red coat trail in Sask

[NightTraveler]

We're planning a trip west from Ontario this summer and have travelled the Trans-Can several times. I wondered if the Red Coat Trail (hwy 13) , which runs parallel and south, is a nice route? How is the road quality?

[Paoli]

Done the Red Coat Trail. No problems, some sections are good, some bad, but nothing really serious. We'll do it again this summer.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

I've driven it from Redvers to Eastend. It is a two lane highway, with a good surface. Some areas have no shoulder. The small towns often have an RV park and there are at least a couple of Regional Parks along the way.

Eastend does have a good Dinosaur museum. The Cypress Hills are of interest--but I would not travel from Saskatchewan to Alberta through the Provincial Park. There is also the Grasslands Park (this may be a detour--too many years since I drove the route).

[vic46]

Wikipedia has a peck of information however i didn't see anything about road condition. It has been quite a few years since I was in that neck of the woods. My maternal grandparents homesteaded in the Manor area. The roads are likely in reasonable condition however your time will be significantly longer than on the Trans Canada (TC). The speed limit is lower than the TC and the road will be narrower and somewhat twisty comparatively speaking. The trail is rich with history with a lot of very interesting sites to visit. This route, while very rich in experiences, will be slower than the TC.
I have included the Wikipedia site address. There is a wealth of information on the territory. Google maps will give you a good reference relative to the ROUTE.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Coat_Trail/

I don't know your intended destination or your time availability but you could also consider the Yellowhead Highway. It traverses the same general area starting in Winnipeg, MB and terminating in Prince Rupert or Vancouver BC. I left out the Haida Gwaii portion. The Wikipedia site address follows. This route is a major east/west highway and as such will be generally in better shape than the Red Coat with more traffic and probably more services.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowhead_Highway/

Depending on time, perhaps both. If you change routes in either Edmonton or Calgary it is about 3 hours between Edmonton and Calgary (through Red Deer). which are on the Yellowhead Trail and the Red Coat Trail respectively.

Cheers;

Vic