Golden

Understand

The town was established in 1883 as a railway base camp named Cache. The name was later changed in an effort to compete with the nearby camp of Silver City. Since 2000, and the development of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, Golden has become increasingly tourist-oriented. Golden has a population of less than 4,000 (2021), but a drawing area of approximately 15 000. The face of the town is changing with the development at the ski resort, drawing a multitude of transient visitors and wealthy Albertans and international visitors purchasing second homes. There are two visitor information centres in Golden.

1 Tourism Golden - Visitor Information Services Amenity Hub (VISAH), 1000 Trans Canada Highway (at the bottom of the hill, beside KFC, at the first four way intersection coming in from the east), ☏ +1 250-439-7290, [email protected]. Summer: daily 9AM-7PM, winter: closed. Information specific to the Golden area. Will answer phone enquiries. Facilities at the VISAH include Wi-Fi, digital kiosks, picnic tables and a dog run. (updated Aug 2018) 2 Kicking Horse Country Chamber of Commerce, 500 10th Ave N, ☏ +1 250-344-7125. Carries only local information. (updated May 2023)

Getting there

By car Golden is located at the junction of the Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway) and Highway 95, about 4 hours north of the U.S. border. The nearest major airports are Calgary, 3 hours east on Highway 1; and Vancouver, 8 hours west on Highway 1.

By bus Kicking Horse YYC Express Shuttle, toll-free: +1-800-258-7669. During the ski season (December - March) a bus runs from the Calgary international airport to Kicking Horse Mountain Resort (with a transfer in Lake Louise) on Wednesdays & Saturdays. You can get dropped off or picked up in town if you ask. Bookings must be made by phone 72 hours in advance. Adult $99, child $69. (updated Dec 2018) Ebus, toll-free: +1 877-769-3287. Service from Vancouver, Calgary, Kamloops, Kelowna, Enderby, Armstrong, Vernon, Salmon Arm, Revelstoke, and Banff. (updated Mar 2022) Rider Express, toll-free: +1-833-583-3636. Multiple days per week service along the Trans-Canada Highway from between Calgary and Vancouver with stops in Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise, Golden, Revelstoke, Sicamous, Salmon Arm, Sorrento, Chase, Kamloops, Merritt, Hope, Chilliwack, Abbotsford, and Surrey. Travel time to Lake Louise from Golden from Calgary is 3.55 hours, from Banff is 1.75 hours, from Lake Louise is 1 hour, from Revelstoke is 2 hours, from Salmon Arm is 3.5 hours, from Kamloops is 5 hours, from Hope is 8 hours, from Abbotsford is 9 hours, and from Vancouver is 10.5 hours. In Salmon Arm, this service provider offers some trips with timed connections with its route between Salmon Arm and Kelowna. In Calgary, this service provider has routes that reach Edmonton. The service provider also has routes that allow travel as far east as Winnipeg. (updated Mar 2022) BC Transit, toll-free: +1-877-343-2461. Two days per week there is bus service between Golden and Cranbrook with a stop in Invermere. Reservations must be made at least 24 hours in advance. The trips are open to all members of the public, but as "Health Connections" trips, people travel

Getting around

Golden is so small that you don't necessarily need a car (especially if you are staying in the proximity of the centre). The town is divided by a river and each side has a supermarket (IGA on the north, SavOn on the south) which makes it easy to get the necessities by foot. During the winter months, Kicking Horse Resort runs a Snow Shuttle ($6/trip as of Feb 2007 - daily, weekly, monthly passes are available) which runs every 2 hours or so. The Snow Shuttle does a route going around town, up along the strip on the highway (Trans-Canada 1) and up to the mountain. Of course, the easiest thing is to have a car, especially if you want to explore. There is a National Car & Truck Rental, 915 11th Ave S, ☏ +1 250-344-9899, in town, however, their fleet is very limited. There may also be some in nearby towns (Kamloops, Revelstoke, Canmore, Invermere). Otherwise Calgary would be a good bet.

By taxi Mount 7 Taxi, ☏ +1 250-344-5237. Open 24 hours per day. A trip across town will probably cost you $10-15, up to Kicking Horse is likely $30-40. (updated Jul 2022)

See

1 Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge (downtown Golden). The longest covered, free-span timber-frame pedestrian bridge in Canada, over the Kicking Horse River. Built by volunteers from around the world, it won the Communities in Bloom, Most Innovative Project for 2001. It intersects with a walking trail that circles the town, and is great for photos. 2 Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Centre, 1745 Short Rd (Blaeberry Valley), ☏ +1 250-344-6798. Open 365 days a year, from 9AM to 9PM in July and August, and from 10AM to 6PM during the rest of the year. Promotes wolf conversation. The centre houses wolves, and presents an interpretive talk about their behaviour and the work to help protect them. $10 adult, $8 senior or youth, $6 child, $30 family. 3 Golden and District Museum, 1302 11th Ave S, ☏ +1 250-344-5169. May-Sep: M-F 9AM-noon and 1PM-5PM. Primarily houses displays on local history: exhibits on the railway, Swiss mountaineering guides, and the background and life of the early settlers. It is home to a display on David Thompson, in honour of the bicentennial of his passage through the Golden area. $2 per person.

Do

Golden's main appeal for the tourist is its wide array of adventure sports. In the winter, visitors should head for the Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, ideal for the experienced skier or snowboarder. In the summer, activities to consider include whitewater rafting, hiking, mountain biking, and hang-gliding.

Recreation

1 Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, 1500 Kicking Horse Trail, toll-free: +1-866-754-5425. Ski resort in winter and mountain bike park in summer, KHMR is Golden's biggest attraction. Those less enamoured with adventure recreation can take a ride up the gondola or tour the grizzly bear refuge. 2 Golden Golf Club, 576 Golf Course Dr, ☏ +1 250-344-2700. Ranked as the best value in British Columbia. $59-65 per adult. 3 Golden Skybridge, 503 Golden Donald Upper Rd, toll-free: +1-800-270-1238. Jun 25-Sep 5: Daily 10AM-8PM; Sep 6-Oct 10: M-F 10AM-6PM, Sa Su 10AM-8PM. Home to one of Canada’s highest suspension bridges at 426 ft (130 m) feet above an expansive canyon. Offers views of the Rocky and Purcell mountain ranges. Other activities include a zipline, rock wall climbing, and axe throwing. $39/adult, $25/child; Golden Hour (last 3 hours before close): $31/adult, $20/child; 10% discount when bought online. (updated Aug 2022)

Hiking Golden's location makes it a good starting point for many hikes in the area. A comprehensive listing can be found through Golden Hikes. Most hikes are at high elevations, and will definitely be under snow until mid June and quite possibly until late July, depending on the year's snowfall. There is also a 7-km walking path, the Rotary T