grasslands National Park, roughly 22 km south of Val Marie, Saskatchewan. Reservations: 100% reservable through the Parks Canada Reservation Service or by calling 1-877-737-3783 or (306) 298-2257. Must check in at the Visitor Centre in Val Marie before heading to the site. Vault toilets, fire pits, picnic tables, lantern hangers, and the Coulee Centre cook shelter. Potable water for small jugs is available from mid-May to September 30; https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/sk/grasslands/activ/camping/avantpays-frontcountry
Camping in Grasslands National Park
https://www.hipcamp.com/en-CA/national-park/canada/saskatchewan/grasslands/all
Val Marie Vrbo https://www.vrbo.com/en-ca/vacation-rentals/canada/saskatchewan/val-marie?
Tourism Saskatchewan https://www.tourismsaskatchewan.com/trip-planning/visitor-info/know-before-you-go
Books about photography in Saskatchewan
Wayne Lynch (1999) Wild Birds Across the Prairies (1999). 138 pages. ISBN-13 : 978-18944004213, available on Amazon.ca.
Wayne Lynch (1984, 2006) Windswept: A Passionate View of the Prairie Grasslands 135 pages. Available on Amazon.ca
Wayne Lynch (1984) Married to the Wind. Hardcover ISBN=13 978-0920620526 Amazon.ca
Trevor Herriot and photographer Banimir Gjetvag (2017) Islands of Grass. Coteau books. Publishers Group Canada.
Courtney Milne (1999) W.O. Mitchell Country ISBN 0-6106-7710-4
Robin and Arlene Karpan (2018) Saskatchewan's Best Scenic Drives. Canadian Nature photographer web site: https://www.canadiannaturephotographer.com/karpan2018.html and Grasslands National Park: https://photojourneys.ca/2026/08/guide-to-wildlife-photography-in-saskatchewans-grasslands-national-park/ see their pictures.
Robin and Arlene Karpan Photographers Guide to Saskatchewan. Where to Find the Best in Nature, Wildlife and Awesome Lanscapes.(2016) https://www.canadiannaturephotographer.com/robin_arlene_karpan.html
Grasslands National Park Field Guide (2000) Praire Wind and Silver Sage - Friends of Grasslands inc.
James R. Page (2005) Wild Prairie - A Photographer's personal Journey Greystone books.
Candace Savage (2004) Prairie a Natural History. Greystone books.
Authors Biography & Contact Information
Bio: Donna Berdan is an accountant for over 40 years, musician and recent amateur photographer. Her husband Robert has spent over 5 decades documenting the worlds of nature and science through photography and prefers to shoot with Nikon. Kamal Varma is a serious wild life and nature photographer for decades and travels the world to take photographs and shoots with Canon. We enjoy travelling together when we can - Kamal is our navigator and finds us econmomical places to stay.