Things to Do Near Golden, BC: The Area Around Rocky Mountain Buffalo Ranch
Golden lies on the Columbia River between the Canadian Rockies and the Columbia Mountains. It’s known as “the heart of the parks” because it’s surrounded by 9 national and provincial parks, with things to do in every season. The ranch is 10 minutes north of Golden: 1 hour from Lake Louise, 1.5 hours from Banff and 3 hours west of Calgary. Bring your camera; it’s a special place for photography.
Winter
Golden is a playground for winter sports. The ranch is just minutes from skiing and snowboarding at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, famous for its “champagne powder”. Nearby there’s also heli-skiing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, sledding, snowshoeing, ice climbing and ice fishing.
Summer
Hike or bike the many trails in the region, or drift down the river in a kayak or canoe and look for wildlife on the banks. Golden is also a great place for white-water rafting, horseback riding, fishing, golf, paragliding and more.
Wildlife
With a variety of ecosystems, the Golden area is home to many animals year-round. Grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, elk, mountain goats and deer are just some of the large animals found here.
National parks near the ranch
Banff National Park
Created in 1883, Banff was Canada’s first national park and the third in the world. With natural hot springs, it’s the perfect place to relax or explore its 6,641 square kilometres.
Yoho National Park
Hiking trails, picturesque landscapes, history and fossil beds: there’s something for the whole family. Visit the deep turquoise waters of Emerald Lake or Lake O’Hara, and don’t miss Takakkaw Falls, one of Canada’s tallest waterfalls.
Photo: Ross Fowler
Glacier National Park
In the Columbia Mountains of British Columbia, these rugged mountains are home to a wide variety of native plants and animals. The park has unique stands of old-growth cedar and the country’s first major national transportation route.
Photo: Frank Kovalchek
Kootenay National Park
In the south-western Canadian Rockies, running parallel to Banff, Kootenay changes from high, rugged peaks to grasslands and meadows along the river’s edge.
Photo: Gus Macleod