Indian Arm - North Vancouver

 

For residents of Vancouver, Indian Arm is easily a weekend trip on a sailboat or powerboat.  Easily accessible within hours, one is quickly transported to a different world of fresh air, solitude and wilderness.    Indian Arm is a steep-sided glacial fjord adjacent to the city of Vancouver in southwestern British Columbia. Formed during the last Ice Age, it extends due north from Burrard Inlet, between the communities of Belcarra (to the east) and the District of North Vancouver (to the west), then on into mountainous wilderness. Burrard Inlet and the opening of Indian Arm was mapped by Captain George Vancouver and fully explored days later by Dionisio Alcalá Galiano in June 1792.

The famous Wigwam Inn is located at the north end of Indian Arm, and was originally a luxury German resort and fishing lodge in 1910.  Back the, a daily steamship called the Skeena would bring customers and supplies to the inn.  The property was operated by Count Gustav Constantin Alvo Van Alvensleben, and other operators until 1963.   Famous guests included John Rockefeller and John Jacob-Astor.  Today, Wigwam Inn is owned and operated by the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club as an outstation for RVYC members only. It is equipped with hotel-style suites, full kitchen facilities, and showers, among other amenities.