Family Reunions

Portland, Vancouver, Longview, Olympia and Seattle Families…..
We would LOVE to host your Washington family reunion!

WE ARE OFFERING DISCOUNTS FOR THE HILLTOP HOUSE THIS SPRING AND SUMMER!
*ASK ABOUT OUR DISCOUNT ON 2 NIGHT PACKAGES *

Welcome to Anderson Lodge, the Scandinavian retreat center! As a family-owned and managed business, our comfortable, homey atmosphere is apparent.  We treat you special!  And, you will enjoy the unique Swedish flair in all our facilities. Anderson Lodge is a quality retreat site offering a unique gathering site in a natural forest setting.  Anderson Lodge is a  location for private, invitation-only events.

What makes us special is our welcoming atmosphere, on-site recreation, cozy areas for families to gather, personal service and our one-group-at-a-time policy. Of course, the natural beauty surrounding the lodge is the number one attraction. Anderson Lodge is the ultimate family reunion location. Come see us and you will be saying the same thing!

Anderson Lodge takes the health and safety of our guests very seriously. We provide hand-washing areas, hand-sanitizing stations, and disinfecting products for you during your stay. We encourage you to follow proper hygiene practices while you and your family are staying at the lodge. Assess the health of each attendee prior to enterings. If anyone is sick, it is best to have them stay home.

While Anderson Lodge’s regular cleaning regimens are rigorous, we have put additional practices in place during this time of COVID-19 Our cleaning staff has increased the frequency of cleaning common spaces and added sanitizing stations for your safety. Within 2 hours of your check-in, our cleaning staff will be sanitizing commonly touched surfaces, guest rooms, and bathrooms. Our staff will be thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting the Lodge after your stay.

All guests of Anderson Lodge are asked to maintain proper health and safety precautions during their stay.
Please wash hands often, have good ventilation in rooms and discourage shared platters of food.
ASSESS THE HEALTH OF ATTENDEES BEFORE ENTERING. NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO ENTER IF THEY ARE SICK.

What does a family reunion look like at Anderson Lodge?

Day one your group arrives, whether it is mid-week or weekend. You have a nice dinner, or potluck, spaghetti feed or whatever you desire. Everyone stays the night after a late-night conversation, pinochle, talent show, or a great movie.  It’s like the Walton’s, you say good night and stay in the same big house or guest cabins!

Day two, you probably rise with the smell of bacon and fresh coffee.   One by one, campers get up and have a leisurely morning catching up on the latest family news.  More people arrive to take part in the fun.  Besides the accommodations at the lodge, attendees may bring their RV’s and stay on-site, others can camp in tents if they wish.  The morning can be devoted to family projects, genealogy, picto-quilts or a field trip to the Ape Caves for example. After roasted hot dog or sub sandwich smorgasbord, the group can break into small groups for the Family Olympics! Teams can be challenged with horseshoes, ping-pong, volleyball, basketball, tennis, and scavenger hunts.  Our family always has to have that annual family volleyball championship.  The opportunities are endless.   A cluster of cooks can gather in the kitchens cooking up a storm, creating a Mexican Feast or super BBQ.

Many times, one evening is devoted to campfire activities in our outdoor amphitheater.  And the best part… even if the weather isn’t terrific, the area has a roof over it so the fun can continue.  The whole experience of activities by a campfire is magical with the fir trees all around and the flicker of the fire. There is a stage at one end so be ready for some innovative skits and lots of laughter. It will seat 75 or more people and guarantees the best s’mores known to man!

The summer season often has a burn ban in effect for the county. There is often a burn ban in Cowlitz County from June 30-September 30. If there is a burn ban in effect for your event, firewood will not be allowed in our campfire rings. Firewood sparks when it burns, sending embers up and out to the surrounding forest. Most of the time, you may use charcoal only in the campfire. You may lose the ambiance of a roaring fire but you do get a better-roasted marshmallow!  Please follow our campfire safety rules for all campfires.

PLEASE FOLLOW THE FOLLOWING SAFETY RULES REGARDING CAMPFIRES

• Fire must be in fire ring only. (No portable fire rings are allowed)
• Hook up hose and have it near to fire. Use if necessary and to douse fire.
• Never tear branches from trees to make sticks for roasting
• Never, never leave a fire unattended. An adult must always be present
• Never allow children to play in fire.
• Douse fire thoroughly after use. Make sure it is cool to touch before leaving the area.

Check back 30 min later. Must be cool to touch

Another option is to gather together in the conference room or the pavilion for a fun night of DVDs, karaoke, sing-a-longs, skits or a family auction.  Some groups bring handmade craft items to auction off each year.  Then they use the proceeds for a deposit on the next year’s reunion.  Another option for a reunion is that all-important “Legacy Night”. Each branch of the family creates a table to display photos, heirlooms, recipes, etc. from their family. All is shared with everyone. You can even set up a printer to copy those special recipes! Whatever your choice for entertainment, it is enhanced by the many attractive spaces and the outdoor nature at the lodge.

Day three brings a breakfast buffet and wrap-up. Large group presentations and awards can be the culminating activity. You pack up and go home. Imagine the conversations back at home or on Facebook about how wonderful the reunion was, how great it was to get together, and see all the relatives and the gratefulness to you for such a successful occasion!

