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Overview
One of the most the most spectacular wilderness areas on the planet, Bella Coola sits where the Coast Range mountains meet the Pacific Ocean. Long fjords, old growth forests, stunning peaks, vast glaciers and abundant wildlife are there to be discovered, and Tweedsmuir Park Lodge provides the ideal base to explore from with the aid of their knowledgeable and friendly guides. It is also just 3 hours from Vancouver, making it the easiest of the bear lodges to access.
- View and photograph splendid mountain scenery while drifting the scenic Atnarko River in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park
- Learn to track grizzlies and look for bears in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, the largest protected area in the province (note: it’s not grizzly season at this time of year)
- Learn about the region’s First Nations culture by visiting ancient stone carvings and the local totem poles
- Explore the Great Bear Rainforest, including a visit to a waterfall and an old growth forest of HUGE cedar trees!
- Drive the rugged Tote Road exploring old homesteads and trappers’ cabins
- Sleep peacefully in beautiful log or timber-frame chalets with magnificent mountain views
Choose from a private tour, or as part of a group of up to 6 people. Shorter stays are also available – simply ask us to arrange the right stay for you.
Bella Coola
Ms Winsor - Travelled Rocky Mountaineer"The Rocky Mountaineer was superb"
Everything went to plan and ran smoothly with planes, cars, trains and accommodation. The Rocky Mountaineer was superb and a great experience, so well organised and such good service on board. The selection of hotels we ended up with was an eclectic mix. Cathedral Lodge in Field was outstanding and by far the best in terms of location, style and service. Just out of this world although the Black Fish Lodge experience was equally good although quite different. Lovely people there who took good care of us with amazing wild life spotting opportunities along with the fishing.
I can’t thank you enough for your patience in the planning process getting the package together and trying to match to our specific requirements. You always understood the brief and were quick in following up options and so on. Not an inexpensive holiday for sure but so memorable. It will be very hard to beat.
Itinerary (8 Nights)
Here’s a day-by-day guide to your itinerary. Feel free to ask us to add other days or ideas and excursions by contacting us directly, so we can give you the best price.
Day 2
Tweedsmuir
Take a 70 minute morning flight from Vancouver to Bella Coola, where you will be...
Day 2
Tweedsmuir
Take a 70 minute morning flight from Vancouver to Bella Coola, where you will be met by Tweedsmuir Park Lodge staff to transfer you the 45 minutes to the lodge, showing you some of the sights along the way, or make your own way by car to the lodge to arrive by 2pm, ready for your first bear viewing tour at about 3pm. After checking in, you will be given a lodge orientation to help prepare you for the rest of your stay.
Enjoy an afternoon to explore the nearby area, including the Wildlife Viewing Station, or the Esker Trail through old growth forests, or just relax at the lodge before your delicious 3 course dinner is served at 7pm.
6 nights Tweedsmuir Park Lodge
Day 3
Tweedsmuir
After a choice of hot or continental breakfast, enjoy a scenic drift down the Atnarko...
Day 3
Tweedsmuir
After a choice of hot or continental breakfast, enjoy a scenic drift down the Atnarko River to take in the views of the Coast Range Mountains and verdant valley floor. You might also spot trout and 5 species of salmon that live in the Atnarko, and support healthy populations of bald eagles, river otters, and both black and grizzly bears. Keep your camera ready!
After lunch at the lodge, your guide will take you on a hike on the Valley Loop Trail, part of the historic Alexander Mackenzie Heritage Trail, named after the first person to traverse the North American continent in 1793. Following the hike, you will have some leisure time back at the lodge before dinner.
Day 4
Tweedsmuir
After breakfast, today you will be driven by your guide down valley to see a...
Day 4
Tweedsmuir
After breakfast, today you will be driven by your guide 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 for smoking salmon and to help build their long houses. The cultural modifications are still visible today.
Enjoy a picnic at Clayton Falls Park overlooking the fjord before having a tour with a member of the Nuxalk, who will take you to the ancient petroglyphs hidden in a magical site tucked away in the woods, though to be 3000 – 5000 years old. You will also have time to visit the Bella Coola town site to see the totem poles and to shop at the art gallery for First Nations jewellery and masks.
Day 5
Tweedsmuir
After breakfast, it is time to head out for a guided nature walk through the...
Day 5
Tweedsmuir
After breakfast, it is time to head out for a guided nature walk through the old growth forests of Tweedsmuir Park. Your guide will show you how to track bears, showing you various bear signs including rub trees with claw and bite marks and the places bears dig out in the forest floor for their naps, known as day beds.
After a picnic lunch, you continue exploring the Park with a drive along the Tote Road past old abandoned homesteads. This is also prime wildlife habitat, and animal sightings are common. At the end of the road, take a short hike to Stillwater Lake, a beautiful, pristine place not to be missed. Return back to the lodge and relax for a bit before dinner.
Day 6
Tweedsmuir
For this day, you can choose your preferred choice of nature hike to take in...
Day 6
Tweedsmuir
For this day, you can choose your preferred choice of nature hike to take in the sights of the area, either drifting down the Atnarko River, heading up to explore the Rainbow Range, tour the Valley or spend the day on a nature walk in the old growth forest.
Day 7
Tweedsmuir
Today you will head up onto the Chilcotin Plateau for a hike along the stunning...
Day 7
Tweedsmuir
Today you will head up onto the Chilcotin Plateau for a hike along the stunning Rainbow Range trail. The peaks of the range, or “Tsitsutl” in the local dialect, meaning painted mountains, form an enormous dome of eroded lava and fragmented rocks that display and astonishing spectrum of reds, oranges, yellows and lavenders.
It is also lake country, with hundreds of large and small lakes dotting the area. The Rainbow Range is in strong contrast to the rugged Coast Mountains, with smaller pine and fir forests. After large fires in 2010, a wide variety of alpine flowers are reclaiming the ground in between the blackened and burnt forest.
Day 8
Tweedsmuir to Vancouver
Have one last visit to the Wildlife Viewing Station to see what is about on...
Day 8
Tweedsmuir
to
Vancouver
Have one last visit to the Wildlife Viewing Station to see what is about on the river before breakfast. Check out will be at 11am, and after a leisurely morning taking advantage of the facilities at the lodge the staff will shuttle you back to the airport then take your flight back to Vancouver. Have one final night before heading back to the UK.
We will tailor a holiday itinerary for you to extend your stay in Canada. Please just ask.
1 night Vancouver
