At the Edge of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
Our all-inclusive lodge stays include daily excursions with expert guides and specialists, as guests explore coastal rainforests, rocky shores, and sandy beaches, encountering whales, sea lions, and sea otters, watching bears forage on the shore, and eagles soaring overhead. Guests explore the region by foot, from the comfort of our rigid hull inflatable boat, as well has sea kayaking, paddle boarding, and even snorkelling.
Between October and April, our remarkable ocean-front lodge is available for private lodge rentals and vacation stays that are self-catered, self-guided, and lightly staffed. Outer Shores Lodge is an ideal location for group and multi-generational gatherings, celebrations, reunions, retreats, and workshops of all kinds. We look forward to hosting you, please contact us for more information!
All-inclusive stays (May-Sept) include all guided excursions and activities, chef-prepared meals, concierge and housekeeping services.
Private lodge rentals (October -April) are available for groups, workshops, retreats, and reunions for up to 24 guests.
Activities and experiences include guided boat excursions, interpretive beach and rainforest walks, sea kayaking, SUP, snorkelling/free diving, cultural site visits, photography, and viewing bears, whales, sea otters, and other coastal wildlife.
Lodge amenities include 6 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, hot tub, steam shower, library, great room, games room, 2 private cabins, surrounding beaches, forests, and panoramic views.
Our lodge is situated on what was formerly the Huu-ay-aht First Nation village and adjacent defensive bluff called ʔuc̓uuʔa (pronounced “ootsuu-a”). This location was revered for its panoramic ocean views, which were particularly important for Huu-ay-aht whalers.
Today, this remarkable five-acre oceanfront lodge consists of the main lodge with six unique spacious bedrooms, four with private ensuite bathrooms, and features a luxurious great room with massive stone fireplace, spacious dining room, a spectacular kitchen with secondary dining area, library, and workshop space.
Our lodge also features two private cabins, a single-story cabin with one-bedroom and a two-story cabin with two-bedrooms and loft, each fully self-contained and situated on the adjacent bluff that offers wonderful panoramic views of Barkley Sound, including west coast sunsets and winter storm viewing!
Other on-site amenities include a beach-side fire pit, indoor steam shower, outdoor hot tub, plus an abundance of private forests, gardens, and shorelines to find peace, solitude, and space for relaxation and contemplation.
Chef-prepared, plated and served, breakfast, lunch, aprės, and dinner (wine with dinner), all featuring local and sustainable foods.
Water-based excursions, explorations, and wildlife viewing, learning, and photography using rigid hull inflatable skiffs, complete with expert guides and specialists.
Interpretive walks and hikes with expert guides and specialists, including old-growth rainforests, bogs, estuaries, sandy beaches, and rocky intertidal habitats.
Daily “expedition briefs”, including weather, tides, sea state, and specifics of activities and excursions.
Cultural site visits, including guided tours of the ancient Huu-ay-aht village and fortress site of Kiix?in (www.kiixin.ca).
Tours of the Bamfield Marine Sciences Center (www.bamfieldmsc.ca).
Guided and self-guided wildlife viewing and photography, including bears, whales, sea otters, eagles, seals, sea lions, seabirds, and song birds.
Guided and self-guided activities including sea kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, snorkelling/free diving, and coastal hiking (casual to strenuous).
Spectacular panoramic views, sun rises, sunsets, and wildlife viewing from the lookout bluff.
Evening naturalist walks and presentations, including bioluminescence viewing, bat detection, astronomy, and stargazing.
Outdoor gear suitable for activity and season (e.g., waterproof footwear and rain wear).
Beach picnics, swimming, and tide pooling.
Outdoor games and equipment for the lawn, bluff, and beach.
Enjoyment of all lodge facilities and amenities, including outdoor sauna, steam shower, library, games room, surrounding gardens, forests, firepits, fireplaces and beaches.
Concierge and housekeeping services.
Our all-inclusive rates for May-September 2024 are as follows:
3-nights: $2,950 CAD/person
4-nights: $3,895 CAD/person
5-nights: $4,595 CAD/person
If you’d prefer to have the lodge exclusively to your group of family, friends, or colleagues, our all-inclusive private lodge buy-out rates start at $7,000 CAD/night (based on 8 guests). We have capacity for up to 24 guests when combined with our two adjacent cabins.
It’s probably easier to tell you what’s not included. Transfers to and from the lodge are not included, and any alcohol beyond wine and beer served with dinner is not included. Gratuities are also not included, but are greatly appreciated by our staff.
