TRAVEL | Backcountry Basecamp at Carl Kuster Mountain Park (CKMP)

The facility is world-class, featuring a saloon, dining hall, pool tables, and an incredible garage and workshop. The Loft is a 4,800 sqft luxury living space that can accommodate as many as twelve riders. It has six rooms, each with two queen beds and a private ensuite bathroom. There’s also a hot tub, sauna, and an entertainment lounge. Next door you’ll find the Habanero, a 2,200 sqft mountain home that can comfortably sleep eight riders. There are four bedrooms, each with a queen-size bed, and one master room with four queen beds. It also has three large bathrooms and heated floors throughout. Fancy, we know.

We were taken aback not only by the facility and the trail systems accessible from its front doors but also by the incredible hospitality the CKMP staff provides. Their head chef, Hugo Racicot, crafted amazing meals for the ATV.com crew three times a day, each time impressing us more than the meal prior. Both the Habanero and Loft are equipped with their hot tubs, and both allow access to the ten-man sauna that sits adjacent to the garage, providing some much-needed respite for tired riders after a long day in the backcountry, especially when it’s cold.

We were lucky enough to visit CKMP toward the end of their summer season before the snow began to fall, and just as the leaves began to change from a deep evergreen to a burnt golden brown. The trails were a little dusty due to a lack of rainfall over the last few months, but the foliage and fauna of the upper Pacific Northwest provide a canopy that keeps the days from being too warm and the dust from being too detrimental. 

Our rides began around the property, where a course had been laid out for us to test the all-new Can-Am Outlander XT-P 1000R. A rugged ride through the woods, crossing creeks and streams, and dodging stumps and root systems as we lapped the facility. Then, onto a wide dirt road and up to elevation, where we were offered breathtaking views of the valley below. The riding opportunities are truly endless in this part of the world, and CKMP provides the perfect base camp for us to explore.

Back at the Loft, we settled in for the night, with some folks opting to play a few games of shuffleboard while others gathered at the bar for cocktails served by the CKMP staff. Dinner was the kind of meal you’d expect to find at a five-star hotel – braised pork shank over scratch-made mashed potatoes with asparagus and broccoli covered in a semi-sweet demi-glace. It was incredible, the sort of meal you remember. Afterward, some of us settled on the upstairs balcony, soaking in the last light of another beautiful day in British Columbia.

Carl Kuster Mountain Park is the perfect Pacific Northwest escape plan for anyone looking to experience that part of the world from behind the handlebar or steering wheel of a UTV or ATV. Getting there is straightforward, with Kelowna being the closest international airport, offering the most ingoing and outgoing flights, as well as a variety of rental car companies within the terminal. Distance from the Kelowna International Airport (YLW) to CKMP is just under two hours and the drive around Shuswap Lake is a highlight for sure. 

And for those looking for another excuse to visit CKMP, the facility is known for providing access to riding zones between Sicamous and Revelstoke that are famous for bottomless powder and optimal riding conditions for snowmobiles all season long. So, whether it’s a late spring or summer side-by-side adventure, or a winter campout to explore the backcountry by sled, The Loft and The Habanero at Carl Kuster Mountain Park, and the surrounding wilderness are unmatched in what they can offer to powersport enthusiasts.

Learn more about CKMP on their website: https://www.carlkuster.com/