Nestled in the lush West Kootenay mountains of southern British Columbia, Cody sits quietly amid dense forest near the better-known Sandon, along the narrow and somewhat hazardous Sandon–Cody Road. Established in the mid-1890s and named after prospector Henry Cody - also of Cody Creek, Mount Cody. This mining community grew rapidly amid the silver-boom era. At its height in 1897, Cody had a population approaching 150, supported by three hotels, a post office, a livery, a blacksmith, a dressmaker, and three laundries, with the Noble Five Mine serving as its economic heart.
By the early 1900s, however, tragedy and geography took their toll. Avalanche-prone slopes of Cody Mountain repeatedly hampered access and made living conditions perilous. Mining operations waned, businesses shuttered, and by 1910, Cody was largely deserted. The Noble Five mill burned down in 1944, and although a third mill was built in 1952, it closed permanently within six months, marking the final commercial death of the town.
Today, Cody is one of British Columbia’s more haunting ghost towns, part of the region often referred to as the “Valley of the Ghosts.” Remnants of the former settlement include foundation ruins of the concentrator mill and shack. These structures, set against a backdrop of forest and remoteness, have earned Cody a reputation and have even drawn the sweeping attention of the provincial heritage protection program.
The experience is one of solitude wandering among moss-wrapped buildings, listening to the sigh of mountain breezes, and stepping into the silent memories of a once-thriving mining hub.
