Saskatchewan Highway 13

File:SK HWY 13.jpg

Saskatchewan Highway 13, near Antler

Highway 13
Red Coat Trail Ghost Town Trail
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Route information
Maintained by Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure (Saskatchewan)
Length:	675.3 km (419.6 mi)
Major junctions
West end:	Alberta border continues west as Hwy 501
	Hwy 21 near Govenlock and Robsart Hwy 18 at Robsart Hwy 37 at Shaunavon Hwy 4 at Cadillac Hwy 36 at Verwood Hwy 6 near Pangman Hwy 39 in Weyburn Hwy 35 in Weyburn Hwy 47 / Hwy 33 at Stoughton Hwy 9 at Carlyle Hwy 8 at Redvers
East end:	Manitoba border near Antler continues east as PTH 2
Location
Rural municipalities:	Reno, White Valley, Arlington, Bone Creek, Wise Creek, Auvergne, Pinto Creek, Wood River, Stonehenge, Lake of the Rivers, Willow Bunch, Excel, Key West, Norton, Brokenshell, Weyburn, Griffin, Tecumseh, Brock, Moose Mountain, Antler
Major cities:	Weyburn
Highway system
Provincial highways in Saskatchewan ← Hwy 12 Hwy 14 →

Highway 13 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from the Alberta border (continuing westward as Alberta Highway 501) until it transitions into Highway 2 at the Manitoba border near Antler. Highway 13 is about 676 km (420 mi.) long. Highway 13 passes through Shaunavon, Assiniboia, Weyburn, Redvers and Carlyle. It is also referred to as the Red Coat Trail, as much of its length follows the route of the original historic path. A majority of the route between Wauchope and Govenlock going through the Palliser's Triangle is also referred to as the Ghost Town Trail.

Travel route

Travel east through the province of Saskatchewan on the Red Coat Trail is continuous on Highway 13 which is a secondary paved undivided highway until Weyburn. Highway 13 crosses Lodge Creek and Middle Creek, then passes the junction with Highway 21 south followed by Highway 615 north. The highway volume beginning in Saskatchewan along the highway about 45 vehicles per day (vpd) on a class 4 gravel highway. Highway 615 provides access north to Fort Walsh National Historic Park and the highest point of land in Saskatchewan. Consul is a small village located in the Rural Municipality of Reno No. 51 in the extreme south-west of Saskatchewan, along the highway. It is at the Consul intersection of highways that Highway 13 changes to a thin membrane surface undivided highway where the traffic volume increases to about 80 vpd. Vidora is located at a small jog in the road following the crossing of Battle Creek.

Travel continues north-east until the junction with Highway 21 which provides access to Cypress Hills Provincial Park and Maple Creek. The highway continues east after this intersection on a class 3 granular pavement highway and traffic here increases to an annual average daily traffic (AADT) of 270 vpd. At the junction of Highway 18 south is the small hamlet of Robsart, to the east of this intersection, the AADT declines to about 160 vpd. There is a junction with Highway 18 before the highway turns north again to arrive at the intersection of Highway 614 and the town of Eastend, which has the nickname Dino Country where a Tyrannosauraus rex was discovered spawning the T Rex Discovery Centre. A number of ancient fauna palaeontological dig sites exist in southern Saskatchewan.

This area of Highway 13 receives an increase of traffic wherein about 300 vpd travel Highway 13 east of Eastend and over 650 vpd east of town resulting in an upgrade to asphalt concrete road construction. Highway 13 travels past the intersection with Sk Hwy 633 north before arriving at the access road to the village of Dollard. The town of Shaunavon is located at the beginning of the concurrency with Sk Hwy 37 and the intersection of secondary highway Sk Hwy 722.

The traffic volume entering Shaunavon is about 600 vpd, and the AADT increases to over 1,000 vpd heading north on the Highway 37 and Highway 13 concurrency. Sk Hwy 37 provides access to the town of Gull Lake and in 9.4 kilometres (5.8 mi), the highway turns east on a thin membrane surface class 2 highway bearing between 150 and 250 vpd. Highway 631 is the next intersection providing access to the hamlet of Scotsguard, and the next junction is with Highway 629 north. There is a short concurrency with Sk Hwy 629, before it leaves the highway in a southerly direction providing access to the small hamlet of Admiral. The village of Cadillac is located at the intersection with Highway 4. Highway 13 is upgraded to a class 5 granular pavement as traffic can reach a high of 530 vpd east of this intersection.

