0845 644 3939
Dream Builder
Details
Knight Inlet Lodge is one of the few places in the world where magnificent wildlife, scenery and native culture can be experienced in one location. Situated in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest, guests at the Lodge can view grizzlies and stunning scenery amidst tree-lined shores and snow-capped mountains.
All packages start with a night on Vancouver Island in Campbell River before a floatplane flies you into the Knight Inlet Lodge for your chosen length of stay.
More information
Glendale Cove is home to one of the largest concentrations of grizzly (brown) bears in British Columbia. It is not uncommon for there to be up to 50 bears within 10 kilometres of the lodge in the peak autumn season when the salmon are returning to the river. Although they are abundant in the fall, it is not the only season that grizzly bears can be found in Glendale Cove.
Bear Viewing Seasons
Starting in April, both black and grizzly bears begin emerging from hibernation and head to the cove and the estuary to feed on the succulent new spring growth. During spring season is up to 15 different grizzly bears and 5 different black bears can be seen feeding on sedge grasses, mussels and barnacles along the cove's shoreline. Fresh from hibernation, this season offers a wonderful opportunity to see newborn cubs as they first venture out with their mother into the natural world. Spring viewing is done from boats, and allows you to get remarkably close to some of these wonderful animals at eye level without disturbing them. This season offers some of the year's best photographic opportunities, with the bears moving about in a lush green environment with spectacular backdrops.
Summer viewing continues on the water as well, but moves to the logging roads and the viewing platforms along the river whenever the opportunity to view bears in these areas arises. This season often has the best weather and is the most relaxing, offering you the chance to view the bears from a small group. The summer program also offers some of the year's best whale watching opportunities.
The autumn season begins in late August, as hundreds of thousands of pink salmon begin surging their way up the Inlet into the Glendale River, attracting dozens of grizzlies who converge on the spawning channels to fatten their already burgeoning bodies in preparation for the coming winter. The spectacle is as incredible as it sounds and has to be experienced in person to really appreciate it. Guests embark on their adventure from the lodge, traveling across the cove by boat and then riding a small bus along an old-time logging road through lush northern rain forest to the spawning channels. It is not uncommon to see 10-15 bears on the river and the channels at a time.
More Than Just Bears!
As well as bear viewing, a number of other tours are available from the lodge. A marine wildlife tour is available during all stays, however what you may see changes greatly as the seasons change. In spring you will travel throughout the inlet viewing the seals, sea lions, porpoises, dolphins and the occasional minke whale that may travel though the waters. From July onwards, tours have the added attraction of the orca (killer) whale and you may cruise to the world famous Johnstone Strait where you are almost assured of spending some great viewing time with these magnificent marine mammals. This is in addition spring marine viewing, so the program can last for up to 10 hours. In September, the humpback whale is added to the list of marine mammals as they start to arrive from Alaska on their way to Hawaii. The viewing of these gentle giants is infrequent, but it is spectacular when it does happen.
In addition, there are estuary tours, Knight Inlet boat tours, jet boat tours up the Kliniklini River, excursions to the upper reaches of Knight Inlet, and day trips to the Thompson and Bond Sounds. These offer great photographic opportunities for viewing birds, bears, other wildlife or just the amazing scenery.
Prices Include
• Return floatplane airfare from Campbell River
• 1 night stay at Herons Landing (Campbell River) + 1 or 2 nights (as chosen) at the Knight Inlet Lodge
• All meals starting with lunch on day 1 and ending with breakfast on your last day,
• Complimentary house wine with dinner
• Welcome orientation for wildlife viewing
• All park user fees
• Scenic boat ride of Glendale Cove
• Bear viewing tour
• Knight Inlet sightseeing cruise (weather permitting)
• All transportation to the bear-viewing platforms (in the spring & summer, viewing is done from boats)
• Interpretive guide on all tours
• Evening interpretive programs
• Rain gear if required
The 3 night package also includes
• Extra bear viewing tours
• Interpretive hike of the Kwalate River Valley
• Wildlife tracking (make plaster casts of animal prints)
• Excursions for Bald Eagle viewing & other bird life
Payment / Cancellation Information
Please note that a special payment & cancellation conditions apply for all Grizzly Bear Packages.
