Copy my trip: Great Bear Rainforest

07.11.2024 - 20:35 / lonelyplanet.com

Nov 7, 2024 • 6 min read

As a northern Albertan, I grew up with bears in my backyard – and I mean that quite literally. During the summer and fall, they’d frequently wander into our unfenced yard to gorge on crab apples. 

But for my Australian partner, they remained an enigma. 

“I’m beginning to believe that Canadians are just making bears up,” she lamented on her fourth trip to Canada without seeing so much as a bear butt. 

So, when we got invited to a September wedding in British Columbia, I knew the timing was perfect to change that. I booked us a stay at the historic Tweedsmuir Park Lodge in the traditional territory of Nuxalk and Ulkatcho First Nations. Situated in BC’s Great Bear Rainforest – a remote region northwest of Vancouver – it’s renowned for its grizzly bear watching. 

Within 20 minutes of arrival, we saw our first grizzly. There was no question: This trip was going to make my partner a true bear-liever. 

Calling all Fat Bear Week enthusiasts: This is your opportunity to see the chonkiest of bears get even thicker. 

There are a number of grizzly bear watching lodges in BC, but what makes Tweedsmuir Park Lodge stand out is its location. Situated deep in the Bella Coola Valley at the confluence of the Atnarko and the Bella Coola rivers, the steep surrounding cliffs create a natural corridor that funnels bear through it as they fish for salmon. 

The prime time to see them is during the salmon run from mid-August to mid-October. This when upwards of 800,000 chinook, chum, ocho, pink and sockeye salmon migrate upstream to spawn. At Tweedsmuir, bears can be seen fattening up for hibernation (technically torpor) in the Atnarko River, which runs along the property’s edge. None of the bears are tagged or collared, but with 1.2 bears per kilometer, the valley has one of the densest grizzly bear populations in BC, so chances of seeing one are high. However, I’d still recommend a three-night stay to maximize your chances. 

Your trip may even help contribute to their conservation. On a guided walk through the bush, bear-whisperer-in-residence Ellie Lamb said that their popularity with visitors helped end the grizzly bear trophy hunt in 2017. 

“Tourism is the most incredible contributor to these bears,” she said.  

Tweedsmuir Park Lodge has a dedicated wildlife watching stand, but it’s also not unheard of to see bears right through the windows of your cabin. We even saw one eating a salmon while we sat in the main lodge indulging in a three-course lunch. (Really, is there any greater pleasure in life than watching wild animals eat while you eat?)  

However, you don’t have to stay at one of the area’s lodges to spot the big brown bears. If you choose to stay in one of the handful of motels or Airbnbs, there are