26 of the best things to do in Golden BC

I highly recommend checking out these fun things to do in Golden British Columbia if you’re on a road trip in BC. We’ve stopped here many a time when we’ve been driving from Vancouver to the Canadian Rockies and during our Kootenay Road trip too.

Golden, British Columbia is one of BC’s best mountain towns. A small town, the population of Golden BC is about 4,000 people, Golden is in the Canadian Rockies just a few hours away from Revelstoke to the west and Lake Louise to the east.

Though small, there are so many things to do in Golden Canada! You’re surrounded by national and provincial parks, epic views, lakes, and incredible activities whatever the season.

The town itself is also one of my favorites. It’s big enough for there to be plenty of great restaurants in Golden, as well as shops and cafes, but small enough to have a strong sense of community.

We’ve taken a few trips to Golden and have picked out our favorite below.

Note: The time in Golden BC is Mountain Time Zone, so if you’re coming from Revelstoke or going to Revelstoke from Golden, don’t forget to adjust your clocks to Pacific Time since the Golden BC time is different.

Best things to do in Golden BC

Check out these fun activities in Golden BC for your trip there. The town of Golden is surrounded by six national parks so there is so much beauty and loads of fun activities in Golden to explore.

1. Golden Sky Bridge

We usually don’t bother paying for activities like this since we love doing things like hiking and mountain biking. However, on our most recent trip to Golden, we decided to check out the sky bridge as it’s highly recommended as a fun thing to do in Golden.

We had a great time exploring the two suspension bridges which are the highest suspension bridge in Canada at 130m!

The views are incredible with mountains every which way you look and there’s a waterfall too.

You can get a pass just to enter the parking area and walk the loop around the suspension bridges or you can upgrade and get the adventure pass which gets you access to a treetop rope course, ziplining, axe throwing, and more. If you’re travelling with kids I’d highly recommend it!

The Golden Skybridge is open once the snow has gone and temperatures have warmed up a bit (May – October). You can get your tickets to the skybridge in Golden BC in advance here.

There’s also the Golden Zipline here and soon-to-be a canyon swing!

2. Go Skiing at Kicking Horse

Kicking Horse Resort is one of the best ski resorts in Canada and is also on BC’s powder highway which is renowned for awesome powder skiing.

If you love skiing steep terrain and powder then you have to visit Kicking Horse near Golden. You can see the resort from the town of Golden and it’s about a 20-30 minute drive up the hill to get to the foot of the ski runs.

There’s something for everyone here though it does lean more towards intermediate and advanced skiers.

It’s a hugely popular ski resort in Canada and so expect lines to get the lift. If you can go during the week then you’ll avoid the worst lines (unless it’s a bluebird powder day!).

3. Take a White Water Rafting Trip

The Kicking Horse River is one of the best rivers in BC to go whitewater rafting on. The rapids here can get big but with the trusty guides from Wild Water Adventures, you’ll be in safe hands. Or check out the Glacier Rafting company.

You can do a half-day or whole-day trip and the trip picks you up from downtown Golden before taking you to their base camp where you’ll hit the river! Kicking Horse has class III to class IV rapids which are some of the gnarliest you’ll get to do on an organized trip like this!

4. Visit Boo the Bear at Kicking Horse in Summer

This is definitely one of the best things to do in Golden BC in summer!

Kicking Horse Resort is also home to Boo the grizzly bear. Once he’s away in late spring you can see him wandering around his home at the Grizzly Bear Interpretive Center as you ride the gondola or walk around Kicking Horse.

Boo was rescued, much like the grizzlies up at Grouse Mountain, and he lives here now where you can learn more about grizzly bears. Tickets are about $34 and if Boo doesn’t make an appearance you get to go back for free so it’s an awesome destination if you’re looking for places to see in Golden BC.

5. Try Via Ferrata

One of the most fun activities in Golden is to try the Via Ferrata up at Kicking Horse Mountain. This is a guided experience where you’ll be taught how to clip yourselves in and navigate the course built into the mountain.

Similar but not quite like rock climbing, Via Ferrata (meaning “iron road” in Italian), involves making your way across a climbing route climbing that’s fixed into the rock. Once secured to the steel cable you’ll navigate iron rungs, pegs, ladders and bridges.

If you’re scared of heights this likely isn’t for you, but if you love adventure then give it a go!

6. Take the Kicking Horse Gondola

Just here for the views? The views from the Kicking Horse Gondola are something special! Plus, you can save yourself some effort if you like hiking, by taking the gondola to the top of the mountain and then hiking from there.

