Initial consultation for the creating of the park began in 2011 with local First Nations, Métis people, and other stakeholders to share information, identify concerns, and come up with a name. Porcupine Hills Provincial Park was the overwhelmingly favourite choice.
"Designating this new provincial park is an exciting opportunity for our province," Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Gene Makowsky said. "As an area known for its natural beauty, this new provincial park will ensure it remains available for camping, fishing, hunting and many more of Saskatchewan’s best-known outdoor activities for generations to come."
The park's total area is 29,800ha (74,000 acres) and is composed of five previously existing recreation parks that were divided between two blocks. The original names for these blocks were Woody River Block and McBride Lake Block. After the creation of the park, these blocks were renamed East Block and West Block with new names to be determined at a later date. The East and West Blocks are quite different in landscape and cultural features with the West Block consisting of open grasslands mixed aspen, birch, and white spruce while the East Block is covered in dense evergreen forests and lakes. The East Block has several campgrounds, a year-round lodge, and a cottage subdivision while the West Block has two campgrounds and three cottage subdivisions. Four of the five original recreation parks are in the West Block. The Woody River Recreation Site plus additional Crown land makes up the East Block.[4]
West Block (McBride Lake Block)
The West Block is composed of four separate recreation sites.
Woody River Recreation Site (52.4791°N 101.7009°W / 52.4791; -101.7009)[18] consists of separate parcels of land plus additional Crown land centred around several lakes, Woody River, and Midnight Creek in the Porcupine Hills. Access is from Highway 980, which connects all of the lakes and amenities in the park, and by snowmobile. When travelling by snowmobile from the town of Hudson Bay, there are two warm-up shelters along the way.[19] Accessible lakes within the East Block include Isbister, Spirit, Smallfish, Woody, Elbow, and Townsend. All six lakes have boat access and fish commonly found in the lakes include walleye, perch, and northern pike. Campsites and picnic areas exist at Spirit, Isbister, Smallfish, and Townsend Lakes.[20] A rough ATV trail begins at the Spirit Lake Campground and heads north-east past Spirit Mountain and goes to Armit Lake, which is the largest lake in the Porcupine Hills.
Rental cabins are available within the park at Moose Range Lodge on Townsend Lake. The lodge is the centre for snowmobiling in the area and has a restaurant, gasoline, and groceries.[21] The 14-kilometre network of snowmobile trails are maintained by Hudson Bay Trail Riders.[22]
