Deep in central British Columbia's Cariboo district, the town of Wells is proof that a gold rush town doesn't have to die when the mines close. Founded in 1933 as a company town for the Gold Quartz Mine and named after its owner, Fred Wells, it swelled to around 4,000 residents in its 1940s heyday before the mining industry packed up in the 1960s. Rather than fading into a ghost town, Wells reinvented itself as a small but surprisingly rich hub for arts, culture and outdoor recreation — and it's sitting just 10 minutes from Barkerville, the region's famous living-history gold rush museum.
The artistic thread runs strong here. Island Mountain Arts, a red-painted storefront on Pooley Street, has been running since 1977 and offers galleries, art education, residencies and workshops. Each summer the town fills up for the ArtsWells Festival of All Things Art, with live music, theatre, film screenings and craft sessions. There's also the Sunset Theatre, a 1930s former movie house now hosting concerts, cabarets, plays and comedy, plus quirky stops like the Frog on the Bog gift shop and gallery, the chapel-turned-music-venue Sarras, and St. George, a decommissioned Anglican church that painters have used as a studio.
Then there's the wilderness, which is arguably the bigger draw. Bowron Lake Park, about half an hour away, holds one of the world's great paddling routes: a 72-mile canoe circuit through linked lakes and rivers that takes seven to 10 days to paddle end to end. Short on time? Bowron Lake itself works as a day trip, with campgrounds, lodges and road access, and Jack of Clubs Lake sits just outside town. Hikers can tackle the Jubilee Trail, a demanding 5.6-mile climb to viewpoints above the forests.
Winter flips the script. The Cornish Cross-Country Ski Trails start right in town, snowmobilers head for the Groundhog Lake trail near Barkerville, and downhill skiers have Troll Ski Resort 20 minutes away. Even in the gold rush era, this isolated town ran a ski hill, a horse racetrack and two hockey teams — the outdoor habit clearly stuck.
Reaching Wells takes commitment, which is part of the appeal. You'll fly into Prince George (YXS) and drive about two hours southeast along the Barkerville Highway. The remoteness means you should plan several days: browse the galleries, paddle or hike, spend time at Barkerville's heritage site, and if you still have appetite for lakes, continue north to Williston Reservoir, the largest manmade lake in British Columbia. For travellers tired of crowded mountain towns, Wells offers that rare combination of genuine history, a working arts community and quiet backcountry — with barely a queue in sight.
Story via Islands.
