Summer Activities
Summertime… and the living is easy
Golden has loads of summertime activities for the whole family. Get out and enjoy everything summer has to offer, from the wild to the mild…
Things to do in Golden this Summer [PDF]
WOW, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT...
Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge spans the river of the same name at 46m / 151’ across. It’s the longest freestanding timber frame bridge in Canada.
Golden hosted the longest singletrack downhill mountain bike race in the world (Psychosis) for 10 years. The race may be a thing of the past, but the trails still beckon.
With unbelievable panoramic views of the valley and mountain vistas, KHMR has the highest elevation sightseeing gondola of any resort in BC. The summit sits at 2450m / 8,033’.
Golden is the only town in BC that sits on the confluence of a Canadian Heritage River (Kicking Horse River) and a BC Heritage River (Columbia River). In fact, Kicking Horse River is the first BC river classified as a Canadian Heritage River.
Kicking Horse River is one of the wildest and fastest whitewater rafting rivers in Canada. Deep canyons and amazing scenery make this river a jewel among Canadian rivers and also one of the most utilized whitewater rafting rivers in Canada.
Mount 7 is Canada's premier launch pad for paragliding and hand gliding (considered within the world's Top 5) – 1,219m / 4,000’ above the valley floor. Eight world records (including a 325km hang gliding flight) and all Canadian records (including a 128km tandem paragliding flight) for distance and time have been set from the launch at Mount 7.
KHMR has the largest grizzly bear refuge in the world. Boo, a cub orphaned by a poacher, has been a resident since 2003.
Kicking Horse Bike Park has the highest elevation and longest vertical of any bike park in Canada. The Golden Eagle Eye Express gondola takes bikers to 2347m / 7700’ for an astounding 1128m / 3700' descent.
Golden has the only place in Canada where visitors can walk with wolves, in a natural Rocky Mountain setting, and discover the truth behind the mystery of these marvelous animals.
Nearby Glacier National Park is the acknowledged birthplace of North American mountaineering. Recreational mountaineering began here in 1888 when two British mountaineers first scaled previously untouched Selkirk peaks. Eleven years later, the CPR imported Swiss mountain guides to lead paying clients up the majestic heights.
KHMR has the highest restaurant in Canada, The Eagle’s Eye, at 2347m / 7700’ with astounding panoramic views of the Canadian Rockies, the Purcells, and on a clear day, the peaks of the highest Selkirks. The experience is atmospheric, the prices are earthy.
The Columbia Wetlands, which extend for 180 km, are on the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance. The area is the largest wetland of its kind in British Columbia. The wetlands comprise a regionally unparalleled diversity of 16 habitats and shelters around 216 species. It has the second largest population of great blue herons in western Canada.
Golden is home to Edelweiss (Swiss Village) where the CPR built homes for the Swiss Guides and their families in 1911. This village provided a base for the now-famous Canadian Alpine Club which, in turn, drew many more guides from Switzerland in the following years. Today the village still houses Golden residents.