This is an activity you can do both in summer and in winter if you’re skiing at Kicking Horse!

Once you’re at the top you can get something to eat from the Eagle’s Eye restaurant and enjoy the views of the town of Golden as well as the Rocky Mountains.

7. Spend the day at, or camp at Cedar Lake

We spent the night camping at Cedar Lake on our most recent trip to Golden and it was such a beautiful spot!

The lake is around 20 minutes outside of downtown Golden on the road up to Kicking Horse. It has mountain biking, hiking and trail running trails in the area and around 10 campsites that are $15 per night to stay at.

There were some incredible views from the lake and it was surprisingly warm. It would be a great place to take a chilled lake day in Golden or go paddle boarding in Golden which are some more ideas for awesome Golden BC activities.

8. Day trip to Banff National Park

Banff to Golden is about a 2-hour drive and you’ll pass through Lake Louise and Yoho National Park on the way. Banff is absolutely stunning and well known across the world for the mountains, hikes and cute town.

Because of its proximity to Banff and Lake Louise, Golden is actually a great place to have as your base for visiting the Canadian Rockies. Accommodation in Banff can be very expensive, and camping can be hard to book. There are lots of options for accommodation in Golden that are much cheaper and, as you can see, there is still plenty to do in Golden!

If you’re staying in Golden chances are you’re probably planning to go to Banff or have already been, but it’s too good not to include it on this list!

Read more: Banff vs Canmore? Should you stay in Banff or Canmore?

9. Go Dog Sledding

If you’re visiting Golden in winter try dog sledding! We’ve been dog sledding a couple of times now, once in Revelstoke and again in Sun Peaks and it’s so much fun!

There isn’t dog sledding available in Golden at the moment so you’ll be going to Revelstoke to experience this which means you’re in for a treat! Revelstoke Dog Sled Adventures will pick you up from your hotel and drive you out to their base where the dogs are getting ready to run!

You can tell the dogs really love what they’re doing and are super stoked to run. After running through the trails you’ll get to meet the dogs and give them their lunch.

If you meet Thunder tell him I say hi, he was my favourite from our dog sledding experience. All the puppies in his litter were named after storms since they were born during a big storm!

10. Visit the Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Centre

Golden is home to the Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Centre where you can visit the wolves of Golden BC and learn more about them.

You may even get to see them feasting on delicious roadkill or get serenaded by their howls! You can also do a walk with wolves tour where you take a walk through the forest for about 1.5 hours as the wolves wander around doing their usual business. Make sure to take your camera!

11. Visit the Beautiful Gorman Lake

AllTrails is my go-to hiking app for finding, planning, and navigating while I’m out on the trails. With offline maps on AllTrails+ you can be confident you’re still on the right track, even without mobile signal.

One of the most beautiful lakes in the area is Gorman Lake to the north of the town of Golden. It’s perfect for a day hike or backpacking trip!

You’ll need a 4×4 or AWD car with high clearance to make it up the rough dirt track to the trailhead. Once at the trailhead wrap your car with chicken wire to protect your car from the porcupines and then it’s time to hike.

The hike isn’t particularly strenuous and is rated as moderate. Before you know it you’ll come out to Gorman Lake where you can set up camp and enjoy a chilled evening in the wilderness.

12. Head to Kootenay National Park

Kootenay National Park is often overshadowed by Banff and Lake Louise which are more well known, however, it’s well deserving of a visit!

The park is much quieter than Banff and Yoho National Park and you can still get those incredible Canadian Rocky views, enjoy hiking and backpacking trips and even visit the Continental Divide which marks the point where water flows either to the Pacific Ocean or the Atlantic.

For the ultimate backpacking trip in Kootenay National Park, check out my guide to hiking Floe Lake on the Rockwall Trail.

13. See the Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge

The Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge in downtown Golden is a beautiful covered bridge that’s just for foot traffic and takes you across the Kicking Horse River.

The Kicking Horse bridge is the longest freestanding timber frame bridge and was built in 2001 with people coming from all over the world to help out.

It’s an iconic part of the town and one of the best places in Golden to visit.

14. Try Mountain Biking in Golden

There are lots of mountain biking trails in Golden to explore. You can either do lift-accessed biking by going to the top of the Kicking Horse or you can do cross-country biking at Cedar Lake or shuttling at Mt 7. Or, if you’re Thom you can decide to cycle up to the top of Mt 7 from downtown!

Trailforks is the best app to use to find out more about the trails. I’d suggest doing a mix of lift-accessed and x-country to really get to experience the mountain biking on offer.

