The Perfect Outdoorsy 3 Day Golden, BC Itinerary With Kids!
Golden, BC is one of our favorite Canadian mountain towns. Golden, BC is the perfect town if you plan on visiting the Canadian National Parks. It is within close proximity to 6 different National Parks that are all stunning. Here is your perfect 3 day Golden, BC itinerary with kids!
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Day 1 in Golden, BC:
Golden, British Columbia is a great little mountain town that is perfect for a summer (or winter) getaway with the family. If you want to skip out on the crowds of Banff, and save a little money, Golden is the perfect place to base yourself for a Canadian National Parks road trip.
If you want a more information about Golden, BC – check out our other posts!
- Is Golden, British Columbia Worth Visiting? 10+ Reasons to Visit!
- 13 Fun Things to do in Golden, British Columbia with Kids
Spend the Morning in Yoho National Park
The perfect way to spend the first day of your Golden, BC itinerary is by heading to the stunning Yoho National Park! Yoho is an absolute gem located about 20 minutes from Golden, BC. We absolutely loved the morning we spent here first visiting Emerald Lake and then stopping at Natural Bridge before getting our passport stamped at the visitor center in Field, BC. I would recommend stopping here in the morning if you can because it does get busy later in the day. Evening also may be a good time to escape the crowds.
Golden to Yoho National Park: How to Spend the best Morning!
Visit the Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge
After a day at the beautiful Yoho National Park, you can head back to Golden and enjoy the day downtown and near the Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge. This bridge is the longest freestanding timber frame bridge in Canada and is beautiful! Whether you want to ride bikes or just walk along the river, it’s the perfect spot.
Grab Lunch or Dinner in Downtown Golden
Lucky for you, if you’re visiting the Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge you’ll be close to several restaurants downtown. A few options for eating are: Reposados for Mexican food, Red Tomato Pies, Ltd for pizza, or the Wolf’s Den. We loved the patio dining here in Golden!
Spend the Evening at the Golden Skybridge
If you’re up for a little more adventure, the Golden Skybridge has a huge selection of adventure activities. The number one attraction here is the highest suspension bridge in all of Canada! If you’re visiting Golden with kids, they have a great playground and you can take any age kid across the Skybridge. It was a little sketchy taking our 1 year old who can walk across, but made for good memories!
Golden Skybridge has some really fun activities for older kids and adults as well. There is a mountain coaster, a canyon swing, zipline, and more! You could easily spend a whole afternoon here and not get bored. There is a small snack station and gift shop there as well. It’s the perfect adventure activity for your Golden, BC itinerary!
Tip: The rule for the Skybridge is that if kids aren’t strapped to you in a front pack or something similar, they have to walk. So keep that in mind if you have really little kids you’re bringing to the adventure park.
Day 2 in Golden, BC
Glacier National Park Canada
Golden, BC itinerary day 2 plans? Visiting the incredible Glacier National Park! (If you’re confused check out our article on Glacier National Park USA vs Canada).Did you know that Canada has their own Glacier National Park? I didn’t! But I’m so glad we visited because this park is 100% a hidden gem. You’ll want to get on the road early to avoid heat and other tourists. It’s about an hour drive from Golden!
1. Start with a Hike to Bear Creek Falls
Distance: 0.8 miles (1 km) roundtrip
Elevation: 157 ft (95 m)
Stroller friendly? No
2. Drive the Trans-Canada Highway for Epic Mountain Views
3. Visit Rogers Pass Discovery Center
Get your passport stamped, talk to a ranger, and get any souvenirs you want!
4. Hike the Rockgarden Trail
Distance: 0.4 miles (0.64 km) roundtrip
Elevation: 68 feet (20m)
Stroller friendly? No
5. Walk the Hemlock Grove Boardwalk
Distance: 0.2 miles (0.3 km)
Elevation: 65 feet (20 m
Stroller friendly? Yes!
Check out our guide to Glacier National Park Canada with Kids: Best Hikes and 1 Day Itinerary for more information!
Cool off at the Local Pool
After a morning filled with hiking, the best way to unwind and cool off is to spend the afternoon at Golden’s local pool. Our vacation rental host gave us a tip to visit here and it was well worth the trip. It’s located pretty close to downtown and the price is really affordable. They have a little waterslide and a more shallow pool for the little ones.
Plus, you can’t beat a pool with mountain views like that!
Grab Dinner and a Beer at Whitetooth Brewing Company
If you like beer, the perfect place for dinner in Golden, BC is at Whitetooth Brewing Company. This brewery has a great back patio with a big grass area and cornhole boards with room for kids to roam. While they don’t actually have a food menu here, they do partner with Reposados so you can order food while you eat. Make sure to check their hours ahead of time, because there are adult only hours later in the evening.
Day 3 in Golden, BC
Kootenay National Park
On day 3 of your Golden, BC itinerary you’re visiting Kootenay National Park! Kootenay is located about 1.5 hours from Golden, BC and is definitely an underrated National Park. There are a ton of things to do in this park, but if you’re going to spend a day, these are the best things to do.
1. Hike Through Marble Canyon
Distance: 0.9 miles
Elevation: 137 feet
Stroller friendly? No
This hike is a really unique hike where you can see really beautiful blue water, a cool canyon, and a waterfall at the end. There are multiple bridges which makes for some really cool viewpoints through the canyon.
