About Anderson Lodge

CELEBRATING 39 YEARS!

Anderson Lodge is a family-run facility owned by Arvid and Vicki Anderson. As you scroll through the many photos on our site. you are thinking, “How beautiful!”  Anderson Lodge IS beautiful!  But the photos don’t do it justice.  There is nothing like seeing the tall fir trees with moss cascading gracefully at the Main Lodge or viewing the scenic mountain and valley views at our Hilltop House site.  Please contact us for a tour.  You will see for yourself how magical Anderson Lodge truly is.

Comment from a recent guest. “You and Arvid have made an amazing and special legacy.”  Thank you, Gabrielle. Anderson Lodge is truly a labor of love.

At Anderson Lodge we are known for our cozy atmosphere and lush forest setting. We’re extremely mindful of the world-wide focus on the 2019 Novel Coronavirus – COVID-19. Anderson Lodge takes the health and safety of our guests in the midst of the threat of COVID-19 very seriously. You can rest assured that we are doing everything possible to address guest safety during your upcoming stay with us.

Questions?  Give us a call. We would love to tell you all about our lodges.

AMAZING DATES STILL AVAILABLE FOR 2024 AND BEYOND
DON’T LET THESE OPPORTUNITIES SLIP AWAY!
CALL 360-247-6660

Anderson Lodge is an event center offering quality lodging for:

• Family Reunions
• Church Retreats
• School Retreats
• Businesses
• Weddings
• Celebrations

This Scandinavian resort, nestled in the forest near Mt. St. Helens, is just north of Portland and 23 miles east of I-5 at Woodland, Washington.  We have 2 lodges to offer on two different properties: the Main Lodge and the Hilltop House.  They are completely self-contained so two events can take place simultaneously.  Or on rare occasions, both facilities can be used by one group.

The Anderson Lodge Story

The foundation for the Main Lodge was poured in 1974.  Arvid worked slowly on it during breaks and summer vacation from teaching at the local Yale School.  He peeled the bark off by hand and flattened the cedar logs with a chainsaw and an ax.  Each log was bleached to ready them for use. The large fir beams for the lodge were from the property.  Everywhere you look you can see evidence of his handiwork.  Notice all those oak shorts that are on the countertops and floors of the Main Lodge.  Even the table in the main kitchen was made from those oak shorts.  How about that countertop on the island in the kitchen?  Do you know what that is from and what those mysterious brown dots are for?  The kitchen counter is made of birdseye maple from a bowling alley, complete with the dots from the alleyway!  When you stay at Anderson Lodge remember that it is a facility like no other.  Arvid’s dream is here.

We added a bathhouse and conference room in 1986-1988. Every year we added more and more amenities including more beds, a campfire amphitheater, tennis courts, wedding sites and the grand pavilion!  Then we knew the kids were important too. We built Pippi’s Playhouse and created a play structure. The one-of-a-kind Campfire Amphitheater is the most talked about and enjoyed structure on the property. What event is complete without sing-a-longs, s’mores, skits, or presentations? This is our favorite place.

Anderson Lodge opened as a retreat center in November of 1984. It is the loving creation of Arvid and Vicki Anderson. Arvid built the Lodge with his Swedish background in mind, so it is truly a labor of love. Both his parents were Swedish and thus the love of the Scandinavian culture. It is sometimes hard to believe how our small dream of a Swedish cabin has blossomed into a retreat center welcoming thousands of guests each year.

The property of the Hilltop House was purchased in 1988 and it was then that we started to create our second facility to be used for retreats and events.  There were a couple of buildings on the property but none were usable.  Arvid enlisted the help of a local person, a “Jack” of all trades (Jack Courtway) and some local builders to help him with this site.  First, the sleeping house was finished, then the game room.  The next big project was the magnificent conference room, followed by the pavilion.  Shortly after the 3 cabins were added. The Viking Outdoor Beverage Bar and the Vasa Grill Station were added most recently.

