BC Interior · Backcountry Lodges
From the Journal
Two lodges above the treeline
I've flown into both Purcell and Mistaya with a drone case in one hand and skis in the other. Fifteen helicopter minutes from Golden, a full world away from it — here's how BC's heli-access backcountry lodges work, and how to choose between meadow and glacier.
Words, photography & film by Ben Taft ·
Read the storyPurcell Mountain Lodge is a fifteen-minute helicopter flight from Golden, in alpine meadow country on the edge of Glacier National Park, and it has been running for more than three decades. Ten guest rooms sit on the upper floor of the main lodge, with a separate two-bedroom chalet a few steps away that sleeps up to eight and can be booked self-catered. Stays are three nights Friday to Monday, four nights Monday to Friday, or six nights, with the helicopter included in the rate. Winter is ski touring and snowshoeing, from gentle meadow slopes suitable for a first backcountry trip up to forty-degree pillow lines and multi-summit days measuring 1,400 to 2,000 vertical metres of climbing. Summer is hiking. Guided and self-guided trips are both available, which is uncommon in this category, and the lodge takes weddings and corporate groups.
A 15-minute helicopter flight from Golden, BC, included in the rate. A direct shuttle runs between Calgary Airport and Golden.
14 photographs of Purcell Mountain Lodge. Select any image to enlarge it.
51.2800, -117.0200 · nearest gateway Kelowna, Kamloops, Golden or Calgary
Compiled from the operator's own published material and rewritten in our own words. Last checked 31 July 2026. The following could not be confirmed against a published source and are marked unverified: avgTicketValue, priceBand, capacity, amenities, lat, lng.
BC Interior · Backcountry Lodges
5.0 · 42 TripAdvisor reviews
Heli-access lodge in the Wildcat Creek basin near Golden — ski touring in winter, alpine hiking in summer.
late December to late April for ski touring, and early July to mid-September for alpine hiking · sleeps 14 · Helicopter
Purcell Mountain Lodge
Availability request · reviewed by a person
