Accommodations
with a difference
at Wells Gray Park, Clearwater, BC.
ABOUT THE MAIN LODGE
In 1926 a forest fire swept from Third Canyon
into Wells Gray Park, leaving behind cedar and hemlock snags and
not much else. Fortunately, the fire missed our McDougal Cabin,
built in 1922. That later became the home for two brothers, John
and Henry Hogue, who used the cabin as a base for trapping in
Wells Gray Park at the north end of Azure Lake.
In
1948, the Hogue brothers retired from trapping. Wanting to settle
down and marry, they built the Lodge as a base for guided hunting
and fishing. There were four guest rooms and two rooms for John
and Henry on the top floor. The dining room, sitting room and
kitchen were on the present dining room level. The present lobby
was later enclosed as a space to hang meat after a hunting trip.
Electricity was not brought to the Lodge until the late sixties,
so the Lodge was built entirely with hand tools. The timbers were
squared with a broad ax.
Over the years various owners have made many changes
and additions. In the mid-fifties a four-room motel was built
where there are now two log buildings, only to burn down in 1980.
The campground was added in the mid-seventies. In 1981, the Chalet
Block was added, and then the two log buildings were added at
the same time the road was paved to Helmcken Falls, 1987-88.
Although most people visit the Lodge during the
summer, more people every year come to Wells Gray Park to participate
in winter sports like cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and dog
sledding. The Lodge is open from May 1 to October 15, and December
20 to March 31.
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