Located in the village of Stuie, British Columbia on the banks of the Atnarko River, Tweedsmuir Park Lodge is located on the traditional territory of the Nuxalk and Ulkatcho First Nations. The lodge is located in an extraordinary area where the world’s most interconnected fjord system, the world’s largest temperate rainforest, and a dramatic mountain landscape of glaciers, plunging creeks, pristine rivers, and granite cliffs converge. Much of the area is now protected as part of The Great Bear Rainforest or Tweedsmuir Provincial Park. The area is renowned for its abundant wildlife and is one of the most pristine grizzly bear habitats in the world. The historic lodge has been welcoming guests since 1931. Guests of the lodge may select either a Small Group or a Private package. Come nightfall, guests stay in their own private chalet or elevated suite right at the forest's edge. All accommodations surround the large central lawn and offer excellent views with exceptional privacy.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
This wilderness lodge is situated in the Great Bear Rainforest in B.C., along the banks of the Atnarko River.
No checkin to speak of, greeted at the wee Bella Coola airport, then driven with interesting commentary to the Lodge (45 minutes) where lunch was waiting, then escorted to my cabin. After that it was time for Bear 101 — an introduction to the world of Ursus, entertaining and instructional (NEVER run). Most guests stay three to five nights, I was there four nights. The older gentleman who flew in with me was there for seven nights.
ROOM — I think I was housed in the smallest cabin (actually a duplex) on the great lawn and it had everything I could want — comfy bed, great linens, gas fireplace, reading lamps, lovely bathroom with big walk-in shower (no tub but not a detractor for me), heated floor, good soaps and lotions, coffee maker, tea kettle, bird/tree/rainforest guides, radio for communication, walking sticks, umbrella, extra blanket, laundry bags (daily laundry service gratis), front deck with lounge chairs. I traveled solo so paid single supplement.
ACTIVITIES — Rates are inclusive of everything (but alcohol) including one hour-long massage and all activities which are legion! The primo activity is the guided river drift in a zodiac (with seats!). I did three of these, one each day, and saw 23 bears, mostly grizzlies and three black bears (plus three more bears on the lodge lawn).
Other activities: the Via Ferrata (hell no), many hikes easy to arduous, bear viewing stand on the Atnarko River, Nuxalk culture talks and petroglyphs, Salmon 101, interpretive nature walks, hot tub, sauna and gym.
Other activities at additional cost: helicopter tours, fjord tour with and without a stop at historic now abandoned cannery, heli-hiking, and more.
A ton of gear is available in all conceivable sizes — rain pants and jackets, rubber boots, backpacks, binocs, water bottles, lap blankets, etc.
SERVICE: — The lodge excels in service. Most needs are anticipated but requests are graciously accepted and fulfilled expeditiously. There is an activities desk manned all day and evening. A schedule is chalked up every evening posting which guests are doing what when. Changes can be made instantly, questions answered, gear provided, suggestions made, all with smiles. Meal service and drink orders are prompt and gracious, individual preferences quickly apprehended and catered to (e.g., sparkling water).
There is a large team of guides who are personable and expert. I was comfortable putting myself in their hands, sometimes literally. I’m older and not at all fit but was able to climb in and out of zodiacs if not always gracefully.
BEARS AND OTHER CRITTERS: — I was focused on bears and eagles and was greatly gratified. Over three days and river drifts saw 23 bears on the Atnarko (20 grizzlies, three black bears) and countless eagles, adult and juvenile, magnificent birds. Also three bears on the lodge great lawn. Some insects on the river but never a bother to me. Other birds: varied thrush, waterthrush, grouse, robins, dippers, ravens, gulls. On the fjord had a lovely siting of a pair of Pacific white-sided dolphins. Many salmon, five different kinds, swimming up river, even spawning. It turns out bear watching is very much my thing. Two days running we had multiple sitings of a sow and her two cubs, we even caught them snuggling! Then there was Coco, a single female who likes to play in the water and dive. We watched her catch and eat a salmon.
