We wanted to get out of the city last weekend and chose a Borden Bridge Walk. I was hoping for another fun hike, and we found one that was pretty unique. Anytime I’m driving on Highway 16, I want to stop when I see the Borden bridge. There is also a lookout area before the bridges that I’ve wanted to visit. As I was googling ideas, I came across an article by the Sask Hiker about the Borden Bridge Hike. We decided to try it out. We did things a little differently though – mostly because we took the wrong road, and then made an adventure out of it.
Borden Bridge Walk
First Stop: Scenic Lookout
We stopped at the lookout first because it was the easiest to find. It’s between Langham and Borden along Highway 16. I’m not sure about the upkeep of the place, but it is a beautiful view. My sister and I appreciated the scenery and my son loved all the rocks. I think with a clean-up, the area would be a great stop!
Over the track, you can see the river, but photos didn’t do it justice.
Second Stop: Road Possibly Leading to the Borden Train Bridge
I think, for the most part, people stop at the bridges just off the highway and hike to the Borden Train Bridge from there. I missed the first turn to get there (it is the first turn off after the bridge) and turned at the next one. Instead of turning toward the bridges, we started driving down a road that went straight. I chose it because the trees looked magical. At times during the drive, I did wonder if we were still on a road. It was a rough drive. We stopped when we met another car. They were on the way back out, but let us know the road would take us to the bridge. They had randomly taken the road as well. We decided to take the next part of the road on foot. There wasn’t really any parking, but there was room on the side of the road. After we started walking, we all know it was a better choice. My son got some (but never all) of his energy out, and I didn’t have to worry about driving on the road. Also, we had a lot more time to appreciate the beauty and adventure while walking. I always prefer a hike.
Walk to the Bridge and rock collecting.
The walk was worth it. If we had hiked from the original (and unused) Borden bridge, we would have hiked along the North Saskatchewan River. It’s always a beautiful option, but I liked our way as well. We’ve already decided to go back in a different season to try the actual hike. When we finally arrived at the train bridge, I found it amazing. First of all, it’s huge. It’s also gorgeous. We took in the magnificent river and pointed out the trail we could have used to get there. We were tiny next to the bridge.
We were able to walk under the bridge and check out the other side as well. Honestly, I was a little surprised by the trip. It’s just a trip to a bridge, but I found the entire thing amazing. The bridge, the river, the nice hiking weather were all making me incredibly happy. It was also only less than an hour away from Saskatoon so that made us even happier. A quick day trip. We could have packed a lunch and had a picnic as well.
Honestly, if you’re looking for a hike close to home, this one is great. As for the actual hike, it’s longer than what we did but full of nature and wonder. I want to head back when the trees start to change colour after summer. I can already picture the beauty. It was a great day and the weather was perfect, but the spring shine hasn’t quite arrived yet.
The walk back was just as lovely, however a bit more work because my son kept passing me rocks to carry for him. When we got back to the car, we headed out. We met somebody on a bike and another car so we did see that the road was in use quite a bit. We stopped at the parking spot just off the highway to check out the bridges there. We will start from there next time. My son could sit and play in the sand all day though so it would be hard to motivate him to hike. We took some more photos of the bridges. Two crossing the river and part of highway 16 and the Borden Bridge is on the other side.
We had such a great afternoon, and it was a fantastic trip out of the city. My sister and I sometimes text the night before without plans, and then pick an amazing trip with a quick google. That’s how we ended up at Little Red River Park. This trip was great for a day that we wanted to be socially distanced and safe. Things have slowed down a lot and it’s nice to find adventures close to home. The Borden Bridge walk was a hit for my family. I can’t wait to discover more hidden gems.
