Shuswap couple opens off-grid wilderness resort with outdoor sauna

A couple from the Lower Mainland recently purchased a 40-acre off-grid property on Herman Lake in the Shuswap and opened it up as a wilderness resort for camping, recreation and wellness activities.

Caitlin and Keith McEwen own Herman Lake Wilderness Campground in Eagle Bay where they live with their two young daughters.

“We have had big dreams for awhile now and when we found this property for sale back in November, we just knew it was meant to be,” Caitlin said in a message to iNFOnews.ca. “Herman Lake is such a magical place and we want to share the beauty and serenity this place has to offer.”

Officially opening in May, the couple currently offers off-grid campsites for tents, RVs and glamping. Herman Lake is ideal for belly boating, canoeing and paddleboarding. It is surrounded by forest and wetlands making it ideal for birding, botany and viewing wildlife.

“Campers can enjoy unobstructed star gazing, there are no city lights here, just the glow of fireflies,” she said.

The couple recently added a sauna in the woods by the lake and opened it up for private bookings, where guests can roll in the snow or do cold plunges during their stay. The experience costs $40 per person and there are group rates available.

“It’s very magical, especially in the snow,” Caitlin said. “We have snow rolling or cold plunging tub, the lake isn’t ideal for swimming by the sauna as it’s surrounded by wetlands, but there’s a public dock you can access for swimming in the summer. We’re also offering snowshoeing on the property before your sauna.”

The couple plans to host local events like wellness retreats and small weddings on the property in the future. They’ll be opening up a little farm stand this summer offering home baked goods, beeswax candles, tallow products, soap, and honey from their bees.

This holiday season, they opened the property up to the public for free so families could go snowshoeing or sledding on a bunny hill before warming up around an outdoor fire.

Cell reception is minimal on the property at 5475 Bastion-Ivy Forest Service Road. A website is in the works. For more information, booking and directions, the couple can be contacted through Instagram, or by email at hermanlake@proton.me.

Anyone accessing the property must have a four by four and good snow tires.