DINING
Breakfast is a multi-tiered affair — bread and pastry bar with assorted accompaniments, healthy breakfast pudding, oatmeal, cereal/milk/granola, plain yogurt, yogurt parfait, fruit, tea/coffee/juice bar, lattes etc, two hot dishes (e.g., scrambled eggs, fried eggs, frittatas, pancakes (best I’ve ever had, don’t skip), bacon (so yummy), chicken apple sausage, regular sausage, potato hash, etc.
Lunch is a choice of hearty soup, farm salad (add grilled chicken), hamburger with fixin’s.
Dinner is a three course delight with mains over my four nights including roast rack of lamb, sable, steelhead salmon and beef tenderloin. The fish was outstanding. OK, it was all outstanding.
LOCATION — The Great Bear Rainforest is the largest coastal temperate rainforest in the world and home to great biological and botanical diversity including old growth fir and cedar, prolific salmon runs, bears (grizzly and black), wolves, fox, eagles, and so much more. Countless, rivers, streams, waterfalls, enormous maintains and many glaciers, valleys and meadows, life in abundance. Quite simply, heart-thuddingly stupendous. There’s even a Mount Stupendous. The sights and sounds of this forested environment are restoratively impressive and comforting. I don’t think I ever stopped smiling.
HOW TO GET THERE — 620 miles from Vancouver by car, about 14 hours, 10 hours by ferry, 1 hour and 20 minutes by prop plane.
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Date of stay: October 2023
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Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Annika Granander, Guest Services / Front Office at Tweedsmuir Park Lodge
Responded Oct 11, 2023
Hi and thank you for taking the time to leave such a pleasant review of Tweedsmuir Park Lodge. We are thrilled that you had such a fantastic stay. It sounds like you were able to experience all of the best things that the Lodge has to offer. I'm sure other potential guests will be very thankful for the very detailed description of your experience. We will be sure to share your feedback to the hospitality, culinary and guide teams. We hope to see you again in the future. Have a great autumn!
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It's difficult to really describe quite how incredible this experience was. We went during prime salmon season so all the bears were fattening themselves up for hibernation. I'm sure this must have contributed to the amount of bears we saw but they never seemed to be too far away and the guides all knew the best spots to try and see them (Jessib, Ellie and Woodie were awesome!) The accommodation is very nice, private cabins providing a secluded feeling with stunning views of the mountains. It was only a short walk down to the viewing platform from the cabins meaning an early stroll down was rewarded a few times with prime bear spotting. I would highly recommend spending as much time at the viewing platform as possible to maximise your chances of spotting some bears. Often we'd be there an hour earlier than other guests in the morning and they would end up missing out on the prime bear time. The food is amazing and the chefs definitely know their stuff. It was nice and varied and left you feeling full and satisfied every evening. Followed by a nice chill out playing pool and backgammon led to a great feeling of relaxation after a busy day. Almost everything you could possibly need was provided in the rooms including bug spray (a must for spending time by the river!) and binoculars. Definitely make sure you take a good quality camera and a tele lens is a must for the best shots! Would highly recommend to anyone and everyone I know.
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Date of stay: September 2020
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is a very very special place indeed. It’s location is jaw dropping, the accommodation in individual log cabins is delightful but it’s the people and service ethic that really sets it apart. The welcome from Sydney was lovely, Nadine is a delight, always around and always giving wonderful service with a smile. Jessop and Carla gave us an amazing guided fishing, Hiking and climbing experiences. The overall vibe is one where nothing is any trouble, everything kit wise is provided and no detail is overlooked. The staff are all delightful, knowledgeable humans, the food is top notch and the bed the most comfortable of our entire 2 month road trip. Bravo. What a brilliantly managed and executed hospitality experience.
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Ben Duthie, Marketing at Tweedsmuir Park Lodge
Responded Aug 23, 2022
Hi Rach130, thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a flattering review. We are thrilled that you had such a fantastic stay at the lodge and were delighted by the service and attention to detail provided by the staff. I will be sure to share your positive feedback with the team. We hope that you will visit again in the future.
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From the first minute we arrived at Tweedsmuir, we were greeted and shown to our spotless cabin, which included everything we could possibly need. The food was not only delicious but had a beautiful presentation and we never felt hurried. Our trips during the day were exciting with gorgeous vistas and peeks at country that most people never see. Our guide was an extraordinary man who is familiar with the people, animals, and plants of the area. We enjoyed visiting with him and looking at the views and wildlife and plant life. We enjoyed relaxing outside our cabin at the end of the day and looking at the beauty that surrounded us. Massages were perfect! We will never forget our wonderful trip!
