Golden Miles of History
As one of the oldest towns in the province, Lillooet's history is the history of British Columbia.
Once the largest settlement west of Chicago and north of San Francisco as well as the terminus of the first road built into the interior of B.C., Lillooet's Golden Miles of History Tour is named for the wealth of gold dust mined from the downtown section of Main Street that also became the supply hub for the Cariboo Goldfields.
Discover pieces of Lillooet’s history by taking a self guided tour of the Golden Miles of History panels. The tour will take you from the Bridge of the 23 Camels to the old Fraser River Bridge while stopping at the many panels to learn about the history of our community.
Mile Zero Cairn
The Mile '0' Cairn was erected in 1939, marking Mile '0' of the old Cariboo Road. From this point in the early stage coach days, all road houses and stopping places from here to Barkerville were known by their mileage from Lillooet - 70 Mile, 100 Mile, and so on.
Lillooet Post Office
Built in 1939 to compliment the former Provincial Office next door, the Lillooet Canada Post Office sits on land that was formerly part of the grounds of Miyazaki House.
Chinese Rock Piles
On both sides of the Fraser River at Lillooet one can find "Chinese Rocks" - a reminder of the search for gold by Chinese people before the turn of the century. Washing the sand and gravel for the elusive yellow metal, the Chinese neatly piled the washed rocks, in some places more than 12 feet high, in long rows.
District of Lillooet Office
Originally built as the Provincial Office in 1926, this elegant French Provincial building has housed the offices of the District of Lillooet since 2003.
St. Andrew’s Church
This beautiful church was originally built as a Methodist Church in 1896 and serves a combined United & Anglican congregation.
Old Camel Barn
One of Lillooet's oldest buildings, housed the infamous Cariboo camels during the gold rush, served as the Phair family stable around the turn of the last century and became the Log Cabin Theater during WWII.
Old Newspaper Office
Built in the austere Salt Box style popular in the US Midwest, the Old Newspaper Office originally housed railway construction crews. It was formerly the home of the Bridge River Lillooet News established by George and Margaret "Ma" Murray and also their personal residence.
Old Bridge
The Old Bridge celebrated its 100th birthday in 2013 and is home to a community of bat houses and a family of ospreys whose comings and goings are monitored by webcam at: http://www.lillooetnaturalistsociety.org/osprey-webcam