13 Twilight, X-Files and Supernatural Filming Spots You Can Still Visit in BC

The X-Files started filming in Vancouver in 1993. For five of its nine original seasons, Mulder and Scully worked their cases here, and Vancouver played Washington, D.C. The show came back to film its revival here too. Supernatural spent years in the same forests and back roads. The Twilight story is a bit different. The first film was shot in Portland and southwest Washington, and the BC shoots only started with the sequels.

A lot of what fans picture can’t be visited. Bella Swan’s house in the BC sequels was a built set, and it has since been taken down. Private homes are left off this list on purpose. What’s left are public parks, two museums, a campus, a hospital ground and a few main streets where you can stand where the cameras stood.

That means more X-Files and Supernatural than Twilight, because that’s where the record is solid. For each stop you’ll find what was filmed, what it looks like now, when the gates close this fall and winter, and how to get in without annoying the people who live or work there.

Which show filmed where, and what it played

Stop	Show	Played on screen
səmiq̓ʷəʔelə/Riverview	The X-Files (13 episodes incl. the pilot), Supernatural	Various
Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve	The X-Files, Supernatural finale	Most X-Files forests; Supernatural’s heaven
SFU Academic Quadrangle	The X-Files	Official-looking concrete plaza
Vancouver Art Gallery	The X-Files	The Smithsonian
Grouse Mountain Skyride	The X-Files, ‘Ascension’	Skyland Mountain, Virginia
Britannia Mine Museum	The X-Files, ‘Paper Clip’; Supernatural	A secret mining facility
Buntzen Lake	The X-Files, ‘Quagmire’ and ‘Conduit’; Supernatural	A Georgia lake; Lake Okobogee, Iowa
Belcarra / Sasamat Lake	Eclipse	Likely the lake where newborn vampires rise
Long Beach and South Beach	New Moon	La Push, Washington
Burnaby Village Museum	Supernatural finale	Akron Pie Fest
Deer Lake Park	Supernatural finale	Sam’s jogging path; Dean’s funeral pyre
Steveston Village	Supernatural (also Once Upon a Time, Arrow)	Storybrooke, for Once Upon a Time
Fort Langley Village	Supernatural, ‘The Things They Carried’	A Gas-n-Sip on Glover Road

13. Burnaby Village Museum (Burnaby)

Burnaby Beacon reports that Supernatural filmed at this recreated 1920s village. In September 2020, the series finale shot its Akron Pie Fest scene here, with both lead actors on set. The old storefronts, church and schoolhouse make it easy to see why.

This year’s holiday event is free at the gate. Festive Village runs Nov. 25, 2026 to Jan. 3, 2027. From Nov. 25 to Dec. 13 it’s open Wednesday to Sunday, 2 to 9 pm. From Dec. 16 to Jan. 3 it’s open daily, 2 to 9 pm. It’s closed Dec. 24 and 25.

Gate admission is free during Festive Village. Carousel rides are $2.86 plus tax each. See the Festive Village page for the schedule. Deer Lake Park is right next door, so walk over for the rest of the finale.

12. Steveston Village (Richmond)

The City of Richmond lists Supernatural among the TV series filmed in Steveston, along with Arrow and The Stand. Most people know the village as Storybrooke from Once Upon a Time. One walk down these streets covers several shows.

It’s a historic fishing village with a working harbour, a museum and a heritage tram. That’s the real reason to come, and the filming history is a bonus. It’s free to walk and works any time of year.

11. Fort Langley Village (Township of Langley)

In 2015, Supernatural filmed outside the Fort Langley Community Hall on a foggy morning for the season 10 episode ‘The Things They Carried.’ The crew also turned a nearby station on Glover Road into a Gas-n-Sip, the fictional convenience chain fans will know. The Aldergrove Star says Fort Langley has been a favourite with productions since the 1990s.

The Community Hall is the anchor. Walk Glover Road from there and you’re in the village core. It’s free and open year-round.

Filming is still part of life here. A new Amazon series has three to six days of filming scheduled in each of October and November 2026. Watch for crew parking or filming notices before you plan the day, and be patient if a block is closed.

10. Deer Lake Park (Burnaby)

The Supernatural series finale also filmed in Deer Lake Park in September 2020, according to Hollywood North Buzz. That includes Sam jogging on a lakeside path and the scene at Dean’s funeral pyre. For fans, it’s a strange mix of ordinary park and the end of a 15-season show.

