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History
In the late 1800’s gold prospectors traveled upstream from the Fraser River searching for the “mother lode” and discovered the Bridge River Valley and all it’s geological wonder and a gold rush soon started. During the years of 1933-1941 population was in the thousands and the area was booming. The last big mine in Bralorne closed it’s doors in 1971 and settlements like Bradian became ghost towns. Over 4 million ounces of gold was produced from the valley. Bralorne Mine is operational once again and the mine is milling gold and employs 50 people.
Several of these town sites are still in evidence today and include the existing communities of Bralorne and Gold Bridge, along with many abandoned towns in the valley such as Pioneer, Bradian and Minto which was flooded for the Bridge River BC Hydro Project. Bradian is a ghost town located above Bralorne that is for sale!
Visit the Bralorne Pioneer Museum to experience the lives and hear the stories of the Bridge River Valley pioneers. The Museum has recently moved locations to Main Street in Bralorne and will re-open summer of 2016.
Find your own gold at the Haylmore Heritage Site, former home of prospector and mine recording officer for Gold Bridge Will Haylmore. The site is open May to September offering half day tours, gold panning and local arts and crafts at the Rockwall Gallery. Historical landmarks are plentiful in the valley. Serious history buffs, geocachers or families looking for an adventure back in time will find ghost towns, historical buildings and fascinating abandoned mine sites to explore. Check out geocaching.com for nearby caches.
Bralorne Pioneer Museum
Sit back and view “Their Past Lives Here”
Top 10
Mountain Bike
The early settlers blazed a trail network throughout the valley and into the alpine leading to various areas for gold panning and settlement. Today, mountain bikers can follow these world class, high alpine, mostly flowy single-track trails into the backcountry to find their own treasures: lakes, streams, glaciers, old growth forests, wildlife and meadows filled with wild flowers.
A large portion of the valley’s backyard is protected wilderness. South Chilcotin Mountain Park, home to classic rides featured in biking magazines makes this a definite “bucket list” trip for any avid mountain biker.
- Contact Tyax Adventures for guides, hut to hut trips, and float plane drops.
- We recommend the South Chilcotin Mountain Guidebook and GPS Map for your adventure planning.
Bridge River Valley Trails
Vist the Bridge River Valley Trail Committee website for more information about the local trails
Hike
- The valley is home to some of the most spectacular mountain ranges in the world. Massive mountains and tumbling glaciers offer some serious mountaineering routes for the more experienced.
- Friendly ridges and flower filled meadows take the less experienced hiker on breathtaking routes used by mountain goats and grizzly bears.
- Float plane drops are also available for groups to do one-way hikes out of the alpine, as well as fully guided tours and hut to hut trips.
- Popular mountains to climb include Mt Truax and Mt Fergusson, which tower over Bralorne. Other great climbs include Sunshine Mountain and Green Mountain off the Hurley Forest Service Road.
- Taylor Basin and South Chilcotin Mountain Park areas offer a large selection of trails and destinations for every level of hiking ability. We recommend the South Chilcotin Mountain Guidebook and GPS Map for your adventure planning.
Bridge River Valley Trails
Vist the Bridge River Valley Trail Committee website for more information about the local trails