Located approximately three hours from Vancouver and next to Highway 37, which runs next to Alaska, is Bear Claw Lodge, a family-friendly lodge with eight guestrooms located in the Kispiox Valley of British Columbia.
The lodge coordinates activities year-round from camping on the mountain or the river, to horseback riding and horse sleigh rides, too. For those traveling with families, the Summer Camp for kids is a great option that allows mom and dad to stay at the lodge and relax, while the kids enjoy the outdoors while staying in tents and learning skills such as fishing, bread or jelly making, and outdoor survival skills. (A similar camp is in the planning stages for adults, based on the feedback from guests.) Though this isn’t a ski resort, skiing is also offered just six minutes away on a private mountain. The all-inclusive venue also features family-style dining as all guests sit together for dinner.
During the winter months, the lodge offers heli skiing experiences with Skeena Heliskiing, and adventures such as a Base Camp stay (available February – March) on the mountain, located in Kuldo Valley, for a week of all-inclusive dining and heli skiing activities. This form of “glamping” takes place in tents set up at the start of each winter season that are then taken down at the end of the season. These tents offer guests a warm and rustic vibe with beds outfitted in sheep wool duvets; heat inside the tents is also provided. Individual and private shower cubicles are also set up with warm water, as are two composting toilets near the tents. A main tent is also set up as a dining area, where a chef cooks meals for guests.
For a bit of pampering, Bear Claw Lodge can also set up a snow bar on the mountain for special events, host a pig roast for holidays, and much more.
Rates start at $12,850 for a heli ski and stay package, with unlimited skiing; $4,600 for a week package at the lodge, or $395 pp dbl—both options include food and activities.
For more information on Skeena Heliskiing and the Base Camp, visit skeenaheliskiing.com/lodge/base-camp; and for Bear Claw Lodge, visit kispioxriver.com.
