About Bella Coola

Nestled deep in the Coastal Mountains, the Bella Coola Valley runs almost due west to the mouth of the Bella Coola River. There the water of the river, milky with glacier melt, colours the Burke Channel as it carries the spawning salmon out to sea. Located midway up the coast of British Columbia, the warm Pacific currents create a lush rainforest climate. Snow-clad peaks pierce the sky on either side of the narrow Valley.

Topography dominates the (Bella Coola Valley), dwarfing human works. This can be disconcerting to urban people. Massive craggy mountains rise up on all sides, with names such as Stupendous and Little Matterhorn. The region, commonly referred to as the Bella Coola area, embraces 2.7 million hectares (6.7 million acres). A population of only 4,000 and a roomy 675 hectares, or 1,668 acres for each resident gives the CCRD one of the lowest population densities of any habitable area on earth. It is one of the few large regions in North America where native people outnumber non-Natives, and bears outnumber both. (From the best selling book Bella Coola, Life in the Heart of the Coastal Mountains, co-authored by Hans Granander and Michael Wigle).

The Region's History

The first settlers to this remote Valley were the ancestors of the Nuxalk people. These ancient people dominated the region and, by the late 1700's, numerous villages dotted the Valley floor. In 1793 Alexander MacKenzie, searching for a land route across the continent, followed his Indian guides down the mountain sides on the trading route, the Grease Trail. Today, this well marked trail can still be located at Burnt Bridge east of the Village of Firvale. Shortly after the Hudson Bay post was established.

In the 1890's, a wave of Norwegian settlers found the deep fiords much like their homeland, and founded the community of Hagensborg. A decade later, a second wave of settlers, this time Seventh Day Adventists following their religious convictions, set up homesteads in Firvale in the eastern end of the Valley. Today, the Valley supports a stable population of approximately 3,000 people, half of which are First Nations. Many of the descendants of those first families, are still farming the Valley floor today, fishing in the rich river systems, and hunting the abundant mountain sides.

For the Back Country Explorer

Wildlife abounds in this private valley deep in the heart of the Coastal mountains. Grizzly and Black bear roam throughout the area along with cougar, deer, wolves and fox. Opportunities are endless for canoeing, kayaking, river drifting, hiking, riding your ATV’s. Explore the hundreds of miles of back roads and trails, spectacular alpine views of panoramic vistas, or deep hidden lakes.

For the Extreme Adventurer

Bella Coola Heli skiing is gaining world wide attention as the surrounding mountains are discovered as one of most stable snow packs in the world. Imagine skiing in the morning through a 40 foot snow base of untracked powder, then standing on the shores of a winter calm stream as the sun sets, angling for that elusive rainbow trout.

For the Naturalist

The Bella Coola Valley is part of the largest protected area in British Columbia and includes the largest provincial park in Canada – Tweedsmuir Park - and the newly designated Great Spirit Bear Rainforest.

For the Great Hunter Gatherer

If you want to avoid the hormones and chemicals in commercially produced meat, the lodge is only an hour’s drive to the best moose hunting region in BC. And all five species of wild Pacific salmon spawn in the rivers and streams of the Valley watershed. As well, there is year round fishing for Rainbow, Cut Throat and Dolly Vardens. A strong local agricultural society supports the numerous farmers and gardners, many with organic farms.

Interesting Stats about BC's mid-coast

Home to:

The renowned Grizzly bear, a population that is thriving in this secluded rainforest. It is not difficult to find a sow with two or three cubs with her. The two largest Grizzly skulls have been found within 100 miles of the lodge!
The famous Kermode bear, recently identified by the provincial government as the official Provincial Mammal.
The newly designated Great Spirit Bear Rainforest
Tweedsmuir Park, the largest provincial park in Canada
Hunlen Falls, the third largest single drop water fall in North America
Big Tree, the largest standing Western Red Cedar in Canada
Ancient Petroglyphs, one of the largest found in North America
Ralph Edwards, Crusoe of Lonesome Lake. His descendants still live in the Valley.