On my big trip to Alaska, I was always looking for interesting side trips. The useful road and provincial park map of northern British Columbia provided by the helpful BC visitor centers depicts a short road up to a town called “Cassiar”. Since I was driving the Cassiar highway to Alaska, I figured this must be an important place. But the Milepost travel guide said about Cassiar road and town “which leads west 6.2 miles/10 km to the former Cassiar Asbestos Mine and Cassiar townsite. Much of the world’s high-grade chrysotile asbestos came from here. The mine closed in March 1992, and the townsite was dismantled and sold off then reclaimed by BC Chrysotile Corp. No services available.” The girl at the Jade Store said there really wasn’t anything to see up there, only scenery. Well, both were wrong, it was a short, fascinating trip to a unique location.
Wikipedia told me a bit more about the Abandoned Cassiar Asbestos Mine and town… the mine opened in 1952 and the town of Cassiar once had 1,500 residents (quite large for a town in northern BC). The town even had a hockey arena and swimming pool. What wasn’t sold off was bulldozed.
The Road to Abandoned Cassiar Town
Given that the mine was totally closed by the year 2000, the road is paved and surprisingly good. The views on the whole drive are spectacular. I was intrigued by the huge hill of greenish gray dirt as I neared the bulldozed townsite only to discover this was the earth that was dug up in the days of Asbestos mining. As I was driving back to main Cassiar highway, I saw a large animal on the road… it looked like it could have been a cougar. I didn’t get close enough to get a picture or better view, but locals say there are cougars in this area.
The Junk Yard
I was expecting the entire town and mine to be completely gone, based on the stories I had read online, but there was a massive junk yard with lots of cool, rusting equipment and a view of the abandoned mine.
Abandoned Cassiar Asbestos Mine
You cannot visit the mine, and there are signs posted that you will be prosecuted for trespassing. I crossed the barrier to get a quick picture of the mine but quickly left. As I was driving out, there was a guy on an ATV and a dog… were they coming for me? I’ll never know.
Cassiar Mountain Jade Mine and Store
Just south of the junction to Cassiar town, on the Cassiar highway, is “Jade City”, a small town that’s home to the Cassiar Mountain Jade Store. In nearly every country other than the USA, the cable Discovery Channel airs a series on Jade Mining in the Cassiar area. The girl in the gift shop said they hope eventually it will be aired in the USA, as it will bring even more business. The store has free coffee (although that’s a trick to guilt you into buying something – I ended up buying a cute, tiny bear figurine made of white Yukon marble, with a tiny little jade fish in it’s mouth. They have loads of jewelry, statues, and merchandise from their TV show.
Cassiar Mountain – Where to Stay
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The Cassiar Mountain Jade Store provides free RV camping and they have a couple cabins available too. To the north, the Boya Provincial Park has some really nice campsites for $20 CAD.
For another unique detour on the Cassiar highway, check out the drive to Canada’s Grand Canyon on the way to Telegraph Creek… if you dare the crazy drive! Or, head out to the coast, lava beds, and free hot springs in Nass Valley BC.
Are you driving to Alaska? Yes, Cassiar is covered in the Alaska Milepost Guidebook. I recommend this book to get off the beaten path.
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