Skoki Lodge is situated in a beautiful high alpine region in Banff National Park. The eleven kilometre trail from Lake Louise to the Skoki Valley makes Skoki Lodge an ideal destination for hikers and skiers of all levels. From Skoki Lodge one can access breathtaking mountain ridges and alpine lakes, or explore five different adjoining valleys.
During the summer months, the beautiful alpine flowers paint the landscape, while towering peaks against summer skies welcome you as you make your way to and around Skoki.
During winter, skiers of all abilities can find ski touring and telemarking slopes as well as a variety of cross country routes around the lodge.
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Experience Skoki
Weekend Space Available Sept. 5-6
Book Now
1-877-754-5462
 
QUICK FACTS
Date of Construction: 1930-1931
Additions: 1935-1936
Original Owner: Ski Club
of the Canadian Rockies
Renovations: 2003-2004
"Skoki Lodge Named as 'Best Place to Catch Cabin Fever' in the Winter 'Best of Skiing in Canada' issue of Ski Canada Magazine (2007)."
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The lodge was the first facility built specifically to
cater to ski-tourists on a commercial basis in Canada,
and possibly North America. It was built by a group of
Banff residents who formed the Ski Club of the Canadian
Rockies to manage the operation. The first guests arrived
for skiing in the spring of 1931. The main building was
made of local logs with saddle-notched corners. A log
one-storey kitchen was added in the summer of 1931. In
l935-1936, Jim Boyce made a series of additions, including
the upper floor and roof dormers and what is now the living
room. He also added three or four log cabins for sleeping
to increase the original capacity. Like the builders of
several other backcountry lodges in the area, Boyce started
out as a tour guide and outfitter. In l938 he went on
to build a log lodge in Lake Louise, which later became
the Post Hotel.
The main lodge maintains a small library with books on local
history and flora and fauna. There are numerous historic
photographs and ski equipment dating back to the early
l930’s. More information can be obtained through
the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies located
in Banff, Alberta.
Animals
Banff National Park is home to 53 species of mammals. This incredible diversity of native wildlife is a reflection of the wide
range of habitats found in the park due to variations in elevation, climate, and plant communities. Bighorn sheep, black bear, hoary marmots and beaver are just a few of the species this region has to offer!
For more information on species native to the region go to: www.parkscanada.gc.ca
Indigenous Plants & Wildflowers
The trail to Skoki is prime habitat to a wide variety of alpine wildflower and rare alpine plants indigenous to the region. Throughout the area, hikers can find patches of false azalea, buffalo berries, twinberries, white rhododendrons and red elder flourish. Rocky slopes are covered by stonecrop, white flowering mountain avens, moss campion, cinquefoil, arctic willows and several species of saxifrage. Alpine meadows are mosaics of vivid colours from western anemones, alpine arnica, columbine, Indian paintbrush, spring beauty, alpine fleabane, mountain daisies and hundreds of other species of wildflowers during the midsummer bloom.
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For many of our guests a day at Skoki Lodge is like taking a much-needed walk back in time. When you step inside the lodge after an exhilarating hike or ski, you too become a part of its history. There are no diversions to remind you of your busy lifestyle - only a beautifully restored log structure built with your ultimate comfort in mind.
Upon your arrival at Skoki Lodge, a friendly member of our staff will greet you. After a brief orientation, relax in the main room for our afternoon tea service. In the tradition of our early ski pioneers we offer an abundant array of goodies to help you refuel after your eleven kilometre/seven mile journey into the backcountry. Cheese, breads and crackers; cakes and pies, smoked oysters and fresh fruit and vegetables are offered daily. Unwind with a glass of wine by the fire or sip your tea outside on the porch.
After re-energizing, many find the late afternoon the perfect time to familiarize themselves with Skoki Lodge itself. There are two woodstoves in the main building and numerous spots to cozy up with a book from our library. Learn about the local history or re-live the adventures of the early mountaineers.If you choose to explore the outdoors, our knowledgeable staff will be delighted to share their suggestions for a pre-dinner hike or ski. Dinner at Skoki Lodge is an event unto its own. All of our meals are prepared daily with the very freshest ingredients and expertise. We invite you in to meet the Chef and kitchen staff and to see a real backcountry kitchen at work. Our wholesome, home cooked menu changes daily and is guaranteed to have you raving to your friends and family. After the main course we offer dessert, wine from the bar and a fresh brewed coffee and tea. After dinner, listen to some of Skoki Lodge staff members share a bit of lodge’s history, play a game of Scrabble or just relax in the wilderness.
In the morning, let the smells of fresh coffee, wood smoke, bacon and scones entice you from your cozy down comforters. A two-course breakfast begins at 8:00am and is a feast for those early wanderers out snapping once-in-a-lifetime photos of the golden-red sunrise off the top of the mighty Jericho Mountain.After a delicious breakfast we provide a build-it-yourself gourmet lunch buffet. This includes freshly sliced breads, award winning deli meats and a feast of fresh vegetables and fruit for you to enjoy on a break during your day’s ski or hike. Explore Skoki Canyon, Merlin’s Ridge or Red Deer Lakes. Although the fresh air, exercise and views are legendary, we know you’ll be hungry for a hearty, memorable meal when you return, follow the trails and your nose back to Skoki Lodge for another night’s rest.
Skoki Lodge is a haven for our guests. Whether you have come to conquer a peak or identify wildflowers from the gorgeously carpeted landscapes, try out your new cross-country gear, take on the gang at cribbage, bird-watch, paint a sweeping watercolor, write in your journal or just relax and get away from it all. Skoki Lodge has always been an incredibly warm, hospitable, and magic oasis tucked deep in the paradise of the Rocky Mountains. Come and join us for your much needed and deserved retreat. You'll be glad you did!
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