The park’s lakeside and forest trails link the museum, the art gallery and the Shadbolt Centre. It’s open from dawn to dusk year-round and no entry fee is listed. The boardwalk by the boat launch is closed for replacement until winter 2027, with a signed detour via Sperling Ave and Deer Lake Dr.

Turn off Canada Way onto Sperling Ave and park only in the designated lots. Parking isn’t allowed in the residential streets around the park. Any houses inside or near the park are private, so stay on the public paths. The City of Burnaby page has trail info.

9. SFU Academic Quadrangle (Burnaby)

Simon Fraser University’s public plaza has appeared in The X-Files, according to CBC, along with Catwoman and Agent Cody Banks. Arthur Erickson designed the campus in the 1960s. The grey concrete reads as government, institution or somewhere vaguely official, which is exactly why productions keep coming back.

Walk the quad and the covered spaces around it and you’ll see why it photographs well. CBC reported major renovations to the plaza a few years back, so some corners may look different from what you remember. An overcast day suits it best.

It’s a working university. Keep out of the way of classes and students heading somewhere in a hurry. Pair it with the Vancouver Art Gallery for a day of Vancouver playing D.C.

8. təmtəmíxʷtən/Belcarra Regional Park and Sasamat Lake (Belcarra)

The Seattle Times reports that Eclipse filmed outdoor scenes in this park’s woods and lakes. Its account of the scene where the newborn vampires rise out of the water says it was said to be Sasamat Lake. Treat that as likely, not confirmed. Either way, it’s one of the few Twilight sequel spots with a public park attached.

Metro Vancouver runs the park. White Pine Beach on Sasamat Lake has a wheelchair-accessible terrace and picnic tables. On a misty fall morning, the lake looks a lot like the film.

The park opens at 7 am. Closing times are posted at the entrances, and the earliest is 5 pm. Gates are locked when the park closes, so watch the clock. Seasonal pay parking runs April 1 to Sept. 30, so parking is free right now. The park brochure has a map.

7. Buntzen Lake (Anmore)

Buntzen Lake played two different American lakes on The X-Files. In ‘Quagmire’ it was a Georgia lake with a monster in it. In ‘Conduit’ it stood in for Iowa’s Lake Okobogee. IMDb lists it among Supernatural’s filming locations as well. BC Hydro runs it as a public recreation area. A rockslide has closed Powerhouse Road to walkers between North Beach and Buntzen Dam, so Diez Vistas hikers need another route.

Gates open at 8 am. Closing is 5:30 pm until Nov. 1, then 4:30 pm from Nov. 2 to Jan. 31. The parking lots are about 2 km past the gate, so leave time to drive in and out. If the gate closes to cars because the lots are full, walkers can still get in. There’s no public parking in Anmore, though, so don’t arrive before opening. BC Hydro suggests the 182 bus from Port Moody Centre Station to Anmore Grocery, then about a 2 km walk.

Parking reservations were mandatory only in summer 2026, from May 14 to Sept. 7. Cyclists and transit riders didn’t need them. Current hours are on the BC Hydro page, and the chart below shows how fast the closing time moves up through fall.

6. Vancouver Art Gallery (Downtown Vancouver)

On The X-Files, the Vancouver Art Gallery stood in for the Smithsonian. It was one of many times downtown Vancouver played Washington, D.C. The columns and steps do a convincing job of looking like a federal institution.

This is the easiest X-Files stop to reach without a car. It’s a short walk from Vancouver City Centre SkyTrain station. You can see the building and the steps for free at any hour. Check the gallery’s own site for hours and admission if you plan to go inside.

5. Britannia Mine Museum (Britannia Beach)

The museum lists The X-Files among the productions filmed here in the 1980s and 1990s. In the season 3 episode ‘Paper Clip,’ the site played a secret mining facility. Roadtrippers magazine reports that Supernatural has filmed at the mine too. The big mill building on the hillside above Howe Sound is the part you’ll know.

Head to the Chatterbox Café on site to see autographs from David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. Ask staff about ‘Paper Clip’ while you’re in the mill. The museum has a page on its filming history.

Listed hours are 9 am to 4:30 pm daily, and the last tour is at 3 pm. It closes early at 2:30 pm on Nov. 17 and Dec. 16, and at 2 pm on Dec. 24 and Dec. 31. It closes on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. It usually closes for maintenance in the first week of January, so check the museum’s site before a January trip. Adult admission is $42.95 for the underground train tour and BOOM! show, or $34.36 for the site and BOOM! without the train, according to the museum. It’s the one Sea to Sky stop on this list.

