The town of Golden is in the Canadian Rockies in eastern BC, about an 8 hour drive from Vancouver and a 4 hour drive from Calgary. The locals like to call it a small town with big adventures, and it couldn’t be more true! We were so impressed with everything this destination has to offer, and we had such a fun visit. With a gorgeous mountain resort, plenty of adventure activities, friendly people, and awesome local businesses, Golden really needs to go on your BC travel list. We loved our time there and can’t stop recommending it to everyone we talk to! Keep reading for our full guide to a lesbian friendly getaway to Golden, BC.
When to Visit
Golden is a great place to visit any time of year, and every season offers options for different activities. Our visit in late summer meant that we had comfortable weather for lots of sightseeing, but it definitely cooled off at night and it even snowed up on Kicking Horse Mountain! If you’re looking to do hiking, mountain biking, and exploring in the national parks, the warmer months are a great time to visit. And if you’re looking to ski, snowboard, ice skate or snowmobile, Golden is an amazing winter destination! There’s a lot going on during every season, with something for everyone no matter what your style of travel is. Whatever time of year you plan for, you’ll have lots to keep you busy!
What to Do in Summer/Fall
We packed a lot into our short visit, and we really loved every minute of it. There are so many unique attractions and beautiful spots to see in Golden! If you’re visiting in the warmer months, you definitely need to add these to your list. Here are our recommendations for must-do activities for your Golden visit!
Explore Downtown Golden
The town of Golden has tons of great locally owned businesses to support, and we highly recommend setting aside some time to explore the historic downtown! One of the highlights is the Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge, the longest freestanding timber frame bridge in Canada and a beautiful spot to take photos! Golden has also been working on a new riverfront space which we had a peek at, and it’s a really lovely walkway along the water with gorgeous river views. Be sure to spend some time walking around and getting a feel for the town, it’s very quaint and charming!
Spend a Day at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort
A visit to Golden isn’t complete without a day up at Kicking Horse! Outside the winter when there are obviously plenty of snowy mountain activities, there is still lots to do up at the resort and it is absolutely worth a visit. In the warmer months we recommend exploring the resort village, grabbing a coffee at Double Black, taking the gondola up to the top of the mountain, and having lunch or dinner up at Eagle’s Eye – the highest restaurant in Canada! There are also plenty of hiking trails and mountain biking trails if you feel like having a mountain adventure. Kicking Horse is a beautiful resort and one of Golden’s most popular attractions. We highly recommend making a day of it and taking in everything the mountain has to offer!
Visit Boo the Grizzly Bear
Speaking of great activities up at Kicking Horse, be sure to book a tour to visit Boo the resident grizzly bear! Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is home to the world’s largest protected grizzly bear habitat, and you can arrange a tour to meet and learn about Boo. He was rescued as a cub after his mama was illegally shot and killed, and this habitat was built specifically for him. He’s nineteen years old now! His enclosure on the mountain is 20 acres, and he has so much room to roam around, play, hunt, and forage for his own food. Because he was orphaned as a baby, Boo didn’t learn the necessary skills to survive in the wild so this refuge program has provided him with an amazing home for many years. With it being late in the summertime during our visit, Boo was bulking up for winter and getting ready to hibernate. This meant that his diet was being topped up with additional food to be sure he’s getting all the calories he needs. His caretakers will hide fruit, nuts, berries, etc. inside his enclosure for him to forage, and we got to watch him eat. We loved this tour so much! We learned a lot about Boo and his story, and so much about grizzly bears. It’s a really great example of ethical animal tourism and a successful refuge, and we highly recommend arranging a tour if you’re visiting Kicking Horse during the summer months.
Take a Sightseeing Flight with Kicking Horse Aviation
This was one of those experiences where we had to pinch ourselves because it was so incredible. Doing a sightseeing flight and flying above the city of Golden was absolutely a major highlight of our trip! Kicking Horse Aviation is a new, locally owned and operated business offering scenic tours and charter flights in Golden. The pilot Mike is amazing, and the aircraft is a Cessna 185. It’s such a beautiful way to see the sights, and the bubble windows are perfect for taking photos! Looking out at the mountains, lakes, and waterfalls from the plane felt completely magical. It was such an unforgettable experience and we can’t recommend it enough!
