I have been visiting Stewart, BC for years now, and each visit becomes a little more special. This town might have the richest history and the highest concentration of adventure, of any location I have ever had the pleasure of visiting. Nestled deep in the valley, at the end of the Portland Canal, surrounded by glaciers and mountains, 2 KM from Alaska, Stewart today is only a skeleton of what it once was, but it was once quite a thriving town.
Like most of these old towns, Stewart started with a pursuit of the elusive Gold. In the height of the boom, Stewart and Hyder were a hub for the countless mines covering the mountains around. As well, like most gold rush towns, most that came to Stewart never found their riches. If you're brave enough to hike your way up and explore the mountains, there are many old mines and portals left exactly how they were when the old timers left them. Most went broke, some made a living, and a small handfull made a fortune.
As they years went by, the population climbed and fell, but amazingly Stewart never became a complete ghost town. Several large mines have brought large growth to the town, but none have yet found sustainability. Never the less, things do look good for Stewart in the future. In the past decade, exploration has been extensive, but this visit was the first where I saw a mine in production.
History aside, Stewart is a great town to visit if you have access to a boat, because it is the gateway to the beautiful Portland Canal. On the north side of the canal is Alaska, and the south side is Canada, each with amazing views, great fishing and exceptional adventure opportunities.
Very happy to have had another great adventure in Stewart, and stoked to be sharing it with all of you.
If you have been enjoying this channel, and would like to help support the upcoming projects and videos, please consider taking a look at the Patreon page or the Merchandise line.
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DestinationAdventure
Merch: https://destinationmerch.com/
Ready to start exploring the waters? Get your hands on a DA certified adventure boat.
Swellfish: https://swellfish.co/DUSTINPORTER