Pacific Gateway Wilderness Lodge

We spent two days at this lodge and we were not fishing but we had a wonderful time. The lodge is gorgeous with a bright spacious dining room and ocean side patio. There are two hot tubs and we really enjoyed soaking in them for hours looking at the ocean and view. Our room was clean and spacious and the beds were very comfy. Ashley, David , Davin, Bob and Michael all went out of their way to make us comfortable and were able to shuttle us to Brady beach, to the boardwalk and to the dock on many occasions which was really appreciated. The meals were fantastic David is an excellent chef.

Went to Pacific Gateway Wilderness Lodge with guys from work for a short fishing vacation. Being from the west coast, I tend not to be as impressed with this kind of scenery, but the whole area is just beautiful. The location is stunning.

The lodge itself was a great size; not so huge to be impersonal. Small enough that we got to know all the staff by their first names. Everyone was extremely friendly and helpful, especially Sandra and the manager Brandon.

Their chef is incredible; I can't say enough good things about the food.

The rooms are what you would expect at a lodge. The rooms in the lodge were small but the only time spent in there was sleeping so that doesn't matter one bit. We also had the waterfront cabin which very classy. It's located 44 steps down from the lodge RIGHT OVER THE WATER. It would be great for a husband/wife romantic location... not for me and the boss as it only has 1 king bed. But that's ok. I prefer the outdoors and slept out on the deck (under a mosquito net I brought with me). I had the best sleep with the sound of the waves lapping against the shore under the deck. I was hoping for a visit from the resident otter that hangs out on the deck, but never saw him.

I won't go into the fishing, but needless to say it was great. The staff filleted our catch, vacuum packed and froze it for our return journey home. You can also have them prepare it in different ways.

I would LOVE to go back.

(I wrote the same review on TripAdvisor so sorry if this is a repeat.)

I visited with my wife and my brother and his wife and just got back a couple days ago. Brandon and his staff, went above and beyond our expectations. I am incredibly happy to now be able to call them all friends. I must call them all out by name as they were all exceptional...so to Sandra, Sam, Hannah, Maggie, Josh, Jason, Kelly, THANK YOU for making our visit a truly memorable experience. We can't stop thinking about it and we miss you all so much already. I will touch on a few favorites in no particular order: 1. Sitting on the deck with a cold adult beverage or two and simply enjoying the company and the views. 2. The incredible meals every night were outstanding and first class. 3. The friendliness of the staff and wanting to make sure we were all taken care of. 4. Oh yea, our fishing guide, Francis was great as he worked very hard to get us on the fish and we did catch a bunch and he was patient with a couple of first timers. Not sure when, but we will definitely be back and hopefully sooner than later. Did I mention how great the staff was? Saying goodbye was almost difficult and sad as we really bonded with everybody. If you are even considering going here, do yourself a favor and book it as you will not regret it. It truly was one of the best trips my wife and I (and my brother and his wife) have ever taken with memories to last a lifetime. I could go on and on but lastly I will say on more time, THANKS to Brandon and the amazing staff. We are very sincere when we say that we really miss all of you.

Recently returned from the best fishing experience of my entire life at the Pacific Gateway Wilderness Lodge.
Brandon, the General Manager, does an excellent job at keeping guests needs met and facilitating a fishing-focused luxury lodge experience that really hits all the right notes.
One highlight was the food. Since I was so impressed I had a long conversation with Chef Jason; he is has worked in 2 and 3 Michellin star restaurants in Europe, including working at the French Laundry and working under chef Robuchon (quite literally one of the best chefs to ever live). I can't say enough about Jason. He uses simple ingredients, with excellent technique, and gets a lot of flavor on the plate.
I went out fishing with Brandon and had a great day. Even though fish were a bit slow to bite that day, we managed to land a 22lb Spring salmon (which has been very delicious), and 5 other sizable spring and coho during our trip.
My wife and 2 year old son enjoyed exploring the beautiful and quaint little seaside village of Bamfield. They spent the days wandering the boardwalk, picking blackberries, and playing on Brady's beach. This place is really magical.
If you are on the fence about Pacific Gateway, my advice is to just try it. You will love it there.

Hubby and I stayed here July 28 weekend. The lodge is a moderately easy 5 minute walk up a rough gravel
road from the west-side wharf where the MV Frances Barkley stops. No one offered in advance to meet us or inquire if we needed assistance with our gear. We’re healthy young seniors so it wasn’t an issue for us but the road is too rough to pull a rolly bag and is uphill most of the way, so be prepared to carry everything, or else ask for help when you book (if they will help). The lodge is comfy and rustic with breathtaking views, a comfortable deck and 2 well-maintained hot tubs. The ‘gourmet food package by a red seal chef’ was, in our opinion, disappointing and very overpriced. The afternoon appies at 3 pm consisted of 2 small serving plates of (leftover?) morning waffle wedges with a chicken strip on each, drizzled with syrop. There were no other options and the plates were nearly empty and not refilled when several other lodgers appeared at 3:30 pm. The serving size was enough for perhaps 5 or 6 people while twice that many were staying there. Dinner was a chunk of pork tenderloin on a bed of a forgettable grain with unidentifiable and flavourless vegetable bits, while the pork, which was very good, was topped with ‘salsa verde’ according to the server (it was actually pesto). I’m hoping the server was mistaken because a red seal chef would never confuse those two. The dessert was lovely: a real strawberry shortcake made more interesting with some fresh basil and perfect whipped cream. Breakfast was an egg hash with tasty sausage or bacon and toast. The tea and coffee were self-served and nothing out of the ordinary. Those three ‘meals’ were $215 per person without gratuities, which were suggested to be $35 per person per day. We avoided the extra $25 corkage fee by having the lodge’s wine. As for the room, it was smallish, clean and comfortable with a spectacular view, and the bathroom, shower and hot water were fine and again, very rustic. There are no locks or keys for any of the room doors, so if those are important for you, this is not the place for you. We thoroughly enjoyed our time travelling to and exploring Bamfield, and would go again, but next time will trade the view over the grand ocean for a comfy cabin with a kitchen near the sole bistro at the end of the boardwalk, which provides a quaint view of the inlet for a lot less money. If you want the total fishing lodge experience without having to cook or walk anywhere else, this is a lovely place to go. If you aren’t going for the fishing and don’t mind cooking for yourself or eating at the delightful local bistro, then its a better deal to rent along the boardwalk that overlooks the inlet to east Bamfield. Happy travels.