Go Hiking in Yoho National Park
Another highlight of our visit was going to Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park. Less than an hour outside the town of Golden, Yoho National Park is full of great hiking trails, waterfalls, mountain peaks, and of course Emerald Lake. It’s truly the most beautiful lake we’ve ever seen! It’s very easy to get to and has the most picturesque views. We highly recommend planning a visit if you’re looking for an iconic Canadian lake experience that’s much quieter than the most famous spots! There’s a parking lot right at Emerald lake so it’s very accessible, and you can even take canoes out on the water if you like. There are trails that can take you around the lake, so if you’re looking for more secluded photo taking spots you can just walk down a bit from the main lodge. If you have extra time in Golden and you want to visit another national park, you can also head west to Glacier National Park for more!
Visit the Golden Skybridge
The Golden Skybridge is a new attraction that just opened earlier this year and you can’t miss it! It features the two highest suspension bridges in the whole country and the views are absolutely stunning. The pedestrian bridges sit more than 400 feet above a huge canyon and you can enjoy views of the mountains, river, waterfall, and valley as you cross. On either side there are forest and canyon ridge walking trails, and if you’re looking for more of a thrill there’s also a zipline! If you’re afraid of heights we recommend taking it slow, and holding on to the rails as you go. The views are worth it!
Where to Stay
If you’re looking for the perfect cozy cabin accommodations in Golden, we highly recommend booking one of the chalets at Cedar House! We stayed in the Sunflower Chalet during our visit and it was the perfect place to unwind after a busy day of sightseeing. We had complete privacy, and the cabin was super spacious with two bedrooms, a cozy living room, a wood burning fireplace, a full kitchen, and laundry. And the absolute best part was a gorgeous private hot tub outside with the most beautiful mountain views! Cedar House is a few minutes outside downtown, but it was very conveniently located for everything we did during our trip. If you’re looking for something quiet and relaxing, look no further! The Sunflower Chalet and some other select chalets at Cedar House are also pet-friendly, which means you can bring along your furry family members. Theo loved coming along and this was the perfect place to stay with him.
The town of Golden does also have other accommodation options to suit any style of trip including hotels, motels, cabins, lodges, vacation rentals, and more. Be sure to visit the Tourism Golden website for a full list.
Where to Eat & Drink
Golden is a small town, but we were so impressed with the great cafes, restaurants, and breweries they have! Be sure to check out some local establishments during your stay, you won’t be disappointed. For breakfast we recommend Blue Bird Cafe, it’s the perfect stop in the morning before a big day of sightseeing. For coffee, be sure to check out Wandering Fern Cafe, a mobile pop-up cafe that takes their coffee very seriously. You can follow them on Instagram to find out where they’re located each day! A great lunch spot is Reposados Tacos right downtown, they have a cute little patio and a takeaway window if you’re on the go. We were super impressed with the plant-based options, so if you’re vegetarian or vegan this is a great spot! For dinner we loved Whitetooth Bistro. They also have a patio as well as a very cozy indoor dining room, and plenty of plant-based options here too. And finally, if you’re looking to grab a drink in town you should stop by Whitetooth Brewing for great locally brewed beer!
Lesbian Friendly
The town of Golden is well known for how friendly the local people are, and we can definitely agree. Everyone we came across was so kind and welcoming, and we felt right at home as a same-sex couple. The province of BC is such a great place to travel for the LGBTQ+ community, because even rural destinations and small towns feel safe and inclusive. We felt perfectly comfortable being out and open during our visit, and we know that Tourism Golden is happy to welcome everyone to their destination. We definitely recommend putting Golden on your travel list!
Disclosure: Tourism Golden generously hosted us (and Theo) for our stay in collaboration with Hello BC and Kootenay Rockies Tourism. This included our accommodations, some meals, and all activities during our stay. We were able to experience so much of what Golden has to offer during our trip, and we’re so excited to share this destination with our audience!