Our newest creations are our outdoor beverage bars & custom stone patios. In the warmer months, the patios add so much to an event. Everyone gathers here

Our family is still very involved in the operation of the lodge. Arvid’s brother, Richard, was our office manager for many years. Though he passed away, we remember the many contributions he made for over 20 years.  Our children, Karli and Brenden, can be seen helping us clean, gathering firewood, folding sheets, or building trolls for the forest.  Now that he is all grown up, Brenden works part-time with tractor work, maintenance, fire-wooding, cleaning gutters, and helping with many of the building projects.  Our daughter-in-law is incredible. He is part of our cleaning staff and helps keep us organized. She is giving the lodge a fresh coat of paint this week. Daughter Karli is an active member of the office staff making reservations, bookkeeping and corresponding with clients.  We couldn’t get along without her. Our caretaker, Richard Birchall, lives on the property. Christ is our staff and lodge manager. You will most likely meet her if you take a tour and she will be there at check in. Most all the people who work at Anderson Lodge, are local people of the Yale Valley.

We have many relatives in Sweden and our family has traveled there to see them. They take so much pride in their possessions and their homes. Many of our Swedish friends have cabins or guest cottages.  So we just had to offer cozy cabins at Anderson Lodge too.  Their skills in woodworking, their appreciation of nature and their love of families have had a major impact on us.  It is this influence that you see when you visit our lodges.  We strive to maintain the natural beauty of the environment and provide a location for families to reconnect and interact together.  The cabins, the use of logs and hardwood, the many outdoor opportunities, and the Swedish beds with curtains, all make Anderson Lodge an extraordinary place.

Visitors often ask us, “Why all the funny names for the cabins and spaces?”  The Dalarna Cabin is named after the province of Sweden where many of our relatives live. The Jämtland Cabin is after the province where our daughter lived as a foreign student.  We are still very close to the Jennervall family living in Ostersund. The two pavilions have been named for our special cousins in Sweden, Anna’s Pavilion and Ulla’s Pavilion.  Anna and Ulla have visited us and both love the outdoors.  Then there is Ella’s Coffee Hus. Ella was our most special relative who loved coffee, and flowers and loved living in her quaint cabin by a lake in Sweden.  She always had a sparkle in her eye.  Each name that we have chosen has so much meaning for us.  I guess it is our way of bringing a little bit of Sweden to our Lodge.

You may notice the rock walls that seem to be appearing at both the Main Lodge and the Hilltop House.   Arvid has again drawn upon his Swedish heritage and decided he likes using rock to create an inviting space.  Being a country with a lot of rock, Sweden has also many creative uses for it.  So it is only natural that Arvid would carry out this tradition at the lodge as well.  He has a rather ingenious way of building these walls, a very unique technique.  He’d be happy to tell you all about it should you ask. He will tell you that he has used, so far, 180 tons of rock and made each wall one rock at a time. Our son, Brenden has been helping him build them too, passing on the skill to the next generation.   When you visit, you will be amazed at how beautiful they are and will agree that they add so much to the natural setting,

Now, what do you think? Is it brown, or burnt umber or a brick color? I’m speaking of the color of the exterior for the Main Lodge, Dalarna Cabin, Pavilions and Hilltop House. We ordered a specific paint from Sweden called Falun Red. After seeing the beautiful countryside of Sweden dotted with homes and “stugas” of this shade, we just had to make our lodge the authentic Falun Red. The white trim completes the hint of Scandinavia.

So, that is the story of the history of our retreat center, the reason for all this Scandinavian hoopla and the mystery of the lodge’s curious paint. Hope you can come and visit us sometime. Be sure to sign our two-foot guest book or the trolls will never forgive you! Have fun browsing through our website.

Our Offerings

• Lodging for family and friends
• Spacious kitchens for your use
• Exclusive use of site
• Small group meeting rooms
• 2 large group conference rooms
• Wireless Internet
• Pianos at each facility
• Scandinavian design
• Spectacular natural setting
• Game Rooms
• Children’s play area
• Pippi’s Playhouse
• Outdoor Beverage bars
• Outdoor Recreation
• Covered Campfire Amphitheater
• Tennis Courts
• Cozy cabins
• Outdoor dining in the trees
• RV spaces
• Ample parking

Be sure to check out:

Facilities
Special Occasion Links
Areas of Interest near Lodge

IMAGINE YOUR FAMILIY AND FRIENDS GATHERING AT ANDERSON LODGE
IMAGINE WHAT MEMORIES YOU CAN MAKE!
CALL 360 247 6660

TOURS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
Email or call to arrange an appointment

Main Lodge
12025 Lewis River Road
Ariel, WA  98603

Hilltop House
12014 Lewis River Road
Ariel, WA  98603

Anderson Lodge:
Where Natural Beauty is the Icing on the Cake!