You Can Actually Visit Jack's Bar From 'Virgin River' in Real Life

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Season 5 of Virgin River is officially here and it has all the makings for the ultimate comfort watch: a storybook romance, Hallmark-level drama and a quaint yet cozy backdrop. If you can look beyond Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) and Jack (Martin Henderson)'s obvious chemistry, you'll be met with sweeping views of redwood trees and surrounding mountain ranges, along with local staples like Jack's bar and Doc Mullins' (Tim Matheson) clinic. The gorgeous scenery alone may inspire some Virgin River fans to a take a trip out west in hopes of experiencing the town's charm in real life. But this begs the question: Is Virgin River a real place?

Before the show's release in 2019, the author of the Virgin River book series, Robyn Carr, confirmed that the hit Netflix drama is merely a figment of the imagination. "It’s idealized, it’s utopian, it’s the perfect small town," she told Entertainment Weekly in October 2018. "People always write and say, 'Where is it? I want to go there,' and I have to remind them that it only exists in our hearts and minds."

In her eyes, Virgin River can be just about anywhere if you try hard enough: "But to further that thought, we can have that sense of community in our own neighborhood or school or church group or community center or library association. All we have to do is try to create it." During a 2012 conversation with the New York Times bestselling author, Robyn described Virgin River as "a character" since everyone in the fictional town needs to "rely on each other."

The Virgin River that Carr created in the books and TV show is set in northern California with a fictional population of 600 people. But Netflix isn't loyal to the Golden State for filming purposes. The show is actually filmed in Vancouver and select areas in British Columbia, such as Snug Cove in Bowen Island, Burnaby, or Port Coquitlam, as revealed by Country Living.

The exterior of Jack's Bar, which serves as the town's unofficial meeting spot, is reportedly Watershed Grill in Brackendale, located north of Vancouver on the Squamish River. All interior scenes, however, are shot at a local studio.

The other town landmarks — Doc's clinic, Mel's cabin, and Paige's Bakeway — are located throughout the Vancouver area. The scenes at Doc's clinic are reportedly filmed in an actual house in the historic Queen's Park of New Westminster, which was recently listed for $2.3 million.

It's important to note that the Virgin River is indeed an actual body of water in the United States — a small tributary of the Colorado River. Technically speaking, that means you can visit Virgin River... but sadly, without Jack, Mel, and everything else that makes the show what it is.

Virgin River

Shelter Mountain

Whispering Rock

A Virgin River Christmas

Second Chance Pass

Temptation Ridge

Paradise Valley

Under the Christmas Tree

Forbidden Falls

Angel's Peak

Moonlight Road

Midnight Confessions

Promise Canyon (A Virgin River Novel)

Wild Man Creek (A Virgin River Novel)

Harvest Moon

Bring Me Home for Christmas

Hidden Summit

Redwood Bend

Sunrise Point

My Kind of Christmas

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