Call of the Mild

The call of the Canadian wild is strong in summer — that urge to get out into the woods, bed down among the pines and fill your lungs with clean country air seems almost hard-wired.

But if you aren’t up for backpacking 50 pounds of gear into the bush, or tenting among the crowds of car campers, there are places where you can commune with nature, and truly leave civilization behind, without breaking a sweat.

Here are our ideas for some of the finest wilderness retreats in the West — perfect places to get away from it all, in style.

COASTAL CAMPING SAFARI

Imagine a Victorian foray into deepest Africa, a safari complete with all of the comforts of a British drawing room, and you have a picture of Clayoquot Wilderness Resort.

The originators of the West Coast glamourous camping trend, it has created a true 19th century great camp in the coastal rainforest near Tofino, B.C.

The resort is a collection of canvas tents for sleeping, dining and pampering at the end of a wild fjord. Like those historic camps, this one comes with all of the trappings of civilization: large tented suites complete with wood floors and exotic carpets, antique furnishings, fireplaces and down duvets, all connected by boardwalks and hidden under a canopy of old-growth cedar and hemlock. And, for modern adventurers, there are added comforts, from a bathhouse with hot showers to free Wi-Fi.

It’s a 30-minute boat ride away from the relative civilization of tiny Tofino, itself a three- or four-hour drive from anywhere significant on Vancouver Island. So it’s truly a place to get away from it all. Special “elders” packages, which offer a free stay for two people over 55 with a family group of six adults or more, encourage families to reconnect with the wild.

Family tents include a daybed convertible chesterfield, and there are “lounge tents” for communing with other campers, settling in with a good book, a game of chess or a good glass of Scotch.

Chef Timothy May’s modern natural cuisine blends classic and new techniques with locally sourced Island ingredients, from wild salmon, oysters and halibut to forest mushrooms and berries. Plus, guests can pull up a stool in his demonstration kitchen to learn how it’s all done.

Customized wilderness experiences range from learning to surf on a wild West Coast beach, to exploring the forest trails with a First Nations guide. Kayaking, horseback riding, rock climbing, whale- or bear-watching and archery are just some of the other diversions. You can even take a wilderness painting excursion with the artist-in-residence.

Of course, there’s also a spa featuring tents with wood-fired cedar hot tubs and saunas, sun decks for resting, massage treatments and even modern exercise equipment.

It’s a romantic, old-world outpost, with comforts beyond home.

Three-night, four-day stays, including seaplane transfers from Vancouver and all activities, start at $4,750 per person. (wildretreat.com)

THAI TRADITIONS IN COWBOY COUNTRY

Combine a former CEO with a cowboy complex, a lovely Thai expat and a location high in the B.C. Cariboos, and the result is a working cattle ranch with an exotic Eastern vibe.

Norm and Nanthaw Dove’s Echo Valley Ranch and Spa near Clinton, B.C., is a rustic guest ranch that blends macho and mellow in perfect harmony.

It’s a great getaway for horse-loving couples that want a wellness retreat. Plan to ride all day with working cowboys, then work out the saddle sores with an authentic Thai massage, a traditional stretching regime or a yoga class.

From the log Dove Lodge to the indoor fitness centre and pool, riding and hiking trails, trout pound for fly fishing and family games room, there are plenty of diversions here. But the real centrepiece of the property is the private Baan Thai pavilion, a spectacular pagoda-like Thai structure, constructed from local cedar and imported teak. The spa staff  (many of whom are experts from Thailand) offer western and eastern treatments — the latter a form of traditional Thai medicine that involves healing reflexology, cleansing herbal steam baths, facials, foot massage and the Thai acupressure treatment performed with stretching, body weight and steamy Luk Pra Kob compresses filled with aromatic herbs.

Learn Thai-style yoga, known as Ruesri Dat Ton, in the Thai pavilion, and enjoy chef Kim Madsen’s gourmet meals, including a weekly Thai feast, complete with traditional music and dance created by the friendly Thai staff.

While you can drive to Echo Valley, it’s faster to fly in from Vancouver. The ranch has its own landing strip and charter flights are available. Packages, including meals and accommodation, start at $897 per person for three nights. Riding and spa treatments are extra. (evranch.com)

THE ULTIMATE MOUNTAINEER’S RETREAT

There are several historic backcountry lodges in the Canadian Rockies, many — like Twin Falls Chalet and Lake O’Hara Lodge — built nearly a century ago as “bungalow camps” and “tea houses” by the Canadian Pacific Railway.