Deposit - An additional deposit of £300 per person is due at the time of booking. (Please note that this is in addition to our standard deposit)
Cancellations
70 days or more before arrival - loss of deposit applies
69- 30 days prior to arrival - 60% fee applies
29 - 0 days prior to arrival - 100% fee applies
Prices do not include
- Transfer to/from Campbell River (these can be added separately)
- Alcoholic beverages unless specified
- Gratuities for staff ($20 per person per day is recommended which is distributed to all staff including tour guides).
Daily Departures: 17th May – 15 October 2012 (closed 25th – 31st July)
Getting to Campbell River
For Vancouver based clients, we are pleased to offer a flight to take you from Vancouver to Campbell River. This costs from £309 per person (return). Alternatively, if you have a rental car, you can take a ferry crossing from the mainland and drive to Campbell River.
Getting to the Lodge
Knight Inlet Lodge is only accessible by floatplane. A short 30 minute flight will take you from Campbell River to Glendale Cove, where the lodge is located. The floatplane cost is included in all our packages. Due to the early departure time of the flight (see below), a pre tour night in Campbell River is essential and this is also included in the packages price at Herons Landing Hotel, a 2-3 star hotel on the outskirts of Campbell River. All rooms have private balconies, some with ocean-view.
Flight to Knight Inlet:
Depart Campbell River - 9.30am (check in 30 mins prior)
Arrive Glendale Cove - 10am
Depart Glendale Cove - 10.30am
Arrive Campbell River - 11am
Please Note: Baggage Allowance on floatplane is 14kgs plus a small carry-on bag. (Excess luggage can be stored at the Campbell River floatplane base)
Recommended Stay
A 2 night package (1 night at Campbell River and 1 night Knight Inlet Lodge) will give you opportunity to sample just a taste of what the lodge has to offer. You will join a bear viewing excursion, but you may miss out on the other activities that the lodge can also offer. In order to fully experience all that the lodge has to offer we strongly recommend a stay of at least 2 nights at the lodge (the 3 night package). This will allow you to participate in some of the other activities that are available, including whale watching, jet boat tours, estuary cruises, canoe trips, rainforest hikes & interpretative hikes.
Packages are also available for stays of between 3 & 7 nights - please contact us for details
The Lodge
The rustic lodge floats on the ocean, nestled in the only protected cover on the 100 mile long inlet. The only neighbours are the bears, mountain goats, otters, seals and eagles that make the inlet their home. The lodge is an assortment of construction styles dating from the early 1940's, when the original float housed a logging camp. Recent construction has provided more modern buildings for guest accommodation.
Rooms are all comfortably furnished in west coast style and feature cedar panelling, bold coloured duvets and private ensuite bathrooms with one double/queen/king bed and / or a twin bed. The rooms are grouped into several buildings - The Palace, Native House, Den and Lair. Most have a common lounge area with a wood burning stove for relaxing in the evening or on a cool day and there is an outdoor hot tub with spectacular oceanfront views. At full capacity the lodge will hold 30 guests in twelve rooms, but 24 - 26 is the average occupancy.
Meals
Meals at the Lodge are included in all packages and are a highlight in themselves. In the dining room you can enjoy bountiful and sumptuous West Coast and Continental cuisine, with delicious daily specials, fine wines and sinful desserts. Meals often feature crab, salmon and prawn harvested fresh from the pristine glacier fed waters of Knight Inlet. Fresh ingredients are flown in daily to be prepared by expert chefs, providing a dining experience that receives almost as many compliments as the bear viewing! With advance notice most dietary preferences can be accommodated.