4. Grouse Mountain Skyride (North Vancouver)

In the season 2 X-Files episode ‘Ascension,’ Grouse Mountain played Skyland Mountain in Virginia. Mulder rides an aerial tram to the top while chasing Scully’s abductor. It’s one of the more recognizable location swaps in the series, because the ride up hasn’t changed its basic shape.

A Mountain Admission ticket includes a round trip on the Red Skyride or the Blue Grouse Gondola. Grouse’s admission page lists adults at $89, seniors at $79, youth at $69 and children at $49, with a Lower Mainland resident rate of $74 for adults. Prices can change, so check before you go.

The mountain is open year-round. In winter there are snowshoe trails, a skating pond and a sliding zone up top. Ride up near sunset if you want the light to match the episode.

3. Long Beach and South Beach, Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (Tofino and Ucluelet)

New Moon filmed at South Beach and at Incinerator Rock on Long Beach, according to The Globe and Mail and CBC. These beaches played La Push, Washington. The producers picked the area for its storms and mist, and the Tofino shoot wrapped in March 2009. This is the strongest Twilight stop on the list.

Long Beach is open year-round. Fall and winter storms give you the New Moon look. You need a Parks Canada pass. A daily pass is $12.25 for an adult; family/group rates are listed on the Parks Canada fee schedule. The 4-hour Beach Walk pass is $7.75 for an adult and covers Long Beach, Incinerator Rock, Combers Beach, Wickaninnish Beach and the Kwisitis Visitor Centre. Ages 17 and under get in free. Details are on the Parks Canada passes page.

The daily pass is valid until 4 pm the next day. Buy it in the afternoon and you can catch sunset at Incinerator Rock and come back the next morning on one pass. Getting here means BC Ferries to Nanaimo, then Hwy 19 north and Hwy 4 west.

2. Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve (North Vancouver)

If you watched The X-Files and thought every forest looked the same, you were right. Smithsonian Magazine reports that most of the show’s wooded scenes were shot in this one forest on the Shore, back when it was called the Seymour Demonstration Forest. It was also the very first location filmed for the series, in the pilot. Supernatural came here decades later to shoot its heaven scenes for the 2020 series finale.

The easy loop around Rice Lake is where most people should start. It’s flat enough for families, and the lake is stocked with more than 5,000 rainbow trout each year. Bikes are not allowed on the Rice Lake Loop, Homestead or Old Growth trails. A grey, wet fall day is the closest you’ll get to how it looked on screen.

The finale’s bridge scene was shot on a section of the Seymour Mainline that is closed to the public. Don’t try to reach it. The reserve is open every day of the year from dawn to dusk, and the park page has trail details. In late fall, dusk comes early, so plan your loop with daylight to spare.

1. səmiq̓ʷəʔelə, the former Riverview Hospital lands (Coquitlam)

The City of Coquitlam calls Riverview Hospital the most-filmed location in Canada. The X-Files shot 13 episodes here between 1993 and 1996, the pilot among them. Supernatural is on the city’s list of productions too. You’ll recognize the big institutional buildings from the outside, and that’s the only way you’ll see them.

In 2021, BC Housing and the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) First Nation renamed the grounds səmiq̓ʷəʔelə, which translates as Place of the Great Blue Heron. The other reason to come is the trees. About 1,800 of them from 160 species grow here, and many were planted in the early 1900s. October is a good month for colour. The guided tree tours have wrapped up for 2026.

This is still a working site with residents and staff. Photographing people is strictly prohibited. You need written permission to enter any building. Stay on the paths, keep your camera on the architecture, and read the visitor information page before you go. Productions book the grounds constantly, and as many as five have used them at once, so a film crew is a real possibility. The chart below shows how much filming has grown here.

When to go

Fall and early winter are when these places look most like the shows. Mist, rain and grey skies are the whole aesthetic. The trade-off is daylight. Buntzen’s gate closes at 4:30 pm from Nov. 2, and Belcarra’s earliest closing is 5 pm. Do the outdoor stops in the morning and save the museum and village stops for later.

Burnaby Village Museum’s Festive Village starts Nov. 25. Britannia usually closes for maintenance in the first week of January; check its site for the dates. Fort Langley has filming scheduled on some days in October and November 2026.