Continuing east along the highway is the intersection with Highway 629 which provides access north to the town of Ponteix. Both the Notukeu Regional Park and Mo are within town, where Mo is a statue of a 70- to 75-million-year-old Plesiosaur (Elasmosaurus) found near Ponteix. Besides palaeontological dig sites, there are also archaeological sites where the pre-historic Napao and Niska Indian sites have been excavated between Cadillac and Ponteix. The Notukeu Heritage Museum Inc. preserves the history of both palaeontological and archaeological artifacts. The Notukeu Wildlife federation has preserved wildlife in the area of the Notukeu Creek and for this purpose has procured land along the Gouverneur Dam and restocks fish and runs a Pheasant farm to re-stock the pheasant population.

After leaving Ponteix, the next junction is with Highway 612 and west of this intersection is the village of Aneroid home to Indianola one room sod schoolhouse built in 1911. Hazenmore is next along the route before the junction with Highway 19 south and the beginning of the 1.5 miles (2.4 km) concurrency between Highway 13 and Highway 19. At the village of Kincaid, Highway 19 continues north leaving the concurrency. The hamlet of Meyronne if at the junction with Highway 611 south followed by the hamlet of Woodrow. To the north-west is Thomson Lake which is a man-made lake used for recreational and reservoir purposes becoming the first regional park of Saskatchewan. Lafleche at the junction with Highway 58, and east of this junction the AADT increases to over 600 vpd. The Louis Pierre Gravel National Historic Marker commemorates history at the north end of Highway 58, and the Cripple Creek Provincial Historic Marker is located at the junction with Highway 13.

The terrain of the Missouri Coteau features low hummocky, undulating, rolling hills, potholes, and grasslands. This physiographic region of Saskatchewan is the uplands Missouri Coteau, a part of the Great Plains Province or Alberta Plateau Region which extends across the south-east corner of the province of Saskatchewan. The village of Limerick is located at the intersection with Highway 358 followed by the junction of Highway 2 and Highway 717 which come together at the town of Assinibioia.

File:Highway 13 smoky sunset.jpg

Smoke from B.C. wildfires turning the skies of south-east Saskatchewan hazy. Sunset over Highway 13 three miles west of Stoughton (August 2021).

Just to the west of Assiniboia the traffic volume increases to about 1,000 vpd and to the east of town, the volume decreases to about 800 vpd and the majority of the highway is class 3 granular pavement. Verwood at the north end of the Willow Bunch Lake is located on the concurrency between the highway and Highway 36. The intersection with Highway 624 is followed by the intersection where Highway south and Highway 334 north meet the highway. Ogema is located at the junction with Highway 623 north. Amulet and Pangman are on either side of the intersection of Highway 622. Highway 6 is crossed next followed by the hamlet of Khedive. The junction with Highway 28 south which is next followed by Trossachs. The intersection with Highway 621 north is passed before arriving at the city of Weyburn. Highway 619 north is before the intersection of Highway 606 where the hamlet of Griffin is located. The hamlet of Froude is next on the highway before the town of Stoughton at the crossroads of Highway 47 and Highway 33. Forget is along the highway, followed by a crossing over Moose Mountain Creek, a tributary of the Souris River then Kisbey]] on Highway 605 and Arcola at the Highway 604 intersection. The town of Carlyle is at the intersection with Highway 9, which provides access north to Moose Mountain Provincial Park and Cannington Manor Provincial Historic Park. Before the Manitoba border are Manor on Highway 603, Antler River, Wauchope on Highway 601, Redvers on Highway 9, Gainsborough Creek and finally Antler on Highway 600.

Red Coat Trail

Main articles: Red Coat Trail and Royal Canadian Mounted Police

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Academy and RCMP Heritage Centre are both located in the capital city of Regina. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Academy is a training facility for Red Coats or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers, while the RCMP Heritage Centre is a museum relates history and memorabilia of the RCMP. Fort Walsh was home to the North-West Mounted Police in the 19th century. Located in south-western Saskatchewan, it oversaw activities in the Big Muddy Badlands north of the Canada–United States border. Sitting Bull, James Walsh, Big Bear, James Macleod, Sam Steele, Dutch Henry, Jones-Nelson gang, Sam Kelly, Chief Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, John A. Macdonald, and George Armstrong Custer are some names of historic legend in this area.

Major intersections

From west to east:

