Ocean Falls - An Enchanting Place to visit  

Ocean Falls is a small community on the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is only accessible via boat or seaplane, and is currently the home for a few dozen full-time residents, with the seasonal population upwards of 100.   Ocean Falls is also known as the RAIN COUNTRY, due to the amount of rainfall it gets.

The falls, with its energy resources formed the basis for a pulp and paper mill that went into operation in 1912. At its largest, Ocean Falls was the home to around 3900 people, a K-12 school system, its own hospital, one of the province's largest hotels and a swimming pool where several swimming champions trained.  At its height, Ocean Falls had a population of about 5,000.   In 1973, the paper mill, Crown Zellerbach, once the 2nd largest pulp producing mill in the BC coast, just took off and stopped operations.  BC government took over the property and tried to keep it going, but eventually gave up in 1980.

Today, Ocean Falls is a beautiful ghost town of about 100 residents.  Some retirees have purchased property here for retirement.  Houses are a bargain.    According to Sally Isaksen, the wharfinger at Ocean Falls Marina, it's been estimated that over the past years, there are at least 500,000 people who have in one way or another, either lived, visited or done business at Ocean Falls.  Children who grew up in Ocean Falls have fond memories of the place and always come back to visit. 
 

The abandoned Martin Inn was once the largest hotel north of San Francisco.  Today, it is boarded up.

Interesting side trips or adventures from Ocean Falls:
1.  Eucott Bay Hot Springs

Other worthwhile stopping points for boaters cruising the inside passage to Alaska are:
Lagoon Cove   Ocean Falls   Eucott Bay  Hartley Bay