Bridge River Valley

The Bridge River Valley is a sparsely populated area of lakes, valleys, abandoned towns and near-ghost towns in the mountainous region between Pemberton and Lillooet. Rich in history and often dazzling scenery, it offers many hiking, camping, fishing, hunting and mountaineering opportunities.

Understand
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 &mdash; Gold Bridge, at the western end of Carpenter Lake, and Bralorne, about 15 km south of Gold Bridge &mdash; 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.

Climate
The Bridge River Valley's climate is generally warm and sunny in the summer and cool and wet in the winter, though much drier than areas toward the Coast. Daytime highs typically reach the mid to high 20s (Celsius) in summer with below zero temperatures December to February. Snow is common from November through March. Compared to Vancouver, it is warmer in summer, cooler in winter and much drier throughout the year. Alpine areas receive crisp powder snow and lakes freeze in winter.

By car
There are two ways to access the Bridge River Valley by car, but neither is for the faint of heart. The easiest is from Lillooet, via the Carpenter Lake Road (also known as the Lillooet Pioneer Highway and Route 40). The scenery is outstanding with deep rocky canyons and the turquoise waters of Carpenter Lake, but the road may not be for everyone. It hugs every bend in the landscape, is frequently narrow with no guardrails and there are intermittent gravel sections. The distance from Lillooet to Gold Bridge is 100 km, taking 1½–2 hours. If driving from Vancouver, it will take 5–6 hours. At Terzaghi Dam, which forms Carpenter Lake, the Mission Mountain Road leads to Shalalth and Seton Portage via a mile-high pass with extreme descent and switchbacks on the south side; from there a former powerline road leads to D'arcy and back to Highway 99 at Pemberton via the Gates Valley.

A faster but rougher alternate route into the valley from Vancouver during summer is the Hurley — or more formerly, the Hurley River Forest Service Road — from Pemberton via a cleft in the mountain range known as Railroad Pass (once surveyed as a possible route for the CPR). Designed for logging, the road is gravel with ruts and rocks in some areas and is best traversed with a high clearance vehicle (normal 2WD cars can handle the trip if the driver is comfortable with those road conditions). The Hurley isn't plowed in winter, so it's generally only open June to October. The distance between Pemberton and Gold Bridge is about 80 km and the drive from Vancouver is 3½–5 hours.

Get around
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.

Do

 * There are many hiking trails in the area. These include:
 * (to )
 * Kingdom Lake (see marker under Sleep) and - 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, the Matterhorn-like summit west of the Gold Bridge-Bralorne Road)
 * (immediately northwest of )
 * (within South Chilcotin Mountains Provincial Park), accessible both from Tyaughton Creek and via Hummingbird Pass from Gun Creek
 * (within South Chilcotin Mountains Provincial Park), accessible both from Tyaughton Creek and via Hummingbird Pass from Gun Creek

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

Drink
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.

Camping
There are a number of campgrounds with limited facilities in the area.

Motels
Motels are fairly scarce and don't expect luxury. The Gold Bridge Hotel (see Eat section above) also offers rooms during the summer for $70–100 per night.

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

Go next

 * Lillooet - to the east
 * Pemberton - to the south