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Date of stay: August 2022
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Annika Granander, Guest Services / Front Office at Tweedsmuir Park Lodge
Responded Oct 31, 2022
Hello David! Thank you for the 5 star review! I am pleased to hear that you had a wonderful trip and got to experience everything that Tweedsmuir Park Lodge has to offer. I will be sure to pass on your kind words to our teams in the housekeeping, culinary and guiding departments. We do our best to make sure our guests feel at home, and well taken care of. We hope to be able to welcome you back very soon.
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I write this review with sadness in my heart. Sadness that I had to leave such an amazing place full of wonderful people and captivating wildlife. I want to be back there!
Tweedsmuir Park Lodge is in a wonderful location with picturesque views every way you turn. The property itself is a lovely mix of rustic and modern and everything is well cared for, clean and charming, with touches of luxury throughout.
There’s a viewing platform on the grounds which you can use to hopefully spot bears when you’re not out and about spotting them elsewhere (we went in late September, prime bear viewing season!). We had a few good sightings there, and more when out on the great river drifts and eco walks. I don’t want to give too much info here as part of the fun is experiencing all this for yourself, but the river drifts were so relaxing too! We also saw a bear walk through the property which was quite an experience.
My wife and I had paid for a personal package so went out by ourselves plus a guide each time. It meant we could be flexible about where we went and what we did, as well as being stealthy due to the smaller group size.
What turns Tweedsmuir from a great place into a truly wonderful place though is the people that work there. We found everyone so friendly, knowledgeable, funny and caring. You'll meet Doug straight away and he’s a bundle of energy! Fun and informative he gets you off on the right track. Then you’ll meet the staff in the main lodge who are so warm and welcoming. Nothing is too much trouble for them and you look forward to seeing them every mealtime and having a chat.
Talking of mealtimes, special mention must be given to the chef and kitchen staff who we didn't meet, but never failed to deliver fabulous food. You will eat well here!
And of course there’s the guides! We had trips out with Ellie, Jessib, Karla, Bryn and Woody (not forgetting our 101 with Doug!). All have unique personalities but share the same mixture of warmth, friendliness and deep knowledge. I could write loads about each but as mentioned above, the fun is finding your own way at Tweedsmuir and making those connections. They were all a joy to be with.
Special mention too to Susie – a lovely artist in residence for the week we were there. We took part in her painting sessions and thoroughly enjoyed our time with her. We’ve made a new friend and will enjoy keeping in touch.
If I had to pull up any negatives, it would be that there was a bit of a mixup with our room – we had booked a standalone cabin but ended up with a duplex so were attached to someone else. The room was still lovely, but it did mean you could hear sounds from next door so wasn’t quite as private. Whether this was the mistake of our travel agent or Tweedsmuir I’m not sure. However seeing as everything else exceeded our expectations this is still a 5/5 review from me!
I hope Tweedsmuir keeps up their standards and retains the brilliant staff. With the wrong people this could be a by-the-books experience, but as it stands it’s something very special indeed.
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Date of stay: September 2022
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Annika Granander, Guest Services / Front Office at Tweedsmuir Park Lodge
Responded Nov 7, 2022
Good afternoon, Thank you for sharing your experience at our lodge. I am delighted that you enjoyed your visit, including the food, tours and bears! Thank you also for your kind words regarding our staff and guides, they will be very appreciative. I am also glad that you were able to take part in the painting sessions with our live in artist Susie. We hope to welcome you back again soon! Regards, Annika Granander
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Our stay at the Tweedsmuir Park Lodge was 5 star in all aspects. The Lodge was very Covid aware. They gave us masks and gloves and sanitizer and their procedures were all excellent. The dinning room was very well setup so the social distance requirements were exceeded. The Lodge has a great location in the valley. The mountains are beautiful and valley is pristine. We observed many bears. Activities were planned for us and they were very flexible with requested changes. The guides were excellent and we developed a good rapport with them all . We looked forward to our adventures and when we left we really missed the guides and all the staff. Our cabin was great. We drove in and the trip across the plateau and down ‘the hill” was exciting. We hope to go back when we can ride horses on the trails. We can’t recommend it enough.
