During what is likely going to be a once in a lifetime visit to Hedley, BC, my family and I went on the Mascot Gold Mine Tour, booked at the Snaza'ist Centre. It is an old school and in my opinion, is a well done info centre for such a small community. Here you learn about the history of the Similkameen people and the Mascot Gold Mine. The staff are also very friendly. I am a bit of a bathroom inspector, so I like that the restrooms are nice too.
The Gold Mine Tour as a whole is worth the fee and time. However, you must know that you aren't going to see much of the mine itself. I had high expectations and that portion of the tour is somewhat disappointing. We weren't given any lights to see inside the mine either, so unless you had a flashlight, blackberry or cell phone with some light, all you saw was what the tour guide shone her flashlight on. Apparently other tours have received hardhats with the lights on them, but we got jipped in that respect. You must also know that getting to this location is not a simple task. Riding the tour bus up the mountain is very rough, kinda long and may seem sketchy at times because the road is very narrow in places. There is only one place to use the toilet, which is early on in the tour, upon getting off of the bus. You walk on a slight decline (could be somewhat slippy due to loose, small rocks) to arrive at a set of 589 stairs which you descend until you reach the actual mine buildings and mine itself. Wear good shoes. Getting there doesn't seem like such a big deal, but getting back to the bus is. I am in decent shape, but still was a bit of a sweaty mess by the time we were done (mind you, it was a hot and sunny day). We all had to pace ourselves climbing the stairs because it is one heck of a workout on the lungs. No one with any physical challenges should be going on this trip, if you ask me. It's too bad it's not more accessible and wheelchair friendly, but this may improve someday.
The views from the mountain where the mine is located are fantastic. Exploring the original mine buildings and learning how the operation worked is interesting. I wouldn't need to take this tour twice, but if you can do it physically, it's a good day trip and you end it with some fun stories and photos. read more