Golden Attractions
Golden (790 m (2593 ft)), the famous holiday and winter-sports resort at the confluence of the Columbia and Kicking Horse rivers, is the gateway to the magnificent National Parks of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
Amid the jagged peaks of the Selkirk Mountains and the Rockies, Golden is the starting point for tours into largely unspoilt wild mountain regions, where visitors can go hiking, mountain-climbing and tour the Mummery Icefield glacier. There is whitewater rafting on the Kicking Horse River and canoeing on the Columbia and Blackberry rivers, as well as golf, riding (several guest ranches), fishing and big-game hunting, plus "Flightseeing" tours, which can also be booked.
The "Golden Triangle" cycling tour is very popular, from Golden, through Radium Hot Springs into Banff National Park, and back through Lake Louise to Golden again (320 km (199 mi.)).
The Rodeo on Labor Day every year is a great attraction.
The new Whitetooth Ski Area, on the slopes of the Purcell Mountains southwest of the town, was opened in 1987. With a descent of 526 m (1726 ft), it has eight ski-runs, ski lifts (usually weekends only), heli-skiing and snow-mobiles.
Golden, which dates from the building of the railroad, now mainly lives from tourism, but also has a timber industry and a Canadian Pacific Railway repair shop.
The old town center south of the Kicking Horse River has been made more attractive by the restoration of stores and houses in the early 1980s.
From Golden, the TransCanada Highway follows the Kicking Horse River into the Rocky Mountains to Kicking Horse Pass (72 km (45 mi.)) passing through Yoho National Park.
Amid the jagged peaks of the Selkirk Mountains and the Rockies, Golden is the starting point for tours into largely unspoilt wild mountain regions, where visitors can go hiking, mountain-climbing and tour the Mummery Icefield glacier. There is whitewater rafting on the Kicking Horse River and canoeing on the Columbia and Blackberry rivers, as well as golf, riding (several guest ranches), fishing and big-game hunting, plus "Flightseeing" tours, which can also be booked.
The "Golden Triangle" cycling tour is very popular, from Golden, through Radium Hot Springs into Banff National Park, and back through Lake Louise to Golden again (320 km (199 mi.)).
The Rodeo on Labor Day every year is a great attraction.
The new Whitetooth Ski Area, on the slopes of the Purcell Mountains southwest of the town, was opened in 1987. With a descent of 526 m (1726 ft), it has eight ski-runs, ski lifts (usually weekends only), heli-skiing and snow-mobiles.
Golden, which dates from the building of the railroad, now mainly lives from tourism, but also has a timber industry and a Canadian Pacific Railway repair shop.
The old town center south of the Kicking Horse River has been made more attractive by the restoration of stores and houses in the early 1980s.
From Golden, the TransCanada Highway follows the Kicking Horse River into the Rocky Mountains to Kicking Horse Pass (72 km (45 mi.)) passing through Yoho National Park.
Edelweiss, Canada
(Near Golden)
Edelweiss, above Golden to the north, has houses built by the Swiss guides at the turn of the century.
The Swiss chalets remain much as they were when they were used by the guides. There are tours of Edelweiss that leave from Golden and offer information on the history of the area.
The Swiss chalets remain much as they were when they were used by the guides. There are tours of Edelweiss that leave from Golden and offer information on the history of the area.
Golden and District Museum
The small Golden and District Museum in the old schoolhouse (11th Ave./14th St, gives the history of the town and tells how the first Swiss mountain guides helped to open up the surrounding mountain areas.
The collection includes records from throughout Golden's history as well as photographs and artifacts from around the Golden area.
The Golden and District Museum also hosts special events on occaision.
The collection includes records from throughout Golden's history as well as photographs and artifacts from around the Golden area.
The Golden and District Museum also hosts special events on occaision.
Hours
May 1 to September 30
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | Closed | Closed |
| Close | 12:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | ||
| Open | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | ||
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
October 1 to April 30
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | Closed |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
Always closed on:
New Year's Day (January 1)
Canada Day (July 1)
Civic Holiday - ON, BC, AB, MB, SK, NB, NWT (Canada) (1st Monday, August )
Labor Day - Canada (1st Monday, September)
Thanksgiving - Canada (2nd Monday, October )
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Canada Day (July 1)
Civic Holiday - ON, BC, AB, MB, SK, NB, NWT (Canada) (1st Monday, August )
Labor Day - Canada (1st Monday, September)
Thanksgiving - Canada (2nd Monday, October )
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort towers above the town of Golden with incredible views down the valley and across to the surrounding mountains. The hill sees large numbers of locals but does not attract the huge crowds typically seen in Banff National Park. Kicking Horse has some wonderful terrain, gets approximately 7 meters (23 feet) of snow annually, and is generally regarded as a true skier's mountain.