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had the most incredible stay at Tweedsmuir Park Lodge. We were lucky to be there during the salmon run, so not only did we get to watch grizzlies happily tucking into their pre-hibernation salmon feast, we also saw bald eagles, jumping salmon, mountain goats and black bears. The grizzly bear viewing was unlike anything i've ever experienced. We spent most of our downtime between tours on the lodge's viewing platform, and were rewarded with several opportunities to watch the bears heading up and down the river. The walking tours and boat drifts also gave us even more opportunities to view the bears, with the addition of our knowledgeable guides Jessib, Ellie and Woody who were able to answer all our many questions about the bears.
The lodge itself was fantastic, all the staff were friendly and professional, food was delicious, and the COVID protocols in place made us all feel safe and welcome without over-shadowing the experience. The lodge is a wonderful place to relax after a full day of wildlife viewing.
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Date of stay: September 2020
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Room Tip:All the cabins had a great view towards the lawn and the river.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Great location, great amenities, great guides and great restaurant staff BUT..................when we arrived at Tweedsmuir, we found that we had been paired for walking/trekking excursions with another couple, who had reduced mobility. We pointed this out straight away and were told that the lodge had already identified the issue and were working towards a resolution. They “would do what they could”. Sadly, despite two further requests, Tweedsmuir were unable to arrange for any alternate guides and we therefore did not receive the promised and anticipated quality of experience. Sadly no one at the lodge bothered to come back to us to explain they were unable to change the arrangements because a number of guests had booked "private tours" and they had no other guides available. When we raised this with our booking agents on our return, they contacted Tweedsmuir, who accepted and acknowledged the issue and their handling of it, offering to refund our “incidentals” bill. Our “incidentals” consisted of some drinks, but primarily of our gratuity to the staff!!! Some gesture by management! In our opinion, if guests arrive unable to fully take part in the known activities, it is they who should be offered an alternative which does not penalise guests who have booked for the specific purpose of enjoying the outdoor activities including walking and trekking, which is an integral part of the experience. The food and accommodation were good and thankfully the viewing platform provided excellent bear viewing, in stark contrast to the excursions. This was not the experience we had booked and anticipated for so long and was most definitely not the trip of a lifetime that we were hoping for and which was delivered for so many other people at the lodge. We have travelled on many wildlife trips and we know sightings cannot be guaranteed but you have to be out in the wild to stand any chance of seeing the wildlife.
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Date of stay: September 2022
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Annika Granander, Guest Services / Front Office at Tweedsmuir Park Lodge
Responded Nov 3, 2022
Hello JTZ, Thank you for sharing your feedback about your recent experience with us. While I am pleased to hear that the majority of your time at Tweedsmuir Park Lodge was enjoyable and I am sorry to hear the tour caused some frustration. I can assure you that our staff did everything they could to try and accommodate your request and I do sincerely apologize for not following up. We are currently revisiting our small group packages to be able to group guests together based on ability level and interests to help prevent any future limitations to the group members. Thank you again for taking the time to write this review, we sincerely appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you back in the future. Regards, Annika Granander Hospitality Manager
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My wife and I were seeking a unique experience for our anniversary, and she is an avid nature photographer. We enjoyed the views and and layout of the property. The meals were served with warm professionalism and the kitchen even made an adhoc lunch (pasta) when we inquired about the meal from the previous dinner. The guides are all very friendly and professional when it comes to safety and care for positive bear encounters. This place showcases some of the best things in nature that British Columbia has to offer.
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Date of stay: September 2021
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The location was amazingly beautiful, the staff wonderful and friendly and informative, the tours accessible yet challenging, the food was DELICIOUS, the chalet was spotless and SO comfortable, especially loving the heated bathroom floor. AND we saw bears everyday, in the river, right outside our chalet, right up beside the main lodge, sleeping under a tree on a trail with a cub. My sons and I had a GREAT time!
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Date of stay: October 2021
Value
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Stuie area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
tweedsmuir park hotel stuie
LOCATION
CanadaBritish ColumbiaBella Coola ValleyStuie
NUMBER OF ROOMS
12
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