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Travel & Outdoors

This Nearly Abandoned BC Town Is Only Accessible By Boat Or Plane

ocean falls

Photo: @rosebdaykin/Instagram

A ghost town is already full of mystery, but this one takes it to the next level—because there are no roads leading to it. You can only access it by boat or plane—adding to the allure.

While it’s not a full on ghost town, in that there are some people living there…it might as well be (it’s that small).

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As a plus…it also has a pretty magical name to go along with it—Ocean Falls. It’s a quaint spot in the Great Bear Rainforest, just west of Bella Coola.

If you think it rains a lot in Vancouver, you haven’t been here yet. It’s often referred to as being the “home of rain people,” because of its annual rainfall of 180 to 200 inches.

 

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You can visit this hidden gem by hopping on a ferry or a seaplane. There is only about 35-60 people living there full-time. And out of that tiny population, most are original pulp mill workers. Therefore, it definitely has the same kinda vibe as a ghost town or super small community.

Ocean Falls was once home to about 5,000 people, back in the early 1900s when it had the second largest paper mill in BC—but it closed down in the late 90s and people started to flee the area. 

 

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During the Summer, they see a few more people, with a population of about 150.

While here, there’s lots of hiking trails and fishing to do nearby. The wildlife viewing opportunities are plentiful (more likely than seeing people). It’s common to see whales, seals, deer, bear, mountain goats and eagles (just to name a few).

 

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Ocean Falls

Location: Outside Bella Coola, part of the Great Bear Rainforest in BC

 

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