Golden BC Canada, The Outdoor Sportsman's Paradise

Golden is a village of 10,000 population situated in the confluence of the British Columbia and Kicking Horse rivers in a long deep valley between the Rocky and Purcell Mountain ranges in eastern BC, at an elevation of 790 m [2591 ft] located at the heart of six mountainous national parks: Yoho, Banff, Jasper, Kootenay Glacier and Mount Revelstoke. Yoho National Park, the 'adopted' park of the community, is a half-hour drive east of Golden. From May to September mountain biking, hang/paragliding, bungee jumping,
and snowboarding are popular, and of course skiing during the winter.

Winter Activities:
Tobogganing, skating, or Nordic skiing through rolling windy trails through woods. Downhill Skiing, Snowboarding, Heli-Skiing, Cat Skiing, Snow mobiling, Dog Sledding, and Ice Climbing from mid-November to the End of March.

Summer Activities:
Pilots from all over the world flock to the Mount 7 flying site to paraglide and hang-glide. Horseback Riding, hiking, mountain biking, golfing, fishing, and air tours. World class white water rafting, ATVing, motocross, and rock climbing attract international thrill seekers. Bird and wildlife viewing, slow floats, wetland scenic forest tours.

Boating and angling are common activities at recreation sites. Most sites allow car top boat launching only. That means you can hand-launch only canoes, kayaks and boats small enough to be carried on top of your car. Trailered boats can be launched safely and conveniently from those sites with ramp facilities. In most cases, the ramps are suitable only for small and medium-sized boats.

A plane or helicopter ride will show you the Selkirk, Purcell and Rocky Mountain ranges and their glaciers. You can even land on a glacier for a closer look. Air tours are available year-round.

For local history there's the Golden Museum where you can learn about the important role that Swiss Mountain Guides played in the birth of Canadian mountaineering traditions. Or at Ray's Antique & Collectable Museum you can browse through some old farm equipment and antique tools. Take a guided hike way, way back [some 515 million years] and visit the fossils of the renowned Yoho Burgess Shale or, if art is your scene, there are many local art shops.

Tours:
Cruise the numerous small mountain roads. Tour season is [weather permitting] from May to October.

Bird / Wildlife Watching:
The Rocky Mountain Trench is a major migratory path, and a great diversity of birds also settles in the Columbia Valley. 265 transient and resident species have been counted in Golden so far. Reflection Lake, the Edelweiss slough and Moberly Marsh are favourite birding spots. You can do bird watching year-round, although there are more species during migration in spring [April to June] and fall [September to October].

Canoe / Kayak Tours:
At the Columbia River you can view birds of prey, herons and ducks. Paddle the Blaeberry River for more action. The Kicking Horse River is the place to be for great whitewater action. For very experienced kayakers the lower canyon with its class IV rapids is ideal. Season: May to October.

Climbing:
In 1912 six Swiss Mountain Guides and their families moved permanently to Golden. Canadian Pacific Rail had hired them as professional mountain guides for the many tourists who wanted to explore the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Today there are many ACMG certified mountain guides who live and work in Golden and the mountains around. Golden attracts climbers from all over the world.

Cross-Country Skiing:
Track-set trails are just minutes from town at the Golden Golf Course. More challenging trails can be found at Dawn Mountain Nordic Trail System at the base of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. Many more tracks set by XC-enthusiasts can be found in the Blaeberry and Columbia Valley. The season is from December to April.

Cycling:
Golden is the centre for the 'Golden Triangle' Tour where you cross the Continental Divide twice. You can go at your own pace or book a package with one of the tour companies.

Dog Sledding:
Season lasts from late November to April.

Downhill (Alpine) & Cat Skiing / Snowboarding: The new Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is being developed into a 250- acre resort, encompassing 4005 acres of ski and snowboarding terrain, with views of the Canadian Rockies. The new gondola rises to the summit of the Dogtooth Mountain Range at an elevation of 7705 feet [2350 meters] where the new Eagle