Golden

Town in British Columbia

Golden, British Columbia is a small town that is built around the confluence of the Columbia and Kicking Horse rivers and surrounded by the Purcell and the Rocky Mountains. Located 262 km west of Calgary, Alberta and 713 km east of Vancouver, Golden, BC stands as the perfect tourist location due to its proximity and easy accessibility to the Yoho, Banff, Jasper, Glacier, and Kootenay National Parks, which attracts seasonal tourists all year long. The town of Golden is located on Highway 1, making it an excellent stop on any Western Canada road trip. With the development of nearby mountain resorts, such as the Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, Golden has been slowly gaining recognition as a world famous ski destination. In 1807, a renowned fur trader, surveyor and colonizer named David Thompson was tasked by the North West Company to open up a trading route to the trading territories of the Pacific Northwest, which he did by travelling over the Rocky Mountains and along the Blaeberry River to the future site of Golden. In 1882, a base camp was established by a man named McMillan who was to find a rail route through the Selkirk and Rocky Mountains. This camp was initially called McMillan's Camp, and was the beginning of the town of Golden. In 1884, the settlement was renamed Golden City in response to a nearby lumber camp naming itself Silver City, however the 'city' designation was later dropped. The town of Golden has history that is strongly tied to the Canadian Pacific Railway and the logging industry, with remnants of an old railway town still on display. The town's main economic drivers are the abundance of outdoor adventure and tourism. To the southeast of the town lies Mount 7, which is very popular with mountain biking, hang gliding, and paragliding enthusiasts. Downtown Golden is home to a range of hotels and lodging options, diverse businesses, restaurants and eateries, and some shops.