Cradled between both the Rocky Mountain and Columbia Mountain ranges, Golden is about a 3-hour drive from Calgary airport (or 1.5 hours west of Banff) along the Trans Canada Highway.

Golden idyllically sits at the junction of frigid (4ºc) glacier-fed Kicking Horse River— famous for its whitewater rafting—and the Columbia River, that feeds the Columbia wetlands—the largest intact wetlands in North America, and a popular destination for paddle-boarders and nature enthusiasts. If that’s not enough to inspire a visit to this four-season destination, Golden is within a short drive of no fewer than six spectacular National Parks: Banff, Glacier, Jasper, Kootenay, Mount Revelstoke and Yoho. 
Oh yes, I almost forgot to mention that Golden is just 14 km away from the fourth-highest vertical drop in North America, Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, which is famous for its ‘steep and deep’ dry white “Champagne” powder. 
Unlike Banff, one of Canada’s most popular tourist destinations, Golden is regarded as an authentic mountain town, untouched by commercialism. 

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