This long distance tour involves a route of over 180 kilometres to the historic town of Greenwood.Ask us about our overnight option

At the turn of the century, Greenwood was a world class copper and gold producing area with ores that were some of the richest in Canada.

More gold was taken from the Greenwood camp than that extracted from the famous Klondike district of the Yukon. And much of the turn of the century charm and history remain.

At the turn of the century, Greenwood hosted 2 smelters fed by copper and gold mines that were some of the richest in Canada. More gold was taken from the Greenwood camp than all the gold extracted from the famous Klondike district of the Yukon. Given the distance from Kelowna, our commute must be uncharacteristically on pavement.

We pass through the town of Beaverdell that dates back to 1897. Like most towns in BC Beaverdell has it's roots in rich silver and zinc ore was discovered on Wallace Mountain east of the town. Gold was also discovered at about the same time in Carmi, a few kilometers north of Beaverdell.

Our approach to Greenwood is a pass through the Midway Mountain Range that hosed significant gold and copper producers such as the Deadwood and Eholts camps.

Rich in historic charm, the story of Greenwood dates back to the discovery of rich lodes of copper-gold ore by prospectors in 1891. The dreams of Robert Wood came true, when in 1895 he purchased the land that is now the site of the city, built a General Store, and named the settlement Greenwood. The discovery of rich copper ore created a boomtown within two years in the rugged wilderness region. It was one of the busiest and richest mining regions in Canada. Two smelters were built at the turn of the century . Greenwood smelter prospered, processing copper-gold ore from the nearby Motherlode Mine and other mines in the West Kootenay. The smelter's 120 foot brick smoke stack is one of the few surviving in the province and is surrounded by mounds of black slag that once glowed red hot.

By 1910 the mining boom had peaked. However, copper prices soon plummeted, the market died, and by 1918, Greenwood was virtually deserted. With the onset of WWII, Greenwood was home to displaced Japanese Canadians, interned in the vacant houses left in the town after the mines closed, saving Greenwood from being a ghost town.

The history of Greenwood, Phoenix and the surrounding area is well displayed at the Greenwood Museum. Our stop here will be an orientation before our departure to the largest open pit producer in the camp.

The Phoenix Mine is one of the classic mining stories of British Columbia and one of the truly lost histories of the province. The combination of all the separate mines around Greenwood represented one of the riches mineral endowments in the world.

Your day will be filled with surprises at every turn, from massive fools gold outcrops to black bear dens in abaondoned mines.

Prepare for a full day of adventure with this long distance safari to the Heritage of Boundary Country!