One of the finest retreats of them all is Mount Assiniboine Lodge, not only because of its location in the larch-filled valleys beneath the chiselled spire of Mount Assiniboine, but because of the commitment required to reach it. It’s a 28-kilometre hike (or ski) into this two-season alpine retreat, or you can fly in by helicopter from Mount Shark, near Canmore.

Once you arrive at the 2,180-metre (7,200-foot) high lodge located along the Continental Divide, it’s a backcountry playground. There are six alpine lakes stocked with cutthroat and rainbow trout nearby, and experienced mountain guides to lead guests on hikes above the treeline in summer.

Built in 1928, the rustic log lodge is now owned by B.C. Parks and has been run by the Renner family for 27 years. There’s space for only 30 guests in both the lodge and six log cabins. There is plenty of hearty gourmet cuisine and warm water delivered to your door before breakfast for washing up.

With 80 years of history, Mount Assiniboine Lodge offers a unique slice of classic Canadian mountaineering life, and a comfortable place to experience true wilderness, whether you’re a novice or a pro. Rates start at $260 per person per night (there is a minimum two night stay), including all meals, lodging, interpretive programs and professional guiding. Helicopter transportation is an additional $130 per person, each way. (assiniboinelodge.com)

FLY FISHING PARADISE

Located 30 kilometres and two mountain ranges due west of the spectacular Columbia Icefields, you’ll find remote Fortress Lake. It’s possible to hike into this hidden spot in B.C.’s pristine Hamber Provincial Park but, for a fee, you can skip the slog and take a floatplane instead. In fact, the scenic, 45-minute flight into Fortress Lake Wilderness Fly Fishing Retreat is just the breathtaking beginning of this unique getaway, and has been described by some as an Imax-movie moment. And flying in is truly one of the finest ways to see landmarks like Maligne Lake, Mount Alberta and the Columbia Icefields.

Once you arrive, staying at Fortress Lake is like having your own private mountain lake on which to fish, kayak and canoe. The lake is hemmed in by rock walls and mountain peaks, and is home to some of the largest trophy brook trout on the planet, which is why it attracts some serious fishers. Spend the day wading or floating for a catch-and-release fish, or just relax and take in the alpine ambiance.

There are only six rustic lakeside cabins (with comfortable beds and fluffy duvets, but no running water), although you can slip into a hot bath or shower in the wash cabin and expect plenty of home cooking to keep you sated. (fortresslake.com; flyfishalberta.com/fortresslake)

BLADES OF GLORY

Nimmo Bay Resort, in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest, has three dedicated helicopter pads to make exploring a vast swath of B.C.’s rugged coast a bit of a rock-star adventure.

William Shatner (as Denny Crane on TV’s Boston Legal) has sat on the deck at Nimmo Bay, sipping Scotch and puffing his trademark cigar, and you’ll get the star treatment, too. That’s the promise of owner Craig Murray and his family: “expectations exceeded.”

Not only will a helicopter deliver you to this luxury lodge, it will shuttle you up a mountain for a day of heli-hiking or catch-and-release fishing a pristine salmon stream, then fly you over to a secluded beach for an oceanside gourmet lunch, or onto a glacier for a flute of chilled Champagne before dinner.

Once dedicated to salmon and steelhead fishing, Nimmo Bay has expanded its offerings and now the helicopters stand by to whisk you off to see the amazing First Nations museum and totem pole collection in Alert Bay, or scope a pod of killer whales, before dropping down onto another West Coast river to flick the fly rod.

There are nine pretty, shingled, cedar chalets along the waterfront, with outdoor “waterfall” hot tubs and outdoor rain showers. In the floating main lodge, the chef serves fresh B.C. cuisine and B.C. wines from top wineries like Blue Mountain and Tantalus, and they even have their own bakery on site.

It’s an all-inclusive experience, from food and fine wine to fly-fishing lessons and all of the adventure gear you’ll need. The multi-sport heli-venture tours run from April through late-October.

Cost is from $7,250 per person for three days, including the 25-minute helicopter flights to the resort from Port Hardy on Vancouver Island (or book a direct float plane fight to the resort from Vancouver with Seair or from Port Hardy with Pacific Coastal Airlines). (nimmobay.com)