Golden

A mountain town between the Rockies and the Purcells, with powder skiing at Kicking Horse, the Golden Skybridge and Rogers Pass in Glacier National Park — the outdoor base on Yoho's western side.

Golden sits in southeastern British Columbia, in the Columbia Valley between the Rocky Mountains and the Purcell Mountains, where the Kicking Horse River flows into the Columbia River in town. Surrounded by six national parks (Yoho, Glacier, Mount Revelstoke, Banff, Kootenay and Jasper), it is the western gateway and outdoor base for the Rockies, and noticeably cheaper than Banff. Highlights: in winter, ski the "Champagne Powder" at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort; in summer, ride the gondola up past the Grizzly Bear Refuge to the summit restaurant, walk the Golden Skybridge, raft the Kicking Horse River, paraglide from Mount 7 and canoe the Columbia Wetlands. About 80 km west is Rogers Pass in Glacier National Park, with spectacular glaciers and alpine trails; 25 km east is Wapta Falls; to the south lie the Bugaboo Spires. Yoho National Park's Emerald Lake and Takakkaw Falls are about 40–60 km away and are often visited from here (covered under the Banff destination). Best time: Jun–Sep for hiking, rafting and alpine trails, warmest in Jul–Aug; Dec–Mar is ski season. The climate is strongly continental, with cold, snowy winters, and the Trans-Canada Highway through Kicking Horse Canyon and Rogers Pass may close temporarily in winter for avalanche control. Transport: about 3 hours' drive from Calgary airport and 1.5 hours from Banff; public transport is limited, so a car is strongly recommended. A park pass is required to enter the national parks. Plan on 2–4 days. This is bear country — carry bear spray when hiking.

Top sights

• Kicking Horse Mountain Resort – A ski resort famous for its champion powder snow and steep runs. In summer, take the gondola up to 2,350 m for views of the Rockies and the…
• Golden Skybridge – Two suspension bridges spanning a canyon, one of them at about 130 m above the valley floor, Canada's highest. The park also has waterfalls…
• Glacier National Park (Rogers Pass) – A Canadian national historic site in the Selkirk Mountains, where glaciers, avalanche sheds and railway history come together, with several…
• Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge – A wooden footbridge built by the local community using traditional timber-joinery techniques, and one of the longest freestanding timber tr…
• Kicking Horse River Rafting – One of the most thrilling whitewater rafting sections in the Canadian Rockies, with continuous Class IV rapids in the lower canyon.
• Wapta Falls – The largest waterfall on the Kicking Horse River, about 150 metres wide, reached by an easy forest trail.
• Grizzly Bear Refuge – A large fenced refuge on Kicking Horse Mountain where you can join a guided tour to watch Buu, an orphaned grizzly bear, in her semi-wild l…
• Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Centre – An educational centre that keeps captive-born grey wolves, where you can observe wolf packs up close and learn about the ecology of Rocky M…
• Columbia Wetlands – One of the largest intact wetlands in North America, where you can paddle a canoe or watch birds along the lakeside trail just south of Gol…
• Mount 7 Paragliding – A world-renowned paragliding launch site where you can book a tandem flight and take in the Columbia Valley from 2,000 metres up.
• Bugaboo Provincial Park – A world-class climbing destination of granite spires and glaciers, and the birthplace of heli-hiking and heli-skiing.
• Cedar Lake – A small forest lake outside Golden, good for swimming and stand-up paddleboarding in summer, with a beach and campsites. It's where locals…

Where to eat

• Eleven22 – A fusion restaurant housed in a converted old residence, open since 1994 and long a top-rated Golden restaurant, ideal…
• Whitetooth Mountain Bistro – A relaxed bistro in downtown Golden since 2014, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with a seasonally changing menu and…
• Turning Point Restaurant – A family-run restaurant with more than 30 years of history, famous for its handmade pizza and a local favourite in Gold…

Itineraries

• Vancouver to the Rockies via Okanagan – A one-way traverse of BC, traveling from the coastal city through wine country and mountain passes to Calgary.
• BC & Canadian Rockies Grand Loop – A round-trip loop from Vancouver, passing through Whistler, Wells Gray, Jasper, Banff, and wine country.
• Icefields Parkway and the Banff Area – Split stays between Banff town and Lake Louise village, covering the Icefields Parkway, Yoho and Golden, and Canmore. J…
• Kootenay Hot Springs Circle – A loop from Calgary exploring the western slopes of the Rockies, Kootenay Lake, and Revelstoke.