Not to be outdone, the historic gold mining community of Wells, home base for the Barkerville-Bowron Lakes area, was once one of the largest mining towns in B.C. With many of the original structures restored to their pre-war glory, Wells is a treasure trove of historical exploration.

Take a tour with a local guide, attend an evening storytelling session, go for a wagon ride down the old Cariboo Wagon Road. The only limit is your imagination.

Premiere Heritage Site

Barkerville Historic Town is Western North America’s premiere heritage attraction. They have daily tours in the park which are a must see for any people visiting the area, and they can handle tour groups of any size.

For more information on prices and packages be sure to visit the www.barkerville.ca website.

History of Bowron Lakes

Read the inscriptions that trappers James Duffy's and Jack Stead scribbled over their trapline cabin door (ca.1930).Browse through the contents of Betty Wendle's kitchen hutch (ca.1920).

Examine Joe Wendle's axe work and tool box, read the story of George Isaac and the Goat River Trail (ca.1800). Read the inscriptions that trappers James Duffy's and Jack Stead scribbled over their trapline cabin door (ca.1930) and much more.

Bear River Mercantile is full of history. Sandy Phillips started researching and collecting in the early 1970's and has never stopped. Every year something new....or should we say "Old".... is added to the walls, windowsills, showcases, photo albums, and files at Bear River Mercantile. Sandy also likes to keep her research current. See her collection of documents on the more current "kokanee VS salmon smolt debate (2000)" or the not so current "provincial park VS no park debate (1960)".

For more information on the Bowron Lake Museum please contact Bear River Mercantile by radio phone at H496699 Wells YP. Email: sandy@bowronlake.com or visit their website located at www.bowronlake.com.

Interpretive Programs

The Bear’s Paw Café offers a Summer Interpretive Program that runs from June until September.

Dave offers a number of different evening presentations and slide shows that are available to visitors to the area.

Sample Slide Shows and Interpretive Programs

Paradise on the Bowron Lakes
The Bowron Lake Circuit in the summer is rated one of the ten best canoe routes in the world. Narrow lakes, stunning peaks, natural beauty. Enjoy a slide presentation on this special part of the planet.

Bears, their life and times
The Wells-Barkerville region is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts and bears alike. Discover all you need to know about the lifestyles of the black and grizzly.

The Amazing Ditch Line
If hydraulic mining was the backbone of gold production in the Cariboo, ditch lines were the arteries. Find out about these stunning tributes to the era of hand labour

Obscure Ghost Towns of the Cariboo
Van Winkle, Antler Creek, Marysville and Whiskey Flats – these are just some of the places you may never find. Learn about the invisible traces of our collective past.

All of the presentations take place at the Bear’s Paw Café, Wells, B.C. For more information call 1-866-994-2345 or check out the Whitegold Adventures website at www.whitegold.ca.

Walking Tours

Cornish Mountain Tours provides a number of guided hiking, biking and tour options in the Wells area.

Guided Walking Tour of Wells

Wells is steeped in its own gold rush history. A company town for the mining of the Cariboo motherlodes, Wells was a bustling commercial

centre in the 1930s with businesses open 24 hours a day to accommodate three shifts at the mines. Today the town’s unique architecture and quaint streets delight the camera.

Walking tours can be tailored to fit bus tour schedules. The average tour is 45 minutes to one hour. Escorts may want to leave additional time to visit the many interesting shops and galleries. Cost is $3 per person with a minimum fee of $35.

Step-on Guided Tours of Wells or Surrounding Areas

This is the ideal way for groups with schedule concerns to tour the unique community of Wells. With a step on guide, the tour can hear historical and recent anecdotes and make optional stops to learn more about mining in the area.

Step-on Guide Services for an 1/2 hour to one hour tour - $30
Longer tours including Bowron Lakes, Barkerville, Stanley and other local points of interest can be booked for $35 per hour

GST will be added to the above rates. Rates are commissionable. For more information contact Judy Campbell at Cornish Mountain Tours 250-994-3349 or email cmtours@wellsbc.com.