Bridge River Valley

The valley is mostly wilderness with a couple of settlements and a number of lodges clustered near the upper end of Carpenter Lake. The main settlements — Gold Bridge, at the western end of Carpenter Lake, and Bralorne, about 15 km south of Gold Bridge — are very small with 50-100 people each. They are the service centers for the valley with a limited selection of accommodation and restaurants.

Although there aren't many people in the Bridge River Valley these days, it wasn't always that way. The Bridge River area was once British Columbia's main gold mining region, producing over $370 million of ore. During its heyday, from the 1930s to the 1950s, over 10,000 people lived in the region. The productivity of the mines declined, and by the early 1970s, they were all shut down, leaving the abandoned mineshafts and townsites behind.

As the mines declined in importance, hydroelectric development grew in prominence. The Bridge River is dammed in three places, creating the two reservoirs that dominate the valley: Carpenter Lake and Downtown Lake. The dams are estimated to provide up to 8% of British Columbia's power. One of these dams, Lajoie Dam, is about 3 km upriver from Gold Bridge; the other 64 km east forms Carpenter Lake, which did not exist beforehand.

The main draw of the region today is its recreational activities. There are many trails in the area for hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking providing the quintessential B.C. panorama of snow-capped mountains, forest-clad slopes, glacier-fed lakes and alpine meadows. In the winter, it's popular with snowmobilers.

A car is needed to get around the Bridge River Valley. The distances are large and there is no public transit.

The main thoroughfare is Carpenter Lake Rd. There are many gravel roads and forest service roads that lead to hikes, lakes, lodges and various other points in the valley. Some roads reach the high alpine or roadheads giving access to the high meadows which typify many of the ranges flanking the basin.

When hiking or mountain biking or ATV'ing, be aware that wildlife in the area can be dangerous. Both grizzly and black bear are common.

• 🌍 Bralorne. An interesting place to walk or drive around, a curious fusion of old-time mining town and modern updating. Many of the buildings have a temporary Western boom town kind of feel to them, but without the grand facade seen in Western movies. Rundown houses with tin roofs are interspersed with freshly painted houses sporting bold colours. The old Pioneer Mines headquarters captures this spirit well, with its gleaming white exterior and fresh artwork inside that blends with but doesn't hide its faded past. (updated Jul 2023)
• 🌍 Bradian, Pinecrest Lane & Pioneer Highway (follow the Pioneer Highway about 2 km south of Bralorne). Bradian is an old "suburb" of Bralorne, established as a mining town in the 1930s and abandoned when a nearby mine closed in 1971. A Chinese real estate group purchased the town for just under $1 million in 2015. Many of the abandoned houses are still there, in remarkably good condition. 
• 🌍 Bralorne-Pioneer Museum, 400 Hawkes Ave, Bralorne. F-Tu 10AM-4PM. Learn about the Bridge River Valley with displays on the history of the valley, its mines and the towns. Outside is a collection of restored old equipment from the mines and Bralorne's past. $4. (updated May 2023)
• 🌍 Minto City (Minto), Carpenter Lake Rd (accessed from the Gun Creek Campsite). Minto was a mining company town on the Bridge River that was flooded and mostly abandoned after a flood in the 1950s. It had been a "self-supporting centre" during the World War II relocation and internment of Japanese Canadians. The town was fully submerged by a diversion of the Bridge River by the Terzaghi Dam into Seton Lake, via a tunnel through Mission Mountain. This diversion formed Carpenter Lake. When water levels are low in late fall and winter, the remains of Minto emerge from the lake and people can explore what is left of the town, namely its street grid as nearly all structures and foundations are gone. During the summer, it provides a good spot to launch canoe/kayak or just take in the view. A very small Burning Man-type event, the Cascadia Burn, takes place every summer at this spot. 

• There are many hiking trails in the area. These include:
  • 🌍 Gun Lake (to 🌍 Mount Penrose)
  • Kingdom Lake (see marker under Sleep) and 🌍 Noel Lake - above Bralorne, spectacular crags overhang both lakes, a trail connects to Brexton/Fish Lake. Trail continues via Fish and McDonald Lakes to Gold Bridge
  • Greenmount (the foresummit of 🌍 Mount Sloan, the Matterhorn-like summit west of the Gold Bridge-Bralorne Road)
  • 🌍 Eldorado Mountain (immediately northwest of 🌍 Tyaughton Lake)
  • 🌍 South Chilcotin Mountains Provincial Park (Accessed by hiking or biking in from trailheads along the Gun Creek Road. Alternatively, the Tyax Lodge will fly visitors into the park for a fee.). Has hiking and biking trails within the park. (updated Oct 2023)
  • 🌍 Spruce Lake (within South Chilcotin Mountains Provincial Park), accessible both from Tyaughton Creek and via Hummingbird Pass from Gun Creek

There is a general store in Gold Bridge with a small selection of supplies.

• 🌍 Gold Bridge Hotel, 6 Ferguson Ave, Gold Bridge, ☏ +1 250-238-2343. 

Coffee is available at the Lone Goat. Drinks of the alcoholic variety are served at the Gold Bridge Hotel (see listing under "Eat"). Alcohol can also be purchased from the Gold Bridge General Store.

There is no mobile wireless service in the Bridge River Valley.

• Lillooet - to the east
• Pemberton - to the south