East of Golden, Yoho National Park is your gateway to the Burgess Shale, one of the world's most important fossil finds. Get a glimpse of what life was like on Earth 505 million years ago at this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Eco-tourism and outdoor adventures prevail in Golden. You can stroll 8.8 km (5.5 mi) of walking and biking trails or raft the wild Kicking Horse River. Golden also glistens with snow from several world-class ski resorts in the area. Kicking Horse Mountain Resort offers the second-largest vertical in Canada.
The walking and hiking in an around Golden is spectacular. You can stroll along a community trail or heli-hike in the alpine. Countless breathtaking journeys await you in the awe-inspiring terrain of Glacier and Yoho National Parks. Camp at Yoho National Park, where you'll discover towering rock walls, spectacular waterfalls, and 28 peaks over 3,000 m (9,843 ft) in height. Glacier National Park features forested campgrounds set along fast-flowing, glacial-fed rivers.
Kick up dust on the mountain biking trails of the Golden area. Make tracks on nearby Mount 7, or try Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, with 27 beginner-to-expert trails. Kicking Horse Bike Park has the longest vertical off a lift in North America. You can also cycle the celebrated Golden Triangle, winding across alpine trails through three of Canada's stunning national parks. The route twice crosses the Continental Divide.
You can also experience Golden's scenic backcountry on horseback or play a round of championship golf at the 18-hole Golf & Country Club. If you're feeling adventurous, climb the world-famous peaks of Bugaboo Provincial Park. Tandem hang-gliding and paragliding at Mount 7 will have you soaring above the Columbia Valley. For a longer time in the air, take a plane or helicopter ride above the majestic Selkirk, Purcell and Rocky Mountain Ranges.
Ride the Golden Eagles Express Gondola at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort for a spectacular view of Golden and the Columbia Valley. Walk across one of Canada's longest covered, timber-framed pedestrian bridges: the Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge in Golden spans 46 m (150 ft) across the Kicking Horse River.
In the heart of Yoho National Park, the Burgess Shale fossil site reveals what life was like on Earth 505 million years ago. Discovered in 1909, the site is widely believed to contain the world's finest Cambrian-aged fossils of soft-bodied marine organisms. The Burgess Shale was identified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981.
Visit the Golden Museum to learn how Swiss mountain guides influenced Canadian mountaineering traditions. You can also view period newspapers, photographs and other artifacts here. Visit local shops to view a wide array of painting, photography, pottery and other fine art created by Golden's local artists and artisans.
Yoho National Park is home to the remarkable Burgess Shale fossil site. Here, visitors can learn about life on Earth 505 million years ago. The unique fossils represent a complete ecosystem that came into being after the first explosion of multicellular life on Earth. For a bird's eye view of the Columbia Valley, ride the Golden Eagles Express Gondola at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. The eight-person gondola whisks visitors up the mountain in about 12 minutes.
From touring musicians to film festivals, the Golden District Arts Council keeps the energy high in the community. After a day of shopping, enjoy an evening of live entertainment on stage with the Golden Players, who perform one or two plays per year. Catch the fast-paced action of the Golden Junior Rockets, a Kootenay International Junior Hockey League team, at the Golden Arena.
Some 400 glaciers mark the dramatic landscape of Glacier National Park. The park's rugged mountains, alpine meadows, crystal-clear rivers and old-growth forests are breathtaking. Endangered wildlife species such as caribou, mountain goats and grizzly bears make their home here. The park is also home to the Rogers Pass National Historic Site.
Yoho National Park is a stunning 1,313-sq km (505-sq mi) park comprised of 28 mountain peaks towering more than 3,000 m (9,843 ft). You'll see breathtaking Takakkaw Falls and enjoy remarkable wildlife sightings of elk, moose, deer, wolf, and lynx. See the Spiral Tunnels, cut through the park's mountains to make way for the railroad. Visit the Burgess Shale fossil site to view the Cambrian-aged fossils of soft-bodied marine organisms that lived 505 million years ago.
Bugaboo Glacier Provincial Park preserves and protects the magnificent Purcell Mountain Range. Stand before the spectacular 70 million year-old spires -some reaching 3,000 m (9,843 ft) high- that characterize the region. Hard-core mountain climbers can tackle the park's extensive ice fields.
Wildlife opportunities abound in Golden. Hundreds of bird species and mammals enjoy the rich habitat of the Columbia River Wetlands. The area is also home to the second-largest concentration of great blue herons in western Canada, as well as large nesting concentrations of bald eagles and ospreys. Moberly Marsh protects the northern portion of the Columbia River Wetlands. Here you'll find amphibians, reptiles, mammals, fish and invertebrates. Hawks, eagles and ospreys are often seen as well as blue herons, yellow-headed black birds and other bird species. Also stop by the Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Centre.
For pampering or just plain relaxation, visit one of Golden's health and day spas. Gentle hands will soothe and rejuvenate you from head to toe. Enjoy a hydrotherapy bath, body massage, facial masks, scrubs and body wraps or go for a complete hair makeover.
Enjoy the thrills of a guided rafting trip on the Kicking Horse River, one of Canada's premier whitewater rivers. Paddlers can also set their own course along the river's three sections, ranging from easy to intense. Expect mild-to-extreme Class IV rapids.
Climb aboard a jet boat for an exciting journey down the Columbia River. On board, naturalists will guide you through the wetland wildlife and point out spectacular geological highlights. Drop your fishing line to catch trout or Dolly Varden in one of the many local lakes around Golden. You can even ice fish in winter.
With 1,260 m (4,133 ft) of breathtaking vertical,
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort offers "champagne powder" at its best. Enjoy spectacular descents that take you from wide-scooped, alpine bowls to steeps and glades. Scenic, well-groomed, cross-country ski trails are found at both the Dawn Mountain Nordic Ski Trails at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort and along the Golf Course Trail System. For extreme vertical, heli-skiing in the area leads to beautiful, remote regions of untouched powder. Golden also offers 15 popular snowmobile trails within an hour's drive. Snowshoeing at Moonraker Trails is another great way to make your mark in winter.