Owner John Caton says the best thing about his über-luxe tent resort in British Columbia is that being there is like stepping back in time. The lodge is located within the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and is surrounded by thousands of acres of pristine rainforest. The nearest sign of civilization is 30 minutes away in the seaside village of Tofino. When guests land at Clayoquot's dock—after a jaw-dropping 45-minute floatplane ride from Vancouver over glaciers, islands, and mountain peaks—they're still vibrating from the hum of modern life. But it doesn't take long for them to get in sync with the pulse of Clayoquot (pronounced "klack-wit"), a place where bears, whales, and eagles far outnumber humans. "Within their first 12 hours here they have a new perspective," says Caton. "It's a life-changing experience for most people."

Since the big wild is the main event in Clayoquot, the ways to get out and enjoy it are many and varied. After having tea

Owner John Caton says the best thing about his über-luxe tent resort in British Columbia is that being there is like stepping back in time. The lodge is located within the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and is surrounded by thousands of acres of pristine rainforest. The nearest sign of civilization is 30 minutes away in the seaside village of Tofino. When guests land at Clayoquot's dock—after a jaw-dropping 45-minute floatplane ride from Vancouver over glaciers, islands, and mountain peaks—they're still vibrating from the hum of modern life. But it doesn't take long for them to get in sync with the pulse of Clayoquot (pronounced "klack-wit"), a place where bears, whales, and eagles far outnumber humans. "Within their first 12 hours here they have a new perspective," says Caton. "It's a life-changing experience for most people."

Since the big wild is the main event in Clayoquot, the ways to get out and enjoy it are many and varied. After having tea and coffee delivered to their rooms in the morning and filling up on a breakfast of homemade muesli and cornmeal and wild blueberry griddle cakes, guests set out on land or water to explore this rugged west coast of Vancouver Island. The biosphere is a stunning labyrinth of tide-swept islands crowded with old-growth forests, mountains, and sandy beaches.

Guests delve on foot, horse, or mountain bike into alpine valleys and onto mountain peaks, or traverse through rainforest where trees have grown to 15 feet in diameter over 1,500 years and sword ferns can tower 40 feet overhead. Out on the water, paddlers in kayaks and canoes venture into inlets, estuaries, lakes, and rivers to spot puffins, porpoises, and sea lions. Visitors who want the best of both in one day can opt for Clayoquot's "Walk on the Wild Side," a guided outing that combines hiking, beachcombing, and whale- and bear-watching, all fueled by a gourmet picnic lunch featuring treats like grilled veggies and aioli on homemade bread. All Clayoquot guides are extensively trained about the flora and fauna of this complex eco-hub as well as the area's long history of indigenous habitation. You can also opt to explore without a guide, while the resort is stocked with high-end equipment and gear to outfit underprepared guests.

Heady days of adventure out in the reserve are capped by a soothing return to Clayoquot's opulent oasis. Here, guests unwind with a deep-tissue massage in the spa tents or unknot sore muscles in the wood-fired cedar hot tub overlooking the sound. Or they relax by the grand stone fireplace in the outdoor living room or retire to plush private tents decorated with Persian rugs, oil lamps, antique furniture, and fresh wildflowers everyday. When dinner's ready, follow a trail of tiki torches to the dining tent, sip wine from crystal wine glasses, and dine on antique china. Chef Tim May's stunning menu, using local and organic ingredients, is created in an outdoor cedar kitchen, over an open fire and under a blanket of stars. Life in the outdoors doesn't get much better than this.

Heather Hansen is co-author of Disappearing Destinations: 37 Places in Peril and What Can Be Done to Help Save Them and has written for publications including Men's Journal, Outside, and Mother Jones.