My son and I are always up for river walks in Saskatoon. We needed to get out of the house the other day but didn’t have any specific plans. I decided to check out the river. There are so many different spots in Saskatoon to enjoy the river. We decided to go to the railway bridge. We walked the paths and the beaches on one side and then crossed the bridge and explored the other side. It was a hot day, but we always bring water and we dip our feet in the river to try to stay cool. My kiddo has already asked when we can return.
Photo by Erin McCrea
My son had on his adventure pack so we were ready to go. The great news about exploring with a five-year-old is he will most likely be amazed at everything. He loved the sand, the rocks, the river, the bridge, and everything in between. It takes a long time to look at everything, and that’s okay. I think the coolest part for both of us was watching the train drive across the train bridge. We were not on it at the time, and I imagine it would have been a little bit scary if we had been walking across. It was the first time I’ve seen a train (just a little one) going across.
Photo by Erin McCrea
The beach was lovely. We took some time to watch some flowers floating in the water and then continued with our exploration. The river water right now is really low so we had plenty of beach and sand to walk on and felt safe walking in the water.
Photo by Erin McCrea
Even though we had not left Saskatoon, my son (and I at times) felt like we were in a whole new world. You forget the bustle of city life and just sit in wonder at this little bit of nature in our city.
CPR Bridge. Photo by Erin McCrea
We spent quite a bit of time just hanging out by the river and then decided to explore the trails. Immediately we found a big and beautiful tree that was begging to be climbed. We spent a couple of minutes hanging in the tree before moving on. We did contemplate having lunch up in the tree but decided on a bench before crossing the bridge.
Photo by Erin McCrea and the timer button.
After lunch, our next stop was crossing the railway bridge. The bridge is a long way up, and we always make sure nothing is out that can fall into the river. I didn’t consider that my little one would most likely also have trouble walking up those stairs with his flip-flops, but we’ve learned a lesson. Even walking across the bridge takes a while because we spend a lot of time finding new beauty surrounding the bridge.
Photo by Erin McCrea
I’ve actually not spent a lot of time on the other side of the river. (The University side). We’ve walked the bridge before, but we usually just walk to one side and then turn around and walk back. We had more time to explore though so we decided to find another sandy area. On the way, my son found adventure on the trail. He loves climbing anything and pretending to be an adventurer so he truly can find excitement anywhere.
Photo by Erin McCrea
The rest of our time before crossing back over the bridge was saving tree branches from floating away in the river and my son getting nice and dirty. He also enjoyed checking out the pelicans and clamshells. He loves learning and a walk by the river always helps both of us learn about the city we live in.
Photo by Erin McCrea
The walk back over the bridge was just as beautiful if not a little more hurried because we were running low on water. We really enjoy these days. Having moments to explore our city is good for our souls. I love that we can have an adventure that doesn’t cost anything, and all we need with us are snacks and water. (And sunscreen!) It’s also a walk that can be done in any season and it makes it a completely different experience. We’ll definitely continue with our walks this summer until he goes back to school in the Fall.
If you’re interested in having your own walk over a bridge, make sure to check out the best bridges of Saskatoon! You can find many different trails along the river to explore.
