Hidden Gold: History, art, and adventure in Wells and Barkerville, BC

This summer, if you fancy heading out on a road trip with stunning scenery and extra ordinary adventure, why not follow a section of the old Cariboo Waggon Road, a route of days gone by that leads to hidden historical tourism gems tucked in the Cariboo Mountains. Taking a right-hand turn after Quesnel and driving 80 km east along the meandering Hwy 26, along the historical gold rush route, leads to the gold mining area of the Wells, Barkerville, and Bowron Lakes region. Here, the invigorating air of wild alpine vistas converge with ghosts of miners past in a rich medley of Cariboo Gold Rush history, modern day visual and performing arts, and extreme outdoor adventure.

The first gem you’ll encounter is the vibrant artists’ town of Wells. Its galleries, studios, and restored historical buildings in bright, funky hues of fuchsia, robin-egg blue, and lavender are a few of many visual clues that this place is a little out of the ordinary. Wells originally sprung up around the successful hard rock lode Cariboo

Gold-Quartz Mine in the 1930s and is named after prospector, Fred Wells. His determined search for gold in nearby Cow Mountain struck pay dirt. This local “motherload,” vein of gold was the source of the placer (smaller gold particle deposits) mining in the first wave of the Cariboo Gold Rush that created Barkerville and surrounding mines in the 1860s.

At the height of the Great Depression in the 1930s, the gold rush town of Wells was booming, and core community buildings such as the Wells Community hall, Wells Hotel, and Hill Meat Market building were constructed. Still in use today, these historic spaces helped the community flourish and became the backdrop for a thriving art scene. In 1977, the non-profit organization, Island Mountain Arts (IMA) opened its first Summer School of the Arts in Wells. Today, IMA programming continues to offer standards of excellence with workshops and classes throughout the summer with professional instructors in diverse areas such as pottery, literary arts, painting, and music. IMA projects include Canada’s longest running International Harp School, the Toni Onley Artists’ Project, and the fabulous ArtsWells Festival of All Things Art. View their programs here: www.imarts.com

Every summer, the epic four-day Artswells Festival transforms Wells and Barkerville and their tagline, “Expect the Unexpected,” says it all. The buzz in the air is reminiscent of ‘gold fever,’ as a diverse mix of world class jazz, electronic, world, hip-hop, funk, indie, pop, country, and folk music performances set the stage for a an experience you’ll never forget. Whether you’re hustling to venues to attend music, dance, theatre, or literary performances at historical hot spots like the Sunset Theatre cabaret and the Wells community hall, strolling down the colourful streets, or relaxing by the meandering creek in the townsite, ArtsWells offers something for everyone. Rain or shine, it’s not unusual to see crowds of festival goers dance-walking along the road, interspersed with accordion players, jugglers, poi fire dancers, violinists, stilt-walkers, acrobats, tri-cyclists, and bands of hula hoop dancers. Visit www.artswells.com to find out more. See more on the ArtsWells scene here http://vimeo.com/82163271.

Just a few miles down the road you’ll find the thriving Barkerville Historic Town, a bustling re-enactment of the 1869-1885 period and first wave of the Cariboo Gold rush. In 1862, prospector Billy Barker discovered an ounce of placer gold for every three pans of dirt from the Williams Creek area in Richfield near Barkerville. Within a short time Barkerville became the hub of the Cariboo gold fields, with its deep placers and rich hillside deposits. At its height, Barkerville was the largest city north of San Francisco and west of Chicago. In 1865, the 700 km Cariboo Waggon Road from Fort Yale ending in Barkerville was completed, transforming the dangerous mule pack-trail through BC Interior canyon country into an efficient gold transport route. Designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1924, Barkerville was recognized as a key influence in the economic and political development of BC. In 1958, the provincial government created the Barkerville Historic Provincial Park, reconstructing the town to mirror its appearance between 1869-1885.

Today, Barkerville’s live street performers dressed in the era’s fashion enact songs and stories from this rich period of gold rush history. Step back in time and roam around the town site visiting the historic displays and listening to the wooden floorboards creak while wandering inside many of the 107 original heritage buildings. Listen to the metal ringing as an 1870s working blacksmith smashes a hot iron and fashions a metal horseshoe. Stop by for a live theatre performance, 1870s style, at the Theatre Royal, dedicated to recreating gold rush entertainments of the day, or view exhibits about the areas’ gold mining history, including the significant role played by Chinese miners adapted to the rugged Cariboo region. You may want to catch a demonstration of an 1870s Cornish water wheel, or get a taste of gold fever, panning for a gold nugget of your own at the Eldorado Gold Panning and Gift Shop. A horse drawn wagon ride will drop you off at the beautifully restored Richfield Courthouse, the oldest surviving wooden building in BC, built in 1882. Here you can attend a live court session and listen to the famous Judge Begbie deliver sentences to Barkerville’s criminals and troublemakers. For more info or to plan your visit to Barkerville go to www.barkerville.ca or call (800) 994-3332.

If you’re looking for a rugged off-road adventure, spectacular alpine vistas offer excellent options for summer hiking in the wild expanse of the Cariboo Mountains. An extensive network of trails surrounds the region with trails suitable for day hikes or longer journeys. Feature trails include the Cornish Mountain network and meadow route, the ‘Barkerville Boneshaker’ route, part of the Cariboo Waggon Road route between the ghost towns of Stanley and Barkerville, and exhilarating mountain treks on Two Sisters Mountain, Mount Murray, and Yanks Peak. For more information on area maps, guided hiking, mountain bike, and horseback trips visit