Island Lake Lodge Offers Backcountry Luxury Within Reach

All images: Courtesy of Island Lake Lodge/Nick Nault

When it comes to backcountry operations, it can be tough to decide which is worthy of your hard-earned disposable income. So many offer exciting ski terrain, delivered with mountain luxury Island Lake Lodge service, including. Yet few are as easily accessible as the cat-skiing operation just outside of Fernie, British Columbia.

For most operations, the lodges are tucked deep in the backcountry, far away from civilization, and often impossible to access without mechanized assistance like helicopters and snowcats. At Island Lake Lodge, you get the feeling that you’re deep in the wilderness while sleeping beneath mountainous giants but the reality is that you’re less than an hour away from the popular British Columbia ski town, Fernie.

Just 42 miles north of the U.S. border in Eureka, Montana, Fernie itself is easy to access from the United States. Kalispell is the closest airport to fly into and renting a car is the most efficient way to make the 117-mile drive from there. It can often feel like you’re trekking half way across the world to get to some backcountry operations but Island Lake Lodge’s private parking lot, which serves as the guest pickup and dropoff location, is just a 10-minute drive outside of town. From your vehicle, Island Lake Lodge is a 30-minute snowcat ride through East Kootenay old growth forest to the privately owned compound.

What makes Island Lake Lodge unique is that, as an employer, its guides and staff can return home to their own beds each night after a shift. And because the operation has employees coming in and out of the lodge from town everyday, guests are able to access a larger breadth of amenities that most any other operation simply cannot provide. If you forgot a crucial piece of gear in your truck or you catch a cold and need to see a doctor, Island Lake Lodge staff can typically accommodate and transport whatever it is you might need during your stay. The type of customer service you can’t replicate anywhere else.

What started as a rustic, single-lodge operation, Island Lake Lodge has evolved into four lodges, three of which sleep the maximum 36 guests at a time and the original Bear Lodge houses the massive gear room and historic bar where you’ll find a decadent spread for aprés everyday. Just make sure to save room for the Michelin-worthy four-course dinners served every night at 7:30 p.m. Across the other lodges you’ll find hot tubs, saunas, massage rooms and certified massage therapists ready to work on your tired muscles for back-to-back days of powder skiing.

Skiers: Dylan Siggers (left), Sam Kuch (right)

Another unique selling point of Island Lake Lodge is the 7,000 acres of privately owned land that it operates on. While most operations lease the land they use, Island Lake Lodge owns its land outright, which means it can freely glade its terrain as the operation sees fit. The result is incredible tree skiing, all throughout the tenure. If you’re lucky, you’ll end your day on Beer Run—quite possibly the most perfect backcountry tree run in North America that leads directly back to the lodge where you’ll be handed a hard-earned bevy. As conditions allow, Island Lake’s tenure moves up into the alpine, providing 360-degree views of the Lizard Range. From certain zones, you can even spot Fernie Alpine Resort across the valley, and this is where you come to understand what has made Island Lake Lodge the legendary backcountry operation that it is.

The early 1990s were the heyday of extreme skiing and the formative years for Island Lake Lodge. The skis were skinny, straight and still running over 200 centimeters and Island Lake Catskiing became the powder skiing destination for industry movie stars like Greg Stump and Scot Schmidt. The terrain here warrants the hype, with zones like Fantasy Ridge offering spicier options for those seeking a little air time while Snowboard Heaven rides just like it sounds. From mellow powder fields on Mt. Fernie to steep, sustained tree skiing on Left Hook, Island Lake’s terrain appeals to every ability of skier. No matter if you’re looking for the next biggest thrill of your life, or you’re just here to schnoodle, Island Lake caters to your exact vibe.

In 2026, guests continue to book their limited vacation time at Island Lake Lodge because it’s an operation that truly has it all—skiing for every ability, five-star meals and accommodations, and a staff that treats you like they’re happy to be there. Because as you’ll come to find at Island Lake Lodge, they genuinely are.