It’s hard not to be enamored with the cozy vibes of the hit Netflix series, but where are the Virgin River filming locations in the real world?
Mel Monroe has given us endless drama across five seasons of the show already. And, with Virgin River Season 6 on the way, there’s more to come.
We can’t wait to see what shocking storylines unfold next, but before the Virgin River cast gets back to work, we have questions.
Is the beautiful setting a real place? And if so, where is it? Here are all the Virgin River filming locations explained.
Where is Virgin River filmed?
Virgin River is filmed in British Columbia, and more specifically Vancouver and its surrounding areas.
Snug Cove on Bowen Island is a key location for exteriors. Fun fact: this is where Nicolas Cage shot his infamous Wicker Man remake.
If you’re local to the area, you’ll likely be able to spot significant landmarks used throughout Seasons 1-5, with highlights including:
- Agassiz
- Shannon Falls Provincial Park
- Port Coquitlam
- Richmond
- Squamish
- Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge
- Capilano Valley Regional Park
- Deer Lake
- Dundarave
- Grouse Mountain
- Maple Ridge
- Brandywine Falls
- Edgemont Village
- Princess Park
- Port Moody
- Sky Pilot Mountain
- Burnaby
While it’s fairly typical for new TV shows to film in Canada, Virgin River has also sneakily used some shots in the US too. Establishing scenes in Season 4 were filmed on Tower Bridge in Sacramento, California.
Is Virgin River a real town?
No, Virgin River is not a real town. It’s a fictional place invented by author Robin Carr and is the location of the majority of her novels.
Speaking of her creation to Entertainment Weekly, Carr said: “People always write and say, ‘Where is it? I want to go there,’ and I have to remind them that it only exists in our hearts and minds.”
Carr places the town in her novels among the redwoods of North California, where the waterfalls are high and the fishing is good.
Snug Cove would be your best bet if you wanted to visit Virgin River, as it’s the dominant location for the show. The Vancouver tourism website even has a whole page dedicated to the connection.
Interestingly, there is an actual river called Virgin River. However, it’s located in Colorado, and has nothing to do with the binge-worthy TV show.
Mel’s waterside cabin
Mel’s waterside cabin is a house in Murdo Frazer Park, on Vancouver’s North Shore. The stunning spot has previously been used in the likes of Fringe, The Flash, and Once Upon a Time.
Speaking of the house, location manager and scout W. Robert ‘Fluffy Millar told Netflix: “The interior, of course, is on a soundstage. They use big photographic backdrops hanging from the ceiling, so when you’re inside and look out the window, it’s actually high-resolution photos taken of the area around the real cabin.
“It’s a beautiful little park with tennis courts and running trails and a pond on it with turtles and stuff. Last year we were almost at risk of not being able to go there because right adjacent to it is a massive British Columbia hydro substation. They were upgrading it, so we had all these logistical challenges.
“We also found out last year that the District of North Vancouver received a heritage grant to refurbish the cabin, because it’s actually sinking. The foundation is actually sinking into the soft earth by the water table with the pond that’s right beside it. They need to come in and do an actual house lifting, like you’d see on the Discovery Channel.”
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Jack’s bar
Jack’s bar, where Mel meets the Jack, is the Watershed Grill in Brackendale, which is just north of Vancouver. Again, interiors are shot on a soundstage, but the outside overlooks Squamish River.
Of that location, Millar says: “It’s a great destination – it’s near the largest concentration of bald eagles in the world, where they come to eat and feed and mate. And we always just shoot the exterior on the dike by the river at Jack’s Bar.
“The thing that I always find so funny is when you look at it from the river, when you see the drone shots of Jack’s Bar or the establishing shots, you can’t see too many trees, as if you’re looking toward the back of the bar and it looks kind of narrow.
“But then, when you cut to the interior of Jack’s Bar, that’s on our soundstage. And all of a sudden you realize [there’s] a big fireplace and a billiards table and a long bar, and then wait a minute, there’s a staircase that goes up to where Brie’s room is. But when you look at it on the dike, there’s no second floor.”
Doc’s Family Practice Clinic
He’s seen some drama go down, but exteriors for Doc’s clinic take place at 122 First Street in New Westminster. Interiors are replicas of the real house, but are built in studio.
From being the host for Chamaine’s pregnancy drama to the birthplace of Muriel and Cameron’s controversial relationship, Doc’s clinic has seen it all.
The original property was built in 1889, residing in the town’s Queen’s Park neighborhood. It’s even got a quirky nickname: Breezehurst.
Online listings suggest there’s 6,000 square feet of living space over four floors, complete with the stained glass windows you can see in the family kitchen area (yes, they’re real). The entire design is Queen Anne-inspired, dating back to Victorian times.
Hope McCrea’s House
If you like Hope’s house, you can find it at 6450 Deer Lake Drive in Burnaby. It’s known as the Edgar Residence, but the same rules apply for its interiors.
The bungalow-style property was built back in 1912, as is actually registered as a building with historical importance.
It’s near our main exterior location of Burnaby, and essentially operates as an anchor point for the community both on and off-screen.
According to Canada’s Historic Places, the house is “important for its connection with Robert McBeth Edgar, a successful and wealthy businessman whose contribution to Burnaby and British Columbia was far-reaching and significant.”
Paige’s Bakeaway Truck
Head over to Deer Lake Park and Foreshore Park in Burnaby to find Paige’s Bakeaway Truck.
If you think this location looks extra familiar, you’d be right. The location is also used as the Virgin River Community Picnic in Season 2 Episode 4. Both sites sit side by side, with the latter at Deer Lake Avenue.
That’s all on the Virgin River filming locations. While we wait for Season 6, learn more about when Virgin River takes place, and what the upcoming time jump means for the show. We can also recommend these eight shows if you love Virgin River.
