Birken is now open for select Personal Retreats.
We remain closed for all Day Visitors and Dana Meals.
See our Visit page for more info.
For all visit-related enquiries please email bookings@birken.ca
Getting Here…
Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery (‘Birken’) is located approximately 40 kilometres south of Kamloops, between Kamloops and Merritt, BC. Our logging road is a rough and bumpy ride through the forest – getting here is half the fun!
*Important Driving Alerts:
Some GPS navigation programs may give you incorrect directions and/or stop working on your way to Birken. PLEASE follow the rustic ‘Birken’ signs along both Roche Lake Road and Smith Lake Forest Service Road.
Please email (bookings@birken.ca) or call us (778-785-6059 – voicemail only) from Kamloops or Merritt if you are delayed past the expected arrival time you indicated in your registration form.
Birken is situated in a remote rural location. If driving, it is strongly recommended that you refill your gas tank in Kamloops or Merritt before arriving as there are no other gas stations on the way to or from Birken. Please also be aware that cell phone reception is intermittent between Merritt / Kamloops and Birken.
During certain periods of winter and spring, driving along the logging roads near the monastery can be especially challenging and potentially dangerous. Please plan to arrive at the monastery no later than 4:00pm during these seasons. Vehicles not equipped for rugged, off-road winter conditions are VERY LIKELY to get stuck or risk sliding down steep icy hills. While we cannot predict weather conditions on any given day, snow tires are mandatory in this area of BC from October 1 to March 31, and either four-wheel drive or chains are STRONGLY recommended.
7000 Smith Lake Forest Service Road – Knutsford, British Columbia – Canada
what3words: lament.spurted.cured
Driving from Kamloops…
- From the TransCanada Highway/BC-1 West/BC-5 South, take Exit 368 onto HIGHWAY 5A (Princeton-Kamloops Highway).
- Continue South on Highway 5A for about 25 km and watch for ‘Roche Lake Resort’ signs.
- Turn Left at ROCHE LAKE ROAD.
- Follow Roche Lake Road for about 7 km (gravel road).
- Then turn Right at SMITH LAKE FOREST SERVICE ROAD (you will see a ‘Birken’ sign indicating the turn).
- Follow the ‘Birken’ signs up Smith Lake road for another 7 km. until you reach the monastery.
- IMPORTANT: Some GPS navigation programs may give you incorrect directions and/or stop working on your way to Birken. PLEASE follow the rustic ‘Birken’ signs along both Roche Lake Road and Smith Lake Forest Service Road.
Driving from Vancouver / Merritt…
- Leaving Vancouver, head east on Hwy 1 towards Hope.
- Continue onto HIGHWAY BC-5 NORTH(Coquihalla Highway) towards MERRITT.
- From Merritt, take Exit 290 onto HIGHWAY 5A towards Quilchena (Princeton-Kamloops Highway) which heads north to Kamloops [Note: do not follow BC-5 North all the way to Kamloops as the turnoff to the monastery is off Highway 5A, halfway between Merritt and Kamloops].
- Drive about 70 km on Highway 5A and look out for signs to ‘Roche Lake Resort’.
- Turn Right on ROCHE LAKE ROAD.
- Follow Roche Lake Road for about 7 km (gravel road).
- Then turn Right at SMITH LAKE FOREST SERVICE ROAD (you will see a ‘Birken’ sign indicating the turn).
- Follow the ‘Birken’ signs up Smith Lake road for another 7 km. until you reach the monastery.
- IMPORTANT: Some GPS navigation programs may give you incorrect directions and/or stop working on your way to Birken. PLEASE follow the rustic ‘Birken’ signs along both Roche Lake Road and Smith Lake Forest Service Road.
Monastery Shuttles
This information is not applicable during our Covid closure. It may change when we reopen.
Wednesday Pick-Ups / Drop-Offs in Kamloops:
Pick-ups and drop-offs in Kamloops by a monastery steward may be arranged only on Wednesdays or the beginning and ending dates of scheduled retreats, when stewards are in town for other errands. Pick-ups take place around 2:30pm and drop-offs around 9:30am at the Starbucks located at 875 Columbia St W, in Kamloops (corner of McGill Rd and Columbia St W, next door to Domino’s Pizza). PLEASE NOTE: As of December 2019, this is a DIFFERENT STARBUCKS from the previous monastery pick-up point. This is the only guest pick-up and drop-off location in Kamloops.
Pick-up and drop-off arrangements need to be confirmed with the Office Steward when you make your booking. Guests arriving or departing on other days of the week, or requiring transportation in the early morning, must make their own arrangements before they arrive at Birken. Please do not expect to use the Birken phone or internet to make or confirm your travel arrangements.
Please note: We no longer pick-up or drop-off guests at the Kamloops Airport. All guests arriving and departing from the Kamloops Airport are asked to take a taxi / shuttle to the Starbucks location mentioned above. Your flight arrival should be no later than 1:30pm to allow for travel time to this location.
Scheduled (Formal) Retreat Pick-ups / Drop-Offs in Kamloops:
There will be one pick-up trip by the monastery vehicle on the start date of the retreat and one drop-off trip on the last day of the retreat at the Starbucks location mentioned above. Pick-up and drop-off times need to be confirmed with the Office Steward when registering for the retreat.
Bus & Air Schedules
Please note that the monastery does bus pick-ups only on Wednesdays at approximately 2:30pm; we no longer pick-up guests from the Kamloops Airport. If you arrive outside of this time, you may wish to take a taxi to the monastery. The information below is provided for your convenience and is subject to change without notice; please confirm details with your selected transportation company.
Ebus:
1-877-769-3287 (Service between Kamloops, Kelowna, and Vancouver). Ebus drop-off location in Kamloops is about a 5-minute walk from our Birken pick-up location (see map for walking instructions). Please see the Ebus BC Locations webpage concerning their Kamloops drop-off and pick-up locations.
Rider Express:
1-306-209-3636 (Service between Calgary, Kamloops and Vancouver) The Rider Express drop-off location is about a 10-minute walk from Birken pick-up location (see map for walking instructions).
BC Connector:
1-833-276-5841 (Service between Victoria, Vancouver and Kamloops) The BC Connector’s drop-off location is about a 15 minute walk from Birken pick-up location (see map).
Air Canada:
1-888-247-2262
West Jet Airlines:
1-800-538-5696
Taxi & Shuttle Service
Kami cabs:
1-888-526-9663 or 250-374-9999 or bookings@kamicabs.ca
Yellow cabs:
877-360-9852
Kamloops Airport Shuttle:
250-314-4803
Rideshares
RIDESHARE / TAXISHARE BOARD:
The Rideshare / Taxishare Board is hosted and maintained by external volunteers solely for the purpose of facilitating rides to the monastery. Please enter your offer/request for ride sharing there.
Please note that the Rideshare / Taxishare Board has four sections:
1 & 2 for offers & requests TO Birken
3 & 4 for offers and requests FROM Birken
For any visit-related enquiries: bookings@birken.ca
Support the Monastery
Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery is a registered Canadian charitable society and is supported entirely by donations or ‘dāna’ (generosity). All teachings, accommodations, and meals are offered free of charge. It is left to the good will and discretion of visitors and well-wishers to decide how they might support the work of the monastery.
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Contact
Visit Enquiries:
General Enquiries:
Mailing Address:
Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery
7000 Smith Lake Forest Srv Rd.
Knutsford, BC | V0E 2A0 | Canada