Netflix’s popular drama Virgin River has swept away viewers for four seasons, and part one 1 of season 5 has finally (!!!) been released. Based on the novels by Robyn Carr, the hit show follows Melinda Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge), who moves to the beautiful and remote town of the show’s namesake after enduring traumatic events in Los Angeles. The show’s slow-burning romantic moments and gripping twists are enough to keep you wishing more shows like Virgin River exist, but it’s the stunning views and picturesque shots that’ll have you longing for small-town life. So, where is Virgin River filmed? While Virgin River is not a real town in Humboldt County, California (though it is a real river that runs through Colorado), you can actually visit some of the places you see on the show.
All five seasons were actually filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada. And if any of the imagined Virgin River looks familiar, a number of other popular shows were also shot in Vancouver. You may recognize scenes from Riverdale, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, The L Word, and Once Upon a Time.
What’s more, many of these Virgin River filming areas aren’t exotic places that will force you to spend an arm and a leg to travel to. You can even implement them into your own standalone vacations. Whatever the case may be, they’re the perfect destinations for fans looking to see the show come to life in the real world around them. If you’re searching for a scenic vacation that also happens to include spots from some of your favorite television shows, here are some of the most recognizable filming locations from Virgin River.
While Virgin River isn’t a real town, Snug Cove near Vancouver has all the charm and charisma that you’d expect out of small-town life. On a seven-mile-long island, Snug Cove has a population of around 3,700. Virgin River establishing uses shots of Snug Cove’s local library, main streets, and Artisan Lane, which is only a 20-minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay in Vancouver.
Back on the mainland, much of the show is shot in and around the city of Vancouver. In the north part of Vancouver, in Murdo Frazer Park, you can find the iconic, cozy cabin that Mel lived in after it was fixed up by Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson). In the pilot episode, Mel unhappily finds a rundown, dirty cabin meant to be her home. But Jack manages to spruce up the place, compelling Mel to stay in Virgin River. The cabin and its grassy yard serve as the background for a number of important scenes throughout the show. But this is not the cabin’s television debut. It also starred in Once Upon a Time, The Flash and Supernatural.
East of Vancouver, you can swing by Pioneer Avenue in Agassiz to find the stunning location of where the sign welcoming people to Virgin River sits in the show. The quaint homes and businesses surrounded by snowcapped mountains are worth a trip.
East of downtown Vancouver, the city of Burnaby holds two iconic Virgin River shooting locations. Right on the Fraser River, Burnaby Fraser Foreshore Park is the site of Paige’s adorable food truck as well as the community picnic from Season 2. Enjoy picturesque views of the water and stroll through the park’s famous riverfront trails while visiting.
Plus, the mayor of Virgin River’s house is only a short drive away in Burnaby. Hope McCrea’s (Annette O’Toole) wood-framed bungalow sits along Deer Lake Drive and is registered as a historic heritage building. While the inside you see on the show is from a studio, the actual Edgar Residence was built in 1912 on the south side of the lake, surrounded by trees and a stream.
