If you're driving in from Edmonton or Jasper with Mount Robson Provincial Park on your list, you already know the hard part isn't finding the trail. It's finding somewhere to stay that actually understands what a day of hiking in these mountains takes out of you.
Valemount sits closer to the park than any other town along the route, which is why most of the hotels near Mount Robson cluster here rather than farther down the highway. If you're still getting your bearings on the town itself, our guide to where Valemount sits and why travelers stop here covers the basics.
Best Western Plus Valemount is set up specifically for hikers coming off Rearguard Falls, Kinney Lake, or the Berg Lake Trail, not as an afterthought, but as the reason the hotel runs the way it does.
By the end of this article, you'll know which hike fits your plans, what the hotel offers once you're back off the trail, and how to book the stay that makes the most sense for your trip.
Best Western Plus Valemount is a 26-minute drive from Mount Robson Provincial Park, making it one of the closest full-service hotels near Mount Robson for day hikers. The Berg Lake trailhead itself is roughly 30 minutes away.
Valemount is a small town on Highway 5, positioned between Jasper and Kamloops, so it's an excellent stop whether you're coming from Alberta or driving up from the BC interior.
The hotel has an on-site restaurant that serves breakfast, happy hour, and dinner. There's a pool with a waterslide and a hot tub, a fully equipped fitness centre, and a 6 km walking trail through the woods and Cranberry Marsh. The marsh is a protected wetland just behind the hotel, home to more than 140 bird species and framed by views of the Cariboo, Monashee, and Rocky Mountains.
Every hotel room includes a fridge, microwave, and coffee maker. The amenities that matter most after a long hike, like boot dryers and guest laundry access, are just steps from your door.
Not every day hiker wants the same thing out of Mount Robson, and the park gives you three very different options depending on your time and your legs. Our nearby trails guide covers distance, elevation, and difficulty for each one if you want the full picture before you go.
Rearguard Falls is an 8-minute drive from the visitor center at Mount Robson. Rearguard Falls is just off the highway and requires almost no hiking at all to reach - just a stairway with viewing platforms.
It's a must-see stop for anyone road-tripping through who wants to see exceptional waterfalls without committing to a full day of hiking. The falls are a 15-20 minute drive from the town of Valemount and the Best Western Plus.
Kinney Lake is the trail most leisure trip planners choose. It's not difficult at 9 kms round trip and offers a wide, smooth walking trail. The payoff is a turquoise lake framed by the mountain, and most hikers are back at the trailhead with enough daylight left for dinner in town. The town of Valemount is 20 minutes away, with the Best Western Plus hotel a 25-minute drive from the parking lot at the Visitor Center.
One of our guests, a young family, enjoyed the Kinney Lake trail with their 4-year-old and 7-year-old daughters. The trail is wide enough to accommodate a 2-child chariot stroller when their legs got a bit tired on the way back. The children particularly enjoyed the little creeks that followed the trail, making for some imaginative stories and memories.
Berg Lake Trail is the reason many visitors come to this park in the first place, and it deserves an honest word about what it actually takes. The full round trip runs 42 kilometres with about 800 metres of elevation gain, and doing it in a single day is a genuine 10 to 14-hour push meant only for hikers who are fit, experienced, and prepared to start before sunrise.
If that's more than you want to take on in one day, you're not alone. Many hikers break the Berg Lake trail into two or three days instead. They camp at Kinney Lake, Whitehorn, or Berg Lake itself with a backcountry permit through BC Parks. Then they return to Valemount afterward for a hot shower, a real bed to rest up in, and an experience that pairs adventure with comfort.
The Berg Lake trail includes 7 kms of the Kinney Lake Trail. It starts at the Visitor Information Centre at the base of Mount Robson,
A hard day on Berg Lake Trail ends the same way for almost everyone: wet boots, sore legs, and clothes that need to dry before tomorrow. We know that's part of adventuring in the mountains. If that's not for you, the Best Western Plus Valemount offers thoughtful amenities to address such needs.
Guests have access to boot dryers and onsite laundry, so gear is ready to go again the next morning instead of sitting damp in a corner of the room. The indoor pool and hot tub, open until 10 pm every night, take care of the sore legs. A hot shower and a real bed after 20+ kilometres on the trail changes how the rest of your trip feels, and it's a big part of why guests come back after a hike like Kinney Lake or Berg Lake.
Groups adventuring together often choose the Three Queen Bed Classic Room, which sleeps six, so there's plenty of space rather than splitting across two rooms after a long day. Couples doing a quieter hike like Kinney Lake sometimes book the King Suite instead, where a gas fireplace and in-room spa tub help with muscle recovery.
Families heading out early can grab one of the kitchenette suites, like the Executive Queen Suite with Sofabed, to prepare snacks before hitting the trail. This suite is dog-friendly too! Inquire with the hotel ahead of time if you want to bring your dog to the hotel- an additional pet fee applies.
One recent guest, Kara, wrote about this in her Google Review after finishing early off Berg Lake Trail:
“Sev at the front desk checked us in and went above and beyond to help us alter our reservation when we ended up coming off the nearby Berg Lake trail a bit earlier than anticipated.”
That kind of flexibility matters when your hiking day doesn't go exactly to plan.
Hikers need food that fits a trail schedule, not a restaurant's. The Summit Grill, the hotel's on-site restaurant, serves both breakfast and dinner and will also prepare lunch to go for hikers heading out early.
You can order your trail lunch at the front desk the night before or pre-order food online for pickup. Either way, you're not adding a stop in town before you hit the road, and you're not stuck eating a granola bar at the trailhead at 6 am.
A TripAdvisor reviewer, Jackie747, who hiked both Kinney Lake and Overlander Falls during their stay noted the same pattern:
“The hotel serves a wonderful breakfast, a great start for a day of hiking,” and also mentioned the friendly restaurant staff who served them dinner during their stay.
Here's something you won't find on a trail map.
A lot of the staff at this hotel came to Valemount specifically because they love these mountains, and many have hiked Mount Robson themselves or talked at length with guests who have.
Ask at check-in about current trail conditions, water crossings, or which viewpoint is worth the extra half hour. You'll usually get a straighter answer than what's posted online, and it costs nothing but a few minutes at the front desk.
If you're planning a day hike into Mount Robson Provincial Park from Edmonton or Jasper, staying at Best Western Plus Valemount puts you about 26 minutes from the park and 30 minutes from the Berg Lake trailhead, feeds you before and after, and gives your gear somewhere to dry out before the next day.
Whether your plan is the short walk to Rearguard Falls or the full push to Berg Lake, the stay is built around getting you back on the trail rested, rather than scrambling to recover.
Book direct to lock in the best rate or join Best Western Rewards to get extra perks.
See you on the trail!
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