Everything else, including all accommodations, meals, excursions, cultural site visits, wildlife viewing, lodge amenities, concierge & housekeeping services, and extra adventure gear is all included.
Our lodge rentals and vacation stays between October and April
include full use of our lodge facilities, including ocean-facing dining room and great, room, 6 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, library, spectacular kitchen, games/workshop room, laundry room, outdoor hot tub, indoor steam shower, and 5-acres of private surrounding rainforest, grounds, and beaches. Sea kayaks, SUPs, rain gear, umbrellas, and rubber boots are also available. Our private lodge rentals start at $2,950 CAD/night.
What’s a typical day like at Outer Shores Lodge between May and September?
If you’re an early riser, you might start your day with some pre-breakfast bird watching or photography around the lodge, or sunrise yoga on the lookout bluff. Our day officially begins with a delicious breakfast served in the dining area, followed by a morning excursion. Daily excursions are determined based on the weather, wildlife, and season, but they typically involve either a beach /intertidal zone walk, a hike through the rainforest, or a sightseeing tour aboard our rigid hull inflatable boat.
That’s followed by lunch (often a packed lunch enjoyed outside), then another afternoon excursion to experience the nature and wildlife around Bamfield and Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. We always try to balance the intensity of the excursions each day, keeping one lighter and making the other a little more challenging. On days that we travel to the ancient Huu-ay-aht Nation village and fortress site of Kiix?in, we’ll have lunch at the cultural site itself.
In the evening, there’s always a little time to relax before dinner is served. Dinner is then followed by more downtime in which you can watch the sunset from the lookout bluff, enjoy a campfire, do some stargazing, read a book in the great room, or simply retire to your room at your leisure. At specific times of the year there might be an evening educational presentation from an expert in a particular scientific field. Of course, you are free to take your leisure time as suits you throughout your lodge stay, participation is never mandatory. We encourage you to simply enjoy the overall experience at the pace that suits you best. After all, it’s your vacation and we want you to enjoy it.
Outer Shores Lodge is located on the west coast Vancouver Island in the remote coastal community of Bamfield and the traditional territory of the Huu-ay-aht First Nation. Bamfield is readily accessible by road, seaplane, and water only, and which ever options you choose getting to Outer Shores Lodge is an immersive and compelling part of the overall lodge experience. Transfers to and from the lodge are not included in our all-inclusive packages, however, our team is here to help advise you with your travel arrangements as necessary.
By Road/Driving: Port Alberni is located approximately 77 km from Bamfield by road. Until recently, the Port Alberni to Bamfield road was a rough gravel logging road; however, as of September 2023, a major road improvement has just been completed, and included chipping-sealing the entire length. While still used by logging trucks and requiring extra caution, most vehicles can now easily drive to Bamfield from Port Alberni in ~1.5 hours. Additionally, a number of passenger bus or van services are also available between Bamfield and Port Alberni, Nanaimo, and Victoria.
By Sea: For those who would prefer a more leisurely journey to Bamfield, consider taking the passenger and freight carrying vessel, MV Frances Barkley, between Port Alberni and Bamfield. This historic vessel operates three round trips weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The ferry, which features a small restaurant and plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, is the ideal way to travel to Outer Shores Lodge, as it sails along the gorgeous Alberni Inlet to Bamfield. This approximately four-hour voyage gives our guests their first opportunity to spot wildlife like eagles, sea lions, and whales. The ferry then drops our guests off at the West Bamfield dock where our lodge team waits to welcome them to Bamfield and take them and their belongings the short distance to the lodge itself.
By Air: For those who may wish to expedite their travel to Bamfield and maximize their time with us at the lodge, float plane services from Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Port Alberni, Tofino, and Ucluelet are also available. For example, flight time between Vancouver and Bamfield is approximately 50 minutes.
Our lodge team is happy to assist you with your travel plans and options!
If you’ve spent any time out on the BC coast recently you may have noticed something exciting that’s happening – the return of sea otters
It’s an exciting time of year to be at Outer Shores Lodge! In the coming days, billions of herring will gather along the coast of
In recent Logbook entries we’ve been focusing on the history of Outer Shores Lodge as it relates to the lodge’s original founder R. Bruce Scott.
Sign-up for our Newsletters and Special Offers for Outer Shores Insiders!
+1-250-510-3313 (Expeditions)
+1-250-650-2930 (Lodge Stays)
Monday – Thursday
9:00 – 3:00 (Pacific Time)
PO Box 361, Cobble Hill, BC, V0R 1L0, Canada
