Let’s get down to brass tacks: you’re visiting Golden because it’s special – and what makes it special is that so much of the landscape is unmarred by human hands. That’s rare these days, and since you don’t want yours to be the hands that mar it, we’ve put together some helpful tips on how to tread lightly while still finding the adventure you seek.
The first thing to know is that Golden is surrounded by six national parks. Count ’em, six! Be aware that environmental stewardship isn’t just good and respectful practice while in the parks, it’s the law. You cannot, for example, ride your bike in some places, fly drones, pick flowers, bring fossils home, or even just camp overnight unannounced. We know it sounds crazy, but doing any of these could get you a fine or land you in federal court. So that you can breathe easy while out on the trail, check out the rules here.
Even when outside of the parks, the age-old adage holds true: pack it in, pack it out. In simpler terms, don’t litter. But go beyond that and also leave as little mark as you can. Sure, your apple core decomposes, but not before attracting a bear, for example. It didn’t come from there, so it doesn’t belong there. Leave the places you visit as you found them, so wildlife, and the next visitors, can find them that way too. Whenever feasible, leave no trace.
Especially in the alpine, where the landscape opens right up, it’s tempting to step off the trail. But mountain flora is delicate and sensitive. It takes moss and heather generations to grow in those elevated environments, so it’s best to avoid treading where your footsteps could leave years-long imprints. As much as possible, stay on the trail.
The Best – and Favourite Activities for Late Summer and Fall
Mountain Biking
If you’re looking for an authentic mountain biking adventure in BC, Golden is your place! With some of the best biking terrain in North America including 185 km of cross country trails, challenging downhill at Mount 7 and lift-assisted downhill park at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, Golden is fast becoming one of the key places in the Canadian Rockies for mountain biking.
This year you won’t want to miss Crankworx BC as it comes to Golden from September 25-29 to hold 2 events, including the infamous Mount 7 Psychosis.
Hiking
Golden is a hikers paradise with amazing trails for everyone to enjoy. Surrounded by the Rocky Mountains, Purcell and Selkirk Mountains and close to six of the most stunning national parks in Canada (Banff, Glacier, Jasper, Kootenay, Mount Revelstoke and Yoho), Golden is an ideal place for your hiking adventure. Prime hiking season is from the middle of August through the fall when the temperatures are a bit cooler and there is no snow in the alpine.
Fishing
Golden is situated on the Columbia River which offers a vast selection of rivers and streams as its tributaries. These and the numerous unspoiled lakes offer great fishing, especially during the fall season. Both spin casting and fly-fishing from the shore or boat are very popular for rainbow trout, small cutthroat trout, char, and giant ling [burbot] and bull trout.
Sharing Your Experience
Golden is a small town, and the incredible infrastructure we have wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for visitors. Your support of local business is incredibly important. So when someone in our community really nails it and makes your visit all that much better, share your experience as far and wide as you can.
The first and easiest thing you can do is leave reviews for the restaurants and activities you enjoyed. You can do this on Google by finding businesses like, say, the Golden Golf Club on Google maps, and then scrolling down in the window on the left to where it says “Write a Review.”
And there are plenty of other sites, too, like Yelp, and Trip Advisor, to name a few.
It makes a big difference to business owners to have good ratings online. But if, on the flipside, you thought there was room for improvement, you can help with that, too. Whether those businesses have their own old-school, analog suggestion boxes, or online feedback forms like this one from Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, filling them out lets them stay sharp and improve things for your next visit—and those of others. If you’re a fairly forward person, you can always deliver feedback directly to staff, too.
Of course the most visible and contemporary way to spread your stoke is on social media. Sharing images of your adventure helps showcase what the area, and its operators, have to offer. If you take an extra second to search for the online handles and tags of the people that made your visit shine, like @glacierraftcompany or #glacierraft, for example, you can help your favourite businesses and restaurants build organic followings that let them focus less on marketing, and more on you!
Tips For a Successful Trip To Our Mountains
Plan ahead
Flying by the seat of your pants sure has its appeal – you’ve been doing it since you were a kid, and it’s bestowed upon you some of the best times you’ve ever had. But, you’re an adult now—you drive a car, fly in planes, and spend hard-earned bucks to visit the places you want to see in the world. That means you want to get the most out of it, but it also means you want to put the least stress on the places you visit.
Summer and fall can be busy in Golden, and showing up without a plan could leave you high and dry, and scratching at the seams to find any kind of accommodation or activity work to fill your time. That’s no good for anybody, so here are some tips on how to successfully nail your trip to Golden.
First Things First
Visit Tourism Golden as your best one-stop-shop for in-destination resources. These include accommodations, trip outfitters, and advice for putting together your own activities.
Know What’s Going On In Town
If there’s an event, or it’s a long weekend, things could be particularly booked up. Have a look at the Golden Events Calendar to keep a pulse on the community, and what you’re heading into.
Don’t Get Left Out In The Cold
Know what types of accommodation are available, and know what you want. Reserve well in advance to ensure you have a great place to bed down. Golden has every kind of accommodation, from four-star hotels to quaint cabins, luxury homes, and even retrofitted VW busses. Consider your needs carefully before booking, make sure to ask whether your lodging is pet-friendly if it’s wheelchair accessible, and if it’s close enough to the activities you want to do.
Call and Reserve Ahead of Time
Like accommodations, activity providers are often slammed, so you’ll want to call and reserve well-ahead here too. Our reservation website can filter accommodations by location, type and amenity preferences to help everyone find their best accommodation.
Some activities aren’t offered every day of the week, some activities require a minimum (or have a maximum) number of participants, and some activities require you to pack very specifically for the day. Don’t be stuck without a windbreaker on top of Terminator Peak!
You’ll also have an easier time dining out in Golden with a reservation. Cafés and daytime fare are generally easy enough to come by, but if you want to sit down for dinner, look up your options in advance and put a call in.
Check The Weather Forecast
Weather in the mountains changes more often than your in-laws’ minds. It can snow in the summer, storm sheets of rain, or be outrageously hot. But it can also be perfect. Make sure to have a good look at the forecast and–hot tip–look at forecasts where you can toggle the elevation. What’s happening in the valley is more often not the same thing as what’s happening up high.
To learn more about British Columbia’s travel orders, and to identify which health area you currently reside in visit www.gov.bc.ca/covidtravel
