Bella Coola Valley & Tweedsmuir Park - Lodge Tour

For those arriving by air, enjoy the 70 minute mid-morning flight to Bella Coola, marvelling at the impressive Coast Range mountains and expansive fjord system as you fly overhead. On arrival, our staff will greet you and transfer you the 45 minutes to the lodge, highlighting points of interest along the way. If you are arriving by car, your chalet will be ready from 4pm.

After check-in there will be a short orientation of the lodge property and all the activities available.

Enjoy a stroll down to the river, visit our Wildlife Viewing Station, go for a short hike on the Esker Trail through old growth forests, play a round of Frisbee golf, work out in the gym, soak in the hot tub, walk our slack line, or simply relax on the deck of your cabin with a drink and enjoy the view of Mt. Stupendous and Mt. Mellikan.

A delicious 3 course set menu is served at 7:30pm every night.

Kick-start your day with a choice of a hot or continental breakfast, served between 7:30am and 8:30am.

The day's activities start with a Scenic Drift down the Atnarko River. This is the heart of the Coast Range Mountains where majestic peaks and glaciers tower above the verdant valley floor. For people keen on fishing, it is a great opportunity to try to catch your own dinner (we have fishing gear for your use). Keep your eyes open for wildlife! The Atnarko is home to trout and 5 species of salmon, which sustain healthy populations of bald eagles, grizzly bears, river otters and black bears. Have your camera ready!

A delicious lunch will be served back at the lodge, after which your guide will take you for a hike on the Valley Loop Trail which is part of the historic Alexander Mackenzie Heritage Trail. In 1793, Sir Alexander Mackenzie, a young fur trader, was the first person to traverse the North American continent. He did this with a small party of only 8 people and a full 12 years before the much more famous Lewis and Clark expedition. He arrived in Bella Coola along this trail after canoeing and walking all the way from Montreal.

After the hike you will arrive back at the lodge in the late afternoon. There will be time before dinner to relax and enjoy some hors d'oeuvres on the sun deck of the lodge while exchanging stories of the day with your fellow guests.

The program for today is a tour of the Bella Coola Valley. You will see fantastic geography, pristine ecosystems and a rich First Nations heritage. After breakfast, your guide will drive you down valley to see a grove of ancient cedar trees on Walker Island. These trees are in excess of 800 years old and were used by the Nuxalk First Nation to smoke salmon and provide planking for their long houses. The cultural modifications are visible to this day. Bella Coola is Nuxalk First Nation territory, inhabitants of the valley for millennia and creators of a unique and vibrant artistic culture. Lunch will be a picnic at Clayton Falls Park overlooking the fjord.

This is also your opportunity to visit the Bella Coola town site to see the totem poles, to shop at the art gallery for First Nations jewellery and masks, and to see the petroglyph gardens. These petroglyphs (i.e. stone carvings) are hidden in a magical site tucked away in the woods. The carvings are estimated to be 3,000-5,000 years old and have been studied by the adventurer Thor Heyerdahl.

After breakfast it's time to head out with your guide, a naturalist, for a Nature Walk in the old growth forests of Tweedsmuir Park, the largest provincial park in British Columbia. Your guide will explain the ecology of the area and, as a highlight, show you how to track grizzly bears by pointing out various bear signs, including rub trees with claw and bite marks, and places the bears dig out in the forest floor for their naps called day beds. 

A picnic lunch will be served in the field. In the afternoon, continue exploring Tweedsmuir Park with a drive on the Tote Road past old, abandoned homesteads brimming with character. This is prime wildlife habitat and animal sightings are common. At the end of the road there is a short, highly recommended hike to Stillwater Lake. This is a beautiful, pristine place that should not be missed!

This day will take you up onto the Chilcotin Plateau for a hike on the stunning Rainbow Range trail. The peaks of the Rainbow Range "Tsitsutl" in the local dialect, meaning painted mountains, form an enormous dome of eroded lava and fragmented rock that presents an astonishing spectrum of reds, oranges, yellows, and lavenders. The colours are really spectacular! It's also lake country and there are hundreds of large and small lakes dotting the area. 

The Rainbow Range offers a strong contrast to the higher and more rugged Coast Mountains just a small distance to the west. It's a very different ecological experience, with smaller pine and fir forests. In 2010 there were large fires in the area and a wide variety of alpine flowers, including asters, arnica and fireweed are reclaiming the
ground in between the blackened burnt forest.

Departure day! We recommend one last visit to the Wildlife Viewing Station before your final breakfast with us. Check-out is 11am. If you are flying out, take advantage of a leisurely morning in which you can enjoy the lodge property, make use of the spa and gym, play some lawn games, or simply relax before taking our shuttle back to the Bella Coola Airport for the flight back to Vancouver. If you are departing by ferry, we will arrange to drive you to the harbour. Thank you for visiting us!