This example is a 2-day plan, however, many reunions make the event last several days.  YOU make the plan and YOU decide how to customize your stay to fit your needs.

What makes us special is the personal attention we give to all our guests. And, the natural beauty surrounding the lodge is so conducive to relaxing and rejuvenating the soul. Our lodges offer such a unique venue to gather and connect with family and friends  You can truly make this reunion one that reflects your family traditions.  Let Anderson Lodge make your event a unique and extraordinary one!

We rent on a reservation basis only. We are open all year round. Each season offers its unique advantage.  Most all our family reunions have chosen mid-week dates rather than weekends, in the summer.  There are definite benefits mid-week if you wish to take advantage of the recreational sites in the area.  Weekends are very crowded at our lakes for instance.  Other popular spots like the Ape Caves often have many, many visitors on the weekends.  Our price list offers seasonal rates and special mid-week rates. Contact our home office to make reservations. Visitations are arranged by appointment only.  Don’t forget to check out our FAQ page for details about renting Anderson Lodge and our LINKS page to see what sites of interest we have in the area.

We have so much to offer:

• • Accommodations in a variety of sleeping arrangements
  • Small group meeting rooms
  • Two large group conference rooms
  • Ample bathroom facilities
  • Wonderful stone patios with spectacular views
  • Large kitchens with commercial appliances
  • BBQ’s available
  • Outdoor recreation
•   Outdoor Beverage Bars
  • Children’s play structure
  • Pippi’s Playhouse for children
  • Covered Campfire Amphitheater
  • Game rooms
  • Tennis Courts
  • Hiking Trails
  • Guest Cabins
  • Lush forest setting
  • Wireless Internet
  

PLEASE NOTE:
Anderson Lodge provides one cart of firewood. Please bring additional camp wood if you anticipate needing more. If there is a “charcoal only” rule for campfires, you are to provide charcoal for use in our campfire amphitheaters. You must follow all our safety rules when using a campfire. (see rules above)

Summer brings warm weather and little rain. We love our forests and want to make sure they are around for a long time. Each summer, burn bans are in effect for the area. It is common for a burn ban to be in effect for July, August and September. Please follow these mandates.

Meals

You may choose to self-cater, choose our preferred caterer or bring in an outside caterer.   

Main Lodge kitchen Commercial appliances, china, flatware, baking and serving dishes supplied

For Retreats:

• We charge a  $50/day kitchen fee.  If you self-cater this is the only fee you pay.
• If you choose our preferred caterer,
  $50 Kitchen Fee WAIVED for any day/s a preferred caterer provides meals.
  Ÿ$50 Kitchen Fee WILL APPLY to any day/s without a preferred caterer.
• If you choose to have an outside caterer the $50/day kitchen fee applies and there is a $90 outside caterer kitchen fee. (one time fee)

The kitchens are well equipped and the indoor and outdoor dining areas are large enough for your whole group. When you visit either the Main Lodge or the Hilltop House you will be absolutely amazed at the outdoor dining areas with spectacular views. Groups renting in warmer weather often can be seen at the barbecue or roasting hot dogs in the outdoor amphitheater.

Activities

Both facilities have game rooms. The Main Lodge game room has 2 ping pong tables and a foosball table. The Hilltop House game room has a pool table, ping pong table and a foosball table. We also have pianos and TVs with DVD players.  The Main Lodge has 2 saunas that are for group use. Please note, sauna use may be restricted due to COVID regulations. We even have wireless internet at both the Main Lodge and the Hilltop House.

A children’s play yard and Pippi’s Playhouse can be found at both the Main Lodge and the Hilltop House. We ask that you monitor the area at all times. Children 10 years old and younger may use these play areas.

Anderson Lodge is located on over 90 acres of forest land. There are hiking trails throughout the area. In addition to hiking, we have softball and soccer fields, children’s play areas, horseshoe pits and volleyball and badminton areas. Our son would never forgive us if we did not have a basketball hoop! The tennis courts are another popular spot for many lodge guests. The opportunities for fun are endless!

Our spacious pavilions surrounded by forest, seat over 100 people and are perfect for large group experiences. The outdoor patios overlook the natural beauty of the forest and valley that we are so known for. You just have to come up and see how spectacular the setting is at Anderson Lodge.

Often, our guests take small trips to activities in the area.  Don’t miss our page describing some of the area attractions on our LINKS page.  Our beautiful Yale Valley has so much to offer!

Nearby attractions:

• Mt. St. Helens
• Pomeroy House and Living History Farm
• Lewis River Golf
• Lelooska Foundation and Native American Cultural Center and museum
• Sunset Falls
• Speelyai Fish Hatchery and Recreation Area
• Lahar Mudflows of Mt. St. Helens
• Ape Caves
• Hulda Kager Lilac Farms
• Cedar Creek Grist Mill
• Merwin Lake
• Yale Reservoir
• North Clark County Museum

∗ Don’t miss the Ape Caves.  A wonderful outing for the young and … not-so-young!

Meeting Options

Many times reunions and business retreats require both large and small group meeting areas. You will find our conference rooms and our pavilions ideal for large group presentations. Conference rooms are fully carpeted, equipped with conference tables, wireless internet and plenty of space. There are many options for break out sessions for smaller groups. We only rent to one group at a time so you are not competing with any other group for a particular room. Of course, all our facilities have pianos and guitars to further enrich your experience.