Blue Hawk Mine – Kelowna, British Columbia - Atlas Obscura

Blue Hawk Mine

Kelowna, British Columbia

Unlike many reclaimed, abandoned mines, this Canadian cave system is still just a dangerous maze. 

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The Blue Hawk Mine in woods of British Columbia, Canada is that rare brand of abandoned mine that has not been turned into a tourable attraction for adventurous tourists, but is still a dangerous and enigmatic abandoned site. 

The mine began operation in the 1934, but only produced ore for a single year before being almost completely abandoned ever since. After its initial production of gold, ownership of the site was essentially given up and remains in limbo to this day. Additional drilling and limited expansion continued through the 80s but it never went back into production, and was simply left empty. 

Measuring back only about 300 feet, the mine has become a well-known adventure site for daring locals that aren’t afraid of cave-ins or being buried alive. There is no infrastructure in the old mine and it is completely dark inside, with an oppressive air of encroaching damp. The mine is short, but it has multiple passages where wanderers could get lost. The shaft is also known to fill with pools of water, so rain gear or boots are advised. 

Know Before You Go

Up Bear Creek main, drive past the dirt bike track.

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