Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge on Vancouver Island has opened for the 2026 season, welcoming guests to British Columbia’s wild west coast with three new bespoke experiences. Guests can look forward to nighttime bioluminescence kayaking, a private floating sauna experience in the inlets around Tofino, and Walk the Wild Side, a guided Flores Island adventure through Ahousaht First Nations territory with its pristine beaches, coastal rainforest and thousand-year-old cedar and spruce trees.
Set on the edge of Clayoquot Sound, the remote luxury outpost once again promises five months of generously inclusive wilderness adventures, warm lodge hospitality and unforgettable wildlife encounters in one of Canada’s most extraordinary natural environments. A reel highlighting the new season experiences is available here.
This year’s season continues Clayoquot’s tradition of three-, four- and seven-night stays, with days unfolding between heli-adventures, horseback riding with two new additions to the lodge’s 15-strong string of horses, canyoning, wellness rituals and wildlife encounters in nature’s own playground. From the shoreline or from a Zodiac boat adventure, guests may spot black bears foraging at low tide, while whales, seals and sea otters revel in the network of waterways and bald eagles soar overhead.
Headlining the 2026 season’s three new bespoke experiences, nighttime bioluminescence kayaking offers guests a rare chance to paddle the calm inlet waters after dinner as blue-green light shimmers beneath each stroke. Timed for late July and early August when conditions are typically at their best for bioluminescence, the guided private experience is designed as a quiet, magical encounter with one of Vancouver Island’s most elusive and wondrous natural phenomena. Akin to stargazing on water, the experience can’t be guaranteed but will be offered when the weather and tidal conditions are favorable.
Also new for 2026, a floating sauna experience created in partnership with the Tofino Boating Company invites guests to journey by boat through the wilderness to Lemmens Inlet for a half-day immersion in nature and stillness, with the wellbeing benefits of the sauna and contrast bathing. Reached by a scenic 45-minute boat ride around Meares Island, the private experience includes time in the sauna, lounging by the firepit on the outdoor deck, stand-up paddleboarding, swimming and ocean plunges in a secluded cove, making it ideal for couples, small groups or families traveling on longer stays.
The Walk the Wild Side private adventure rounds out the trio of new bespoke experiences with a guided beach and rainforest journey across the protected Flores Island and within the pristine Gibson Marine Park. Beginning with an open Zodiac boat ride and a drop-off at Cow Bay, the experience traces an eight-kilometer route through First Nations Ahousaht country where guests encounter red sea urchins and starfish along the shoreline, before heading inland beneath towering old-growth Sitka spruce and western red cedar that have stood for close to a thousand years. Along the way, guides share the stories of the Ahousaht people, from the significance of the land as a former trade route to the legend of the Red Rocks and the distinctive Sitka Bridge, making a real discovery of Canada’s wild side.
Nature-led wellbeing remains central to a stay at Clayoquot, with sunrise yoga and spa treatments in the Healing Grounds sanctuary and the Bedwell River glacial plunge together offering moments of stillness, contemplation and restoration in the wild. New conservation-minded experiences further deepen guests’ connection to the landscape, including opportunities to plant trees along the lower river trail as part of the lodge’s broader regenerative initiatives for the Bedwell River on the doorstep of the lodge. Inspired by the nearby Tranquil River salmon habitat recovery project led by Redd Fish Restoration Society, the lodge team will also undertake an end-of-season volunteer working day, with staff planting willow stakes to help stabilize riverbanks and support long-term ecosystem recovery.
Executive Chef Ben Godin returns to the Clayoquot kitchen this season, bringing with him a record number of local producers and a culinary philosophy grounded in place, season and sustainability. Drawing inspiration from Clayoquot’s awe-inspiring natural surrounds, Ben’s menus celebrate the best of British Columbia’s farms, fisheries and foraged ingredients, from Yarrow Meadows Farm duck and Northern Divine Aquafarms white sturgeon to Peace Country lamb, Britco pork and Nanoose Bay albacore tuna. A keen forager, Ben and his team introduce guests to the region’s rarely sampled hyper-local ingredients, offering a real taste of the Vancouver Island wilderness.
Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge General Manager Sarah Cruse said this season's new experiences were designed to bring guests closer to the ancient living culture and wild beauty of the Sound.
"We’re thrilled to have welcomed our first guests for the 2026 season. Clayoquot has a special way of revealing itself differently to every guest. We are excited to present these new adventures that will connect guests with our House of Mother Nature even more closely," Ms Cruse said.
"Whether it's paddling through bioluminescent waters after dark, walking through ancient rainforest in Ahousaht country, or plunging into the cold ocean from a floating sauna, this season promises to connect guests with the wild spirit of Clayoquot," she said.
For more information and bookings, visit clayoquotwildernesslodge.com, contact reservations at reserve@clayoquotwildernesslodge.com or call +1 250 266 0397.