15. Take in the Views from the Mt 7 Launch Site

Mount 7 Golden is one of the mountains to the east of Golden and it’s popular for mountain biking and paragliding as well as being one of the top Golden attractions.

You can drive up to the Mount 7 launch site/paragliding platform where you get beautiful views out over downtown Golden and over to Kicking Horse Mountain.

The road is a dirt road with potholes but it’s in pretty good shape and any car should be able to make it up there if you take it slow. This is one of the best free things to do in Golden!

Once you’ve arrived at the paragliding platform you can hike up to the true peak too.

16. Attend the Paragliding Festival

The Willi XC Challenge takes place in Golden annually and you can watch people take to the skies as they hang glide or paraglide. It’s super cool to watch them and definitely one of the more unique things to do in Golden, BC!

17. Take a Backpacking trip to the Bugaboos

Bugaboo Provincial Park in the Purcell Mountains is popular with rock climbers and hikers. The park is just south of Golden and then around 50km down a forest service road for which you should have a good AWD with high clearance or a 4×4.

You can camp below the Conrad Kain Hut (bookable for ACC members), or at Applebee Dome on the rock slabs just 1km above the hut. You must register and pay for your camping ($10) which can be done online in advance or in person.

The views in this area are incredible with the spires, lakes and glaciers!

18. Get tacos or burritos from Reposados

Whenever we’re staying in or passing through Golden we always make at least one trip to Reposados.

This Mexican restaurant in Golden is absolutely delicious! It’s always a hard decision whether to get a burrito or tacos but both are delicious and then be sure to get a margarita too (of course!).

Reposados has a great patio area but it’s one of the most popular restaurants in Golden so expect to have to wait a little.

Grabbing dinner here and then taking a walk along the river is one of my favorite things to do in Golden at night.

19. Shop at the Farmers Market

If you’re still wondering what to do in Golden BC, check out the Golden Farmers Market happens every Wednesday in summer. There are lots of stalls selling produce and gifts from local producers and there’s live music too.

It’s a fun atmosphere and you’ll get to soak up that sense of community too.

20. Go to Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park

Yoho National Park is super close to Golden and there are so many beautiful places to see there. One of the best things o do in Yoho National Park is to visit Emerald Lake.

This emerald lake is such a beautiful colour and there’s a cute lodge you can stay at too – it must be amazing to wake up to this view!

The lake is open all year round with ski touring available in winter and paddleboarding and hiking in the summer.

21. Hike to Lake O’Hara

Lake O’Hara is a true gem of the Canadian Rockies! I spent years wanting to visit this park as it’s notoriously difficult to get a permit.

Before we left Canada we decided to run/hike the logging road up and it was 100% worth it for the views. You can read more about visiting Lake O’Hara without reservations here.

Visiting beautiful places like this is definitely one of the best things to do in Golden BC summer.

22. Visit Glacier National Park

To the west and back towards Revelstoke is Glacier National Park. Not to be confused with the US Glacier NP, this one is the Canadian version and it’s every bit as beautiful if not more so.

Glacier National Park encompasses Rogers Pass which is a famous section of the mountain range where the last part of the railway connecting coast to coast was made. You can stop off at the Rogers Pass Discovery Centre to learn more.

A road trip through this area is stunning as there are just non-stop views!

There are some beautiful hikes in Glacier National Park too which range from some easy ones like Hemlock Grove Boardwalk to harder ones like the Hermit Trail.

23. Drink Local Beers

Golden’s brewery is Whitetooth Brewing Co. which serves Belgian and west coast inspired beers. Their beer is award-winning and the best way to experience it is to visit their tasting room where you can get a flight (samples of 4 beers).

The Whitetooth Brewing tasting room has a large patio area in downtown Golden which is ideal after you’ve been out adventuring. You can also find their beers in stores and restaurants around the area.

24. Explore Downtown Golden BC

The town of Golden is a lovely place with the Kicking Horse River running through it and mountains every which way you look. It’s kind of split into a couple of areas with the main downtown core to the north of the river and the more residential area to the south.

Take the time to wander around and pop into the local shops, cafes, and bakeries and you’ll surely fall in love with the town and the other Golden BC attractions.

25. Hike to Wapta Falls

We hiked to Wapta Falls one afternoon when the highway was closed and we were surprised at how impressive the falls are!

Wapta Falls are in Yoho National Park and this hike is a short one (2.3km) with minimal elevation gain. At the end, there are incredible views of this waterfall and you can continue following the trail to get views from different points.