Cost Per Person
| 2 Night Package | Low Season | Shoulder Season | High Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Double | £633 | £717 | £828 |
| Single | £1023 | £1187 | £1346 |
| Triple | £566 | £657 | £753 |
| Child (8-16)* | £387 | £438 | £494 |
| 3 Night Package | Low Season | Shoulder Season | High Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Double | £1075 | £1222 | £1382 |
| Single | £1729 | £1931 | £2186 |
| Triple | £972 | £1103 | £1258 |
| Child (8-16)* | £637 | £733 | £820 |
2 Night Package: 1 night Campbell River, 1 night Knight Inlet
3 Night Package: 1 night Campbell River, 2 nights Knight Inlet
Tours can depart on any day of the week.
Low Season: 25 Jun - 24 Jul 12
Shoulder Season: 17 May - 24 Jun; 01 Aug - 24 Aug
High Season: 25 Aug - 15 Oct
Please note: Lodge closed from 25 - 31 July 12
*Child price valid for children aged 8-16 sharing with their parents.
Customer Reviews
- Staff Review: Grizzly Bears of Knight Inlet Review by Lynne Charlton (Reservations Dept)
-
After a night in Campbell River we took a smooth and scenic 25 minute floatplane flight to Knight Inlet Lodge. The small floating lodge feels like it is in the middle of nowhere. After checking in at the lodge and being orientated around the facilities by the staff, we changed into some most attractive waterproof suits and boarded a small covered boat to go on our first bear watching trip in the estuary. Within just 30 seconds of reaching the viewing area we saw our first bear, a female trying to find food. Seconds later a big male bear (called Bruno by the lodge staff) came and tried to chase her. The atmosphere was very quiet and relaxing, in fact it felt surreally like being in a TV nature programme.
We returned to the lodge for lunch, then went on a second bear viewing cruise with the highlight of the day being getting to see a mother bear with her cub. The cruise boat also sped us past some of the beautiful scenery of the area before we returned to the lodge for the evening where we were served sumptuous home cooked buffet food.
After a very comfortable nights sleep at the lodge, we rose early for breakfast before getting suited up again for another cruise before taking a bear walk and a rainforest hike in the afternoon which was most educational. The evening was spent relaxing at the lodge again. The following morning was our last at Knight Inlet, and we took the opportunity to try kayaking. We serenely paddled through the water and were soon close to the bears again, seemingly much closer this time, though our guide made sure we all stayed a safe distance from the bears!
Sadly it was soon time to return to the lodge in time for our 10.30 floatplane back to Campbell River. I definitely recommend the 3 night package as you get to spend so much more time viewing the bears, and also take the opportunity to take the hiking trips, or kayaking like we did. It also means that if the bears are being a little elusive, you get more chances to see them. (Posted on 27/02/2012) - Staff Review: Unforgettable stay at Knight Inlet Review by Sharon Mason (Director)
-
After a comfortable night at the Heron’s Landing Hotel in Campbell River, we made our way to the floatplane terminal to check in for our flight to Knight Inlet Lodge. After an amazing 30-minute flight over some spectacular scenery we arrived at the lodge and were greeted by the friendly lodge staff. After an introductory meeting we were off on our first bear-viewing trip. We visited the lodge in early October, when the viewing is done from platforms on the edge of the river. We were at the platform less than half an hour when the first bear came along. We watched amazed as he stood on a ledge in the river waiting for the salmon to swim past. He was an excellent fisherman!
Over the course of our two nights at lodge we spent more time at the platforms and we lost count of the number of bears we saw. As the platforms are unobtrusive, the bears are not threatened by the human audience and quite freely go about their daily business. We watched as two bears (cousins apparently) romped and chased each other in the river, a mother teaching her cubs to fish & an older bear who dove under water to search for his fish!
During our stay we also took a scenic boat ride around the estuary (& saw more bears), a guided forest hike and went in search of bear prints in the forest tracks. I’d strongly recommend a minimum of a two night stay at the lodge, one night gives you a taster, but is not enough to fully experience all the lodge has to offer. (Posted on 27/02/2012)