Helmcken Falls Lodge Cabin Rooms and RV Park

Having booked this lodge through Trailfinders (UK) we drove across the Canadian Rockies to stay here for one night. When we arrived after a long road trip we were told there was no food or drink available. This lodge is long way from shops so I asked why they didn't contact us by phone, text or email to tell us there was no food, the junior on the front desk didn't know why we weren't contacted. The reason why they had no food was because they couldn't get the staff. He went and talked to someone in the back office (presumably the manager who didn't come out to see us) and the junior said they will upgrade us to a better room. The room was horrible, it was dark and dirty; we checked out immediately. After looking at the reviews here on Tripadvisor suggest people avoid this place unless they have an RV to sleep and eat in. Fortunately the nearby(ish) town of Clearwater we found a beautiful Best Western hotel with lovely staff on reception, clean large hotel rooms and they offered breakfast (also nice little restaurant right next door). They also told me that the Helmcken Falls Lodge had changed hands about 2020 so bear that in mind when you read the reviews for that place.

Shamim is an incredible host and a testament that there are good people out there. He went out of his way to ensure my friend and I had a safe and great trip. He gave us a detailed itinerary and explanation for the sites in Wells Grey Park. We had dinner at the restaurant. The food is homemade and excellent quality. Sophie, our server, was great too. If you’re camping, this place has amenities like power and showers. There’s a large covered picnic area so groups can get out of the rain if the weather is bad. The location is excellent, just outside the main gate. You can easily access many sites from the lodge.

Thanks to Shami, Sophie and team we had an amazing overnight stay here and wished we could have stayed longer. We enjoyed dinner in the restaurant watching the hummingbirds before our own mini bear safari with Shami, following a black bear around the grounds in his car - what an experience. Sadly had my camera on the wrong setting due to visiting the falls earlier, it was set for landscape and not wildlife, so although I got some photos they are not the best quality Breakfast the next morning was plentiful and yummy, pancakes, fresh fruit, eggs, bacon, sausages, cereal and much more choice. Our lodge was very clean, beds extremely comfortable and very quiet. We took time to enjoy the dark night sky and see so many stars with no artificial street lights . We absolutely loved our stay and would return tomorrow if we could. A massive thank you to Shami and his team for giving us the most memorable stay - you are all awesome