Virgin River season 5 has returned to the much-loved sleepy town we all love and despite the idyllic exterior, the show still manages to pack in plenty of small-scale drama for its local residents.
However, it doesn’t stop us from wanting to dive into our screens and relax amongst the picturesque scenery. Filming for season 5 took place in summer 2022, and like all previous seasons, it was shot entirely in Canada.
Sadly, the northern California town of Virgin River is a fictional place, but you’ll be happy to hear that you can visit the fairytale scenery in real life as the "town" is filmed in an amalgamation of locations in and around Vancouver and British Columbia.
Here are the real-life places where the hit romantic drama takes place…
The real Virgin River locations
Virgin River town
Virgin River is in fact a small tributary of the Colorado River in the United States, but the actual town is filmed in Snug Cove, a 3,700 person community located in Bowen Island, British Columbia.
According to Destination Vancouver, it plays center stage for the town of Virgin River, reading: “Snug Cove anchors the show as the fictional town of Virgin River, with establishing shots including the local library, main streets and Artisan Lane.”
The small town is also well-known for promoting relaxation and wellness and for its retreat-inspired experiences.
Jack's Bar
The Watershed Grill, located in Brackendale, Squamish is used to film the exterior shots of Jack’s Bar, which is owned by Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson) and is a popular meeting spot for the local residents.
However, all interior shots are filmed in a local studio, so if you did want to pay the cozy hub a visit, it may look slightly different!
Mel Monroe (Alexandra Breckrenridge) and Jack’s river scenes were also filmed in Squamish, as well as the waterfall scenes which were filmed at Shannon Falls Provincial Park along the Sea to Sky Highway.
Paige's food truck
The food truck owned by Paige Lassiter (Lexa Doig) and run by Lizzie (Sarah Dugdale) who dishes out baked goods to the residents was filmed in Burnaby Fraser Foreshore Park, just 30 minutes away from downtown Vancouver. It boasts a leafy landscape and sprawling green spaces perfect for picnics.
The Mayor's house
Also filmed in Burnaby is the Mayor of Virgin River’s home, Hope McCrea (Annette O’Toole), which is actually a registered historic heritage building in real life and is located along Deer Lake Drive.
Mel's cabin
Murdo Frazer Cabin in North Vancouver is the home of Mel’s snug and warm cabin gifted to her by Hope and has also starred in other hit series including Once Upon a Time, The Flash and Supernatural.
Doc Mullins' clinic
Doc Mullins’ (Tim Matheson) Family Practice Clinic is apparently located at 122 First Street in the oldest city of western Canada, New Westminster.
The house was built in 1889 and went on sale in 2021 for $2.3 million!
Virgin River season 5 is now available on Netflix, along with Virgin River season 4 and earlier seasons if you need to catch up.
