Please note that the hostel will be closed from December 1, 2009 to March 15, 2010

Yes you really get to sleep in a train car!

Located in the historic Squilax General Store, HI-Shuswap Lake hostel sits on Shuswap Lake, one of the province's most popular summer vacation destinations for swimming, canoeing, whitewater rafting, golfing and hiking.  We are ideally situated as a half-way stopover between Vancouver and Banff - only a five-hour drive each way - and the hostel is located right on the Trans-Canada Highway with a Greyhound bus stop right outside (contact the hostel for information about 1/2 price advance bus tickets).

The hostel's unique dorms are in three converted Canadian National cabooses (rail cars - see pictures to the right) as sleeping quarters.   Each caboose has it's own kitchen, sitting area and toilet. The showers are located in the building next to the cabooses.  The private rooms are in the main building and each room has an iPod/mp3/cd speakers and USB chargers.

HI-Shuswap is recommended by Let's Go Travel!

Lakeside....

The wilderness setting, right on the water, allows for lots of wildlife viewing, star-gazing, or watching the northern lights. Try our our famous "all you can eat" fruit pancake breakfast. Our large wharf on the water is perfect for suntanning or reading book. The hostel has free use of a canoe and free use of a hiking self guided kit (day pack, binoculars, plant, bird, bug and mammal guide books).  There is a beaver's lodge (yes the real animal) just a 5 minute walk or canoe ride from the hostel.  Our friendly tour guide Samsonite (lab/retriever/malamute dog) will take you to the beaver's lodge.

Our hostel lounge has a our projection TV.  We will be showing various international sports events, or you can connect you laptop and look in your photos on a 2 metre screen.  Winter activities include skiing, watching local junior hockey (www.chiefs.com), local hotel pool/hot tub or sit by our wood-burning fireplace reading one of our many books.

During your stay, check out some of our planned activities or one of the many year-round events and festivals happening in the area.  We proudly support the arts so our events schedule includes live music and art shows throughout the year - look up the events on www.myspace.com/squilaxhostel or check out our events schedule for live music or art shows throughout the year. 

Organic grocery store on site.

The store caters to the backpacker by selling single eggs,  1/2 litres of milk, fresh fruit, vegetables and more.  The store is "Tante Emma" style.  We have a herb garden for hosteller's use right beside our BBQ.  Guests are welcome to pick rhubarb, Saskatoon berries, gooseberries or apples right from the garden.

Tenting is also available in summer. Hostel pets on-site.

Please note hostel check-in is ONLY until 10 pm.

Attention Techies and GPS users:  To really, really find us, it is best to use our co-ordinates rather than postal code.  The postal code will direct you to our snail mail box in Chase.  The co-ordinates will take you directly to us... honest.  Our co-ordinates are:  Longitude -119,573666 and Latitude 50,872689