26. Take a Day Trip to Revelstoke

Revelstoke is another of BC’s best mountain towns. The town just oozes cool with hardcore skiers and mountain bikers all over the place. Whether you’re visiting Golden in summer or winter, taking a trip to Revelstoke is highly recommended.

In the summer you can enjoy much the same as in Golden with epic views on one of the beautiful Revelstoke hiking trails and explore the mountain biking routes too. There’s also the gorgeous Revelstoke National Park nearby which is one of my top picks for things to do near Golden BC.

In winter it’s time to hit the slopes at Revelstoke Mountain Resort which is famous for having the most descent in North America (going top to bottom is a true leg burner!).

You can also check out these cool Revelstoke beaches and check out the best waterfalls near Revelstoke.

27. See the Buffalo at Rocky Mountain Buffalo Ranch in Golden,

The Rocky Mountain Buffalo Ranch in Golden is an awesome thing to do in Golden where you can see and learn about buffalo.

The ranch is set amongst the stunning backdrop of the Rocky Mountains and lets visitors get up close with these magnificent animals.

Leo, the owner, often guides tours himself and has lots of stories to share about the buffalo and the history of the ranch. The tour is not just about seeing buffalo; it’s also a chance to hear amazing tales from Leo and learn how these animals play a role in nature.

Apart from buffalo watching, the ranch has cozy cabins for those who wish to spend the night. Waking up to the sounds of buffalo and the mountain views is an experience you won’t forget.

Where to stay in Golden BC

There are both plenty of Airbnbs in Golden and Golden BC hotels. Below are some of the top picks for Golden accommodation. With these picks you’re well located for exploring and enjoying the best Golden activities too!

$$ – Basecamp Lodge Golden

Basecamp is a chain that has been growing in mountain towns in the Rockies. They do stylish accommodation with great facilities! The Basecamp Lodge Golden is in a beautiful timber-framed building by the Kicking Horse River.

$$ – Glacier Mountaineer Lodge

If you’re visiting Golden for a ski, snowboard or mountain biking holiday at Kicking Horse Mountain, this is the perfect location. Just steps from the Kicking Horse Mountain resort’s chairlift you’ll enjoy mountain views and an on-site sauna after all that activity!

$ – Golden Village Lodge

Just off the highway, Golden Village Lodge has an indoor pool, hot tub, and rooms with balconies and mountain views. You’re a little bit out of the town but it’s a super short drive and you’ll save money by staying here too.

How to get to Golden, BC

Situated in the Canadian Rockies, Golden is about a 2 hours drive (150km) away from Revelstoke and just over 3 hours from Calgary. It’s way quicker to drive from Calgary to Golden than it is to go from Vancouver to Golden!

So, if you’re visiting Canada internationally, I’d recommend flying into Calgary instead of Vancouver.

Skyscanner is what I use to find cheap flights.

One of the best things about Golden is that you’re surrounded by several national and provincial parks. You’ve got Glacier National Park to the west and then Yoho National Park, Banff Lake Louise, and the Kootenays to the east. On top of that, there’s the Bugaboos Provincial Park to the south too.

Car rental around Golden

It’s safe to say that if you like outdoor adventures then you’ll find plenty of things to do in Golden, British Columbia!

You definitely want to rent a car once you’ve arrived a the airport since public transport is pretty much non-existent in this part of Canada. So if you want to visit the best things to do near Golden BC, you’ll need a car.

I use comparison sites like DiscoverCars and RentalCars to book my car rentals as it’s easy to check prices and compare the best deals!

Another great way to experience the places to visit in Golden BC and things to do around Golden BC is to rent a campervan. You can rent one through Outdoorsy which has 100s of campervans of all different types on their website.

FAQs about these Golden BC things to do

Final thoughts on these Golden things to do

If you’re planning a Golden BC summer road trip then hopefully this guide to what to do in Golden Canada has given you plenty of ideas for your trip. Golden is one of my favorite BC mountain towns and I love visiting this col town when we go on summer road trips in BC.

One of my favorite activities and fun things to do Golden BC Canada is to visit the Golden Suspension Bridge and enjoy the views. I also loved swimming in the lakes around Golden and, of course, going hiking!

If you’re looking for more things to do in the Canadian Rockies, be sure to check out my guide to Yoho National Park, as well as what to do in Lake Louise and Banff National Parks. I’ve also got more BC summer road trip ideas such as this Kootenay hot springs road trip and this road trip from Jasper to Lake Louise, or a road trip from Vancouver to Banff!

Last Updated on August 29, 2023 by Hannah