Rural municipality	Location	km	mi	Destinations	Notes
Reno No. 51	​	0.0	0.0	Hwy 501 (Red Coat Trail) – Manyberries, Lethbridge	Continues into Alberta
	Govenlock	14.5	9.0	Hwy 21 south – U.S. border (Port of Willow Creek)	West end of concurrency with Hwy 21
	Senate	29.1	18.1	Hwy 615 north – Fort Walsh
	Consul	42.1	26.2	Range Road 3271
	​	58.4	36.3	Hwy 21 north – Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, Maple Creek	East end of concurrency with Hwy 21
	Robsart	64.9	40.3	Hwy 18 east – Frontier, Climax
White Valley No. 49	​	88.0	54.7	Hwy 706 north – Ravenscrag
	Eastend	111.9	69.5	Hwy 614 – Loomis, Piapot
Arlington No. 79	​	122.3	76.0	Hwy 633 north – South Fork, Tompkins
	​	132.2	82.1	Hwy 613 south – Frontier	West end of concurrency with Hwy 613
	Dollard	133.9	83.2	Hwy 613 north	East end of concurrency with Hwy 613
	Shaunavon	146.1	90.8	Hwy 37 south to Hwy 722 east – Climax	West end of concurrency with Hwy 37
Bone Creek No. 108	​	155.5	96.6	Hwy 37 north – Gull Lake Hwy 724 west	East end of concurrency with Hwy 37
	Scotsguard	175.0	108.7	Hwy 631 north
Wise Creek No. 77	​	186.4	115.8	Admiral access road
	Cadillac	204.6	127.1	Hwy 4 – Swift Current, Val Marie, U.S. border (Port of Monchy)
Auvergne No. 76	​	222.4	138.2	Hwy 628 – Ponteix
	Aneroid	236.0	146.6	Hwy 609 north – Vanguard
Pinto Creek No. 75	Hazenmore	249.4	155.0	Range Road 3092
	​	257.8	160.2	Hwy 19 south – Mankota	West end of concurrency with Hwy 19
	Kincaid	259.0	160.9	Hwy 19 north – Hodgeville	East end of concurrency with Hwy 19
	Meyronne	271.1	168.5	Hwy 611 south – McCord
Wood River No. 74	Woodrow	279.8	173.9	Hwy 610
	​	289.5	179.9	Hwy 58 south – Fir Mountain	East end of concurrency with Hwy 58
	Lafleche	291.2	180.9	Hwy 58 north – Gravelbourg	West end of concurrency with Hwy 58
Stonehenge No. 73	Limerick	313.5	194.8	Hwy 358 south – Wood Mountain
Lake of the Rivers No. 72	Assiniboia	333.6	207.3	Hwy 2 north – Moose Jaw Hwy 717 east	West end of concurrency with Hwy 2
		335.0	208.2	Hwy 2 south (Centre Street) – U.S. border (Port of West Poplar River)	East end of concurrency with Hwy 2
Willow Bunch No. 42	​	362.4	225.2	Hwy 36 south – Willow Bunch	West end of concurrency with Hwy 36
	​	365.9	227.4	Verwood access road
Excel No. 71	​	372.1	231.2	Hwy 36 north – Crane Valley, Moose Jaw	East end of concurrency with Hwy 36
	​	383.7	238.4	Hwy 624 – Ormiston, Viceroy
Key West No. 70	​	402.5	250.1	Hwy 34 south – Bengough Hwy 334 north – Avonlea
Norton No. 69	Ogema	417.5	259.4	Hwy 623 north
	​	437.8	272.0	Pangman access road
	​	442.2	274.8	Hwy 6 – Regina, U.S. border (Port of Regway)
Brokenshell No. 68	​	465.0	288.9	Hwy 28 south – Radville
	​	474.3	294.7	Hwy 621 north – Yellow Grass
Weyburn No. 67	No major junctions
City of Weyburn		494.7	307.4	Hwy 39 (CanAm Highway) – Moose Jaw, Regina, Estevan
		495.9	308.1	Crosses the Souris River
		497.1	308.9	Hwy 35 (King Street / Government Road) – Francis, U.S. border (Port of Oungre)
Weyburn No. 67	No major junctions
Griffin No. 66	Griffin	528.1	328.1	Hwy 606 – Midale
Tecumseh No. 65	Stoughton	557.4	346.4	Hwy 47 – Grenfell, Estevan To Hwy 33 west – Francis, Regina
	​	568.3	353.1	Forget access road
	​	568.8	353.4	Hwy 616 north – Peebles
Brock No. 64	Kisbey	582.0	361.6	Hwy 605 – Lampman, Kipling
	Arcola	596.9	370.9	Hwy 604 south
Moose Mountain No. 63	Carlyle	611.7	380.1	Hwy 9 north – Whitewood, Yorkton	West end of concurrency with Hwy 9
		613.4	381.1	Hwy 9 south – Oxbow	East end of concurrency with Hwy 9
	Manor	627.0	389.6	Hwy 603 – Wawota
Antler No. 61	​	638.5	396.7	Hwy 601 north	West end of concurrency with Hwy 601
	​	640.6	398.1	Hwy 601 south – Alida	East end of concurrency with Hwy 601
	Redvers	655.6	407.4	Hwy 8 – Carievale, Moosomin
	​	667.1	414.5	Hwy 600 north – Maryfield	West end of concurrency with Hwy 600
	​	672.0	417.6	Hwy 600 south – Fertile, Gainsborough	East end of concurrency with Hwy 600
	​	675.3	419.6		Continues into Manitoba
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

See also

• Roads in Saskatchewan