What to bring

• Rain gear and good footwear for the forest and lake stops: Lower Seymour, Buntzen and Belcarra.
• A Parks Canada pass for Long Beach, which also covers parking.
• A headlamp if you’re cutting it close to dusk. The forests get dark early in November, so go prepared and turn around with light to spare.

Etiquette: residents, private homes and film crews

• People live and work at səmiq̓ʷəʔelə. Photographing people there is strictly prohibited, and buildings need written permission.
• Private homes from the films are left off this list. Don’t go looking for them, including near Deer Lake Park.
• You might walk into an active shoot. Riverview has hosted up to five productions at once. Follow the film liaisons’ instructions and don’t wander onto a set.
• Don’t try to reach the Supernatural finale bridge in Lower Seymour. That road is closed to the public.

Gates and parking

• Belcarra locks its gates at closing, and its pay parking runs April 1 to Sept. 30.
• Buntzen lists no entry fee. Its summer parking reservations ran May 14 to Sept. 7 in 2026. When the lots fill and the gate closes to cars, walkers can still enter, but there’s no public parking in Anmore.
• Deer Lake Park: designated lots only, never the residential streets.
• Pacific Rim: your park pass covers parking.

Getting there

The Vancouver Art Gallery is the only stop that’s an easy walk from SkyTrain, a short walk from Vancouver City Centre station. The rest are easiest by car. Britannia is on Hwy 99 between Horseshoe Bay and Squamish. Long Beach means BC Ferries to Nanaimo, then Hwy 19 north and Hwy 4 west, so give it at least an overnight. Burnaby Village Museum and Deer Lake Park sit side by side, and SFU and the art gallery pair up well for a day of Vancouver playing D.C.

Opening hours this fall and winter, side by side

Stop	Opens	Closes
səmiq̓ʷəʔelə/Riverview	6 am	9 pm, seven days a week
Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve	Dawn	Dusk
Deer Lake Park	Dawn	Dusk
Buntzen Lake	8 am	5:30 pm to Nov. 1; 4:30 pm Nov. 2 to Jan. 31
Belcarra Regional Park	7 am	Posted at entrances; earliest 5 pm
Britannia Mine Museum	9 am	4:30 pm (earlier Nov. 17, Dec. 16, 24, 31); closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1; early-January maintenance closure (check museum site)
Burnaby Village Museum Festive Village	2 pm	9 pm; Wed to Sun until Dec. 13, daily from Dec. 16; closed Dec. 24 and 25

Most of these places weren’t built for the cameras, and that’s why they hold up. The forest Mulder ran through on the Shore is still a forest. The mill at Britannia still towers over Howe Sound. Long Beach still gets the storms the New Moon producers came for. Pick one cluster, check the gate times, and leave the residents and the private homes alone.

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Photo credits

• Britannia Mill (7313086506).jpg by Kenny Louie from Vancouver, Canada, CC BY 2.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gravity-fed rock-crushing mill building at Britannia Mine Museum (8499603394).jpg by Ruth Hartnup from Vancouver, Canada, CC BY 2.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• W1 IMG 0125.jpg by Xiao23, CC BY-SA 3.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• The mill at Britannia Mine Museum (8499602672).jpg by Ruth Hartnup from Vancouver, Canada, CC BY 2.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Essondale grounds 1 (18230637543).jpg by Niall Williams from Coquitlam, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized; cropped for the featured image). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Seymour Mainline – panoramio.jpg by Jeff Hitchcock, CC BY 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sfu-academic-quadrangle-pond.jpg by Arnold C, Attribution (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Vancouver Art Gallery Robson Square from third floor.jpg by unknown, Public domain (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Grouse Mountain Gondola.JPG by Pburka at English Wikipedia, Public domain (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Britannia Mines Concentrator as seen from Howe Sound.jpg by Anton Bielousov, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• BuntzenLakePL280507.jpg by Patrick Leahy (Patleahy), CC BY 2.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Belcarra Regional Park – Sasamat Lake (4449345187).jpg by GoToVan, CC BY 2.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Long Beach from Incinerator Rock.jpg by Paul W, CC0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Church in Burnaby Village Museum (7869053454).jpg by Ruth Hartnup from Vancouver, Canada, CC BY 2.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Deer lake bc 2.jpg by Napa, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Steveston-pano.jpg by Arnold C (User:Buchanan-Hermit), Attribution (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Fort Langley Community Hall.jpg by Sunray, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.