Run To The Hills
Getting Here
In the heart of the West Kootenay’s B.C., getting to Ice Creek Lodge can be simple with some planning.
Our office, and guesthouse in Slocan, British Columbia, is a 4.5 hour drive north of Spokane Washington, and a 3.5 hour drive southeast of Kelowna, B.C. Ice Creek Lodge is on the northwest boundary of Valhalla Provincial Park.
Winter Staging
The Ice Creek Lodge winter staging area is in Burton, British Columbia. It is 1.5 hours northwest of Slocan. The lodge is a 7-minute flight from our staging area. You can park your vehicles here for the duration of your tour.
Most winter guests travel to Slocan from Spokane, WA by renting an AWD vehicle at the airport. Guests flying into Kelowna, B.C. can make arrangements to meet us in Burton and avoid unnecessary back and forth drive time.
Summer Access
Depending on your tour, our summer access will vary. Hiking into Ice Creek Lodge for an Exclusive Lodge Retreat or a Valhalla Lake Paddleboard Tour we first drive to our summer parking lot in Burton BC. It is 1.5 hours northwest of Slocan. The last 30 minutes of the drive is on a well-maintained forest service road.
The path from the Burton Trailhead to the lodge is roughly 9.5 kilometers long and 3,000-foot elevation gain. This winding, man-made trail navigates through the forest and follows Ice Creek, providing ample shade and water to keep you cool and hydrated throughout your journey.
Most hikers take between 5 to 6 hours to complete the trail, which includes some technical sections requiring careful navigation over moss-covered loose rocks, log crossings, and talus slopes. The final third of the trail is where you’ll experience the greatest elevation gain, so we advise taking a substantial water and snack break at the river crossing before tackling this steep section.
If you are joining us on a Valhalla Traverse Tour, we access the lodge through the Valhalla Provincial Park starting from Drinnon Pass Trailhead.
If traveling during the summer months within Canada, flying into Kelowna or Cranbrook is recommended. Due to changing weather conditions, we do not recommend flying into Castlegar.