Watch wild grizzly bears in the BC wilderness. As featured on New Lives in the Wild with Ben Fogle, in The Sunday Times, the FT, The Guardian, The Huffington Post, Travel & Leisure and the Wall Street Journal.
Offering Singular Bear Viewing Experiences for Nearly All Ages and Nearly All Fitness Levels since 2006. All-inclusive holidays start at C$2,980 for four nights.
Enquire hereWatch wild grizzly bears in the BC wilderness. As featured on New Lives in the Wild with Ben Fogle, in The Sunday Times, the FT, The Guardian, The Huffington Post, Travel & Leisure and the Wall Street Journal.
Wild Bear Lodge is a bear-viewing and wilderness lodge that offers four-night holidays in May, September and October.
We are located deep in the British Columbia interior yet only a day’s drive from Calgary, Vancouver or Spokane in the US.
We specialise in taking very small groups of guests (usually 2-4 per guide) deep into remote valleys where few tourists have been.
Wild Bear Lodge is the home of Julius Strauss, a former British war correspondent, who has spent 18 years living off-grid in bear country. He will host you and still does much of the guiding.
As well as grizzly and black bears you may also get a chance to see deer, moose, elk, bald eagles, porcupines, and, rarely, cougars, bobcats, coyotes and grey wolves.
"If you are inclined towards experiencing pristine wilderness, you will be hard-pressed to beat a few days at Wild Bear Lodge in British Columbia’s Selkirk Mountains. Or if, like me, you are an urban beast whose love affair with the wild is limited to watching David Attenborough, then you should try it, for it is quite an eye-opener."
Mark Franchetti, Sunday Times, UK
"If you want to escape this is the place to come... a unique wilderness experience. Julius is one of North America's top bear guides. The property covers 32 acres with the main house and six guest cabins... it's absolutely beautiful. I don't think I've ever stayed in wilderness that is quite as comfortable as this... a quintessential off-the-grid luxurious cabin... surrounded by bears."
Ben Fogle, New Lives in the Wild, Channel 5, UK
"An experience that feels unique and personal. It felt intimate. We never felt like customers or clients. We felt more like welcome guests at a friend's estate. We felt like house guests. This is something that is extremely difficult to deliver but Wild Bear Lodge does it very well."
Paul & Liz from Ireland visited in Oct 2023
"We saw grizzly bears, moose, deer, and a wide variety of bird life. We also encountered signs of beaver, wolf, and puma whilst out trekking. The opportunity to track and photograph these majestic animals both on the forest floor and while rafting is something those with a love of biodiversity should experience."
David from Australia visited in Oct 2023
"From a few hundred yards up river, on the far bank, there was a loud crashing noise. I looked through my binoculars. It was a large grizzly bear, with three cubs in tow. The family moved ever closer to us, now perhaps only 100 yards away across the shallow river. Then directly opposite us, 40 yards away, so close that I didn’t need the binoculars any more. I could hear her breath, amplified over the narrow stretch of water, see her terrifying claws glinting white in the gloom, as she idly scooped a salmon out of the river and tore its head off, feasting on the brain, sheathed in fat, ideal for these hyperphagic bears, gorging themselves to survive their impending hibernation."
Mike Carter writing in the Financial Times
We pride ourselves on our rugged professionalism, versatility, and our perfect safety record. We offer old-fashioned hospitality but also high-tech modern amenities.
Each guest or couple is given their own riverside log cabin with a wood-burning stove. There is high-speed internet in each cabin, tea, coffee, slippers, hot showers, fresh towels, binoculars and a bird guide.
Every evening our guests join us for dinner where we discuss what we have seen over a glass of wine and a fresh, generous meal. After dinner we give talks about bears and wildlife in an atmosphere that is educated but relaxed.
Our signature conservation achievement was spearheading a successful campaign to end grizzly bear hunting in British Columbia.
We have also taken part in a ground-breaking science project to develop facial recognition for grizzly bears.
Most recently the lodge has initiated a programme for wounded military veterans from different parts of the world.
The FT, the Sunday Times, and the Guardian have all written about the experiences we offer.
A four-night holiday with us begins at C$2,980. They are everything-inclusive except 5% tax. We can accommodate most ages and fitness levels. We do fill up quickly as we are a small lodge with short viewing seasons.