Virgin River’s magic lies heavily in where the series takes place: a small, fictional town set among dense forests, enchanting mountains, and soothing waterfalls. Now that the first 10 episodes of season five are officially on Netflix (with the final two coming out in November), it’s once again time to revel in the ethereal filming locations that bring the quaint community to life. And at least one of those locales is currently facing a drama of its own!
But first, the back story: While the show is set in Northern California, it was actually filmed in Vancouver and its surrounding areas. Here’s what we know about the places that make up the dreamy backdrops—from Mel’s cabin, which is actually sinking in real life, to the restaurant that portrays Jack’s Bar.
Where Was Virgin River Filmed?
Canada’s British Columbia provides most of the scenery for Virgin River. Location manager W. Robert Millar, LMGI told Tudum that he’s always trying to “one-up each episode” of the series by finding a prettier view with more raw beauty than the last, or another thick forest that’s easy to access. “We always coordinate with the First Nations themselves,” Millar added, referring to Indigenous people of Canada. “The Squamish Nation has been really supportive of our show because we do a lot of filming on First Nations land.”
According to Vancouver’s tourism website, many establishing shots that portray the fictional town of Virgin River were taken in Snug Cove, a community of less than 4,000 people located on Bowen Island. Snug Cove’s sweet local library, main streets, and Artisan Lane were tapped for the series.
Perhaps the most popular filming location featured in the series is Mel’s cabin, which is represented by Murdo Frazer Cabin in North Vancouver. The abode has appeared in various productions including Once Upon a Time, The Flash, and Supernatural. But it turns out the location has as much drama as the show itself. Before filming season five, the Virgin River production team found out that the building was actually sinking. The District of North Vancouver got a heritage grant to refurbish the cabin—meaning the team likely wouldn’t be able to shoot there. Millar explained to Tudum: “The foundation is actually sinking into the soft earth by the water table with the pond that’s right beside it. They actually need to come in and do an actual house lifting, like those proper things you see on Discovery Channel where They lifted a house up and jacked it up.”
Fortunately, the team was able to get a mix of day and night establishing shots using a “techno crane and drone” to include in season five. As for the cabin’s interior, it was built on a soundstage. Big photographic backdrops, similar to the ones used in Suits, create the illusion of the cabin’s window views. Millar noted that the hanging backdrops are “actually high-resolution photos taken of the area around the real cabin,” which includes “a beautiful little park with tennis courts and running trails and a pond on it with turtles.”
Jack’s Bar
Over in the town of Squamish, The Watershed Grill was tapped to portray the exterior of Jack’s Bar. “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,” Millar said of the location.
Vernon’s Family Practice Clinic
The clinic where Mel works is actually a Victorian on First Street in New Westminster located. Built in 1889, the basement of the home served as a speakeasy during the prohibition era, according to the Daily Hive. In 2021, the outlet reported that the Queen Anne-style home hit the market for nearly $2.2 million.
