Bear Creek Lodge (on Mt. Spokane)

Sam was very welcoming when my family got in at 9:30 PM after a full day at silverwood. There isn’t really a front desk, but he helped us when we arrived. The lodging is unusual, which I thought added to the experience, and the rooms are simple in a good way. The showers had fantastic water pressure, and the stay was very pleasant. The room was about $150 a night, at least $200 less than anything remotely similar nearby. I don’t understand the angry reviews about the hotel or Sam. He’s friendly and welcoming, and the hotel has very nice rooms. Some people writing those reviews seem to have no patience or social skills.

The campsite grass was soft and lush, and the creek running right beside the sites made it so peaceful. The area was clean, quiet, and covered in thimble berries. Bear Creek Lodge is a beautiful property, and it must take a lot of work to keep it looking that way. We spent the morning hiking up the mountain and picking huckleberries, then came back and made a slip and slide on the grass. We had a blast, and played hide and seek around the picnic area before walking up to see the Lodge. The wedding courtyard is gorgeous, and the cook was so sweet. He’d slow-cooked pork ribs all day, but had sold out before we got there. He packed up the very last of them for us, maybe because he saw how disappointed we were to have missed them. We had a magical weekend camping and were really impressed. We kept thinking of an event we could hold there, since we’re already married. It’s just so gorgeous you want to bring everyone you know. We loved it.

The sledding hill was the only good part of our visit, and that alone is why I gave two stars. We’d had high hopes and a fun time until we went to the lodge to eat. Service was painfully slow, and the server looked new. I’ve worked in restaurants, so we were willing to be understanding. The nachos were decent. We also ordered chicken strips for my son. The cook brought them out looking irritated, even though the place wasn’t very busy and we’d watched tables get ignored. The chicken was completely raw inside. I told our server, who was nice about it, but serving raw chicken is a serious problem. She said it would be taken off the bill, which of course it should have been. Then they charged us for five sodas even though we’d only bought four. Not a huge deal by itself, but paying attention is part of the job. We won’t be back.

Sam made us feel very welcome and knew a lot about the area. We had a delicious dinner and drinks on the back patio, and the stay was comfortable and relaxing. The park’s many lovely trails were easy to get to from here. It’s a great spot to unplug and enjoy the scenery. We really enjoyed our stay at Bear Creek Lodge.