Where was Virgin River filmed?

Mel’s first introduction to Virgin River was certainly less than impressive. After a minor car accident on the way to town, Mel is dismayed to discover that the cabin she’s meant to be living in is nowhere near ready. While the town mayor Hope McCrea (Annette O’Toole) whips the cabin into shape, Mel heads for the nearby bar to grab a bite to eat.

And there, while seated at the bar, she gets her first glimpse of the handsome Jack. Mel is surprised and confused to notice Jack staring at her intently. “What?” she asks, but she’s disarmed and a little embarrassed by his response: “Sorry, we don’t tend to get a lot of visitors in here, certainly not as beautiful as you.”

“Does that line really work?” she fires back, but it’s already clear that these two have chemistry.

Plenty of memorable scenes in Virgin River take place in Jack’s Bar, so why not check this famous establishment out for yourself? Exterior shots of the venue were filmed at The Watershed Grill, which is found on Government Road in Brackendale, roughly an hour’s drive north of Vancouver. Grab a drink, get something to eat, and try to imagine yourself coming face to face with Jack.

Throughout the first season of Virgin River, Mel experiences something of a culture shock as she adapts to life in a small town. Mel is much more accustomed to life in the big city, so moving to a place where everyone knows everyone else was always going to take some getting used to.

The good news is that Virgin River has a lot to offer in the way of small-town charm. It’s an undoubtedly pretty little community boasting a number of cute homes and buildings set against a beautiful natural backdrop.

To capture this distinctive look and feel, the crew relied on a number of shots of streets and buildings in the gorgeous town of Snug Cove. Located on Bowen Island, Snug Cove is accessible by ferry from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver. The town has a population of less than 4,000 and is a very pretty place to visit, with the town library and a number of other sites all recognizable to eagle-eyed viewers.

From the moment he first meets Mel, the cantankerous Doc is clearly unhappy to have her around. After Hope hired Mel without his knowledge, Doc isn’t shy about pointing out that he doesn’t want Mel around. Aware that Doc isn’t going to just let her do what she was hired to do, Mel gives notice that she intends to quit.

But everything changes when Jack discovers a baby who has been abandoned at the clinic. Mel wants to call Social Services, but doc won’t have it: in Virgin River, they look after their own. But when Mel is left with no choice, she reports the abandoned baby to Social Services, much to Doc’s anger.

He confronts Mel at the B&B where she’s staying, and in a furious confrontation tells her she’s fired.

The Fitches Bed and Breakfast is actually Klahanie Campground in Squamish. It’s about 40 miles north of Vancouver on the way to Jack’s Bar’s real-life location, and sits near spectacular Shannon Falls, which also makes an appearance throughout the series.

In season one episode eight, Virgin River fans finally got to see what they’d been waiting for: Mel and Jack sharing a kiss. With Jack romantically entangled with Charmaine (Lauren Hammersley), and Mel still struggling to come to terms with her husband’s death, any chance of intimacy between the two had for a while seemed a long way off.

But that all changes in this memorable episode, when Mel finally realizes she needs to stop blaming herself for her husband’s death. And now that Jack has moved on from Charmaine, he’s ready to show Mel just how much she means to him. And in touching scenes, he takes Mel back to her cabin for one very big surprise: the cabin is finished at last.

“I can’t believe this is the same cabin,” Mel exclaims. “I mean … this is incredible.” Jack explains that he hopes the cabin will offer some comfort to Mel and help her make a fresh start. “I hope you’ll stay,” he says, and the two share a passionate kiss.

Mel’s log cabin home is actually the caretaker’s cabin in Murdo Frazer Park, located in North Vancouver. It’s even listed on Google Maps as Melinda Monroe’s Shack, so this is one Virgin River filming location that’s very easy to track down.

After fleeing town at the end of season 1, Mel returns to Virgin River in episode 1 of season 2 — and she’s met with a frosty reception. Jack is understandably upset that he hasn’t heard from Mel since she left town, and is busy trying to help Charmaine through a difficult pregnancy.

Jack is shocked when he takes Charmaine to the doctor’s practice and finds that Mel has returned. Mel’s explanation that she just needed some time to herself to sort things out isn’t well received. “You don’t need to explain anything to me,” Jack says curtly.

But the person who is truly put out by Mel’s return is Charmaine. With Mel out of the picture, Charmaine hoped she and Jack could start building a future together. “What is she doing here?” Charmaine snaps to Jack, and it’s clear this love triangle is about to get a whole lot messier.

If you’re looking for the doctor’s clinic where Doc Mullins and Mel deal with a host of medical (and romantic) problems, head to 122 First Street in New Westminster. Located roughly 15 miles southeast of downtown Vancouver, this Queen Anne-style residence boasts a wrap-around verandah and is instantly recognizable to any Virgin River fan.

In the “Rumor Has It” episode from season 2, the Virgin River community comes together for a picnic and festival to raise some funds for a family in need. It’s meant to be a day of fun and games, but it’s also a chance for the locals to indulge in some good old-fashioned gossiping.

When Mel arrives at the picnic, she can’t help but feel that everyone is staring at her. “Well, can you blame them?” Jack says. “Look at that dress. You're a knockout.”

But Mel is in for a rude shock when she learns the truth: Charmaine has been spreading a nasty rumor about Mel, as Ricky (Grayson Gurnsey) reveals: “My grandma heard from her hairdresser in Clear River that … that you, um … you had sex with Jack to steal him away from Charmaine.”

The Virgin River filming location for this community picnic was Deer Lake Park in Burnaby, a 10-mile drive southeast of the Vancouver city center. It’s a scenic spot with walking trails and lovely lake views, so be sure to include it on your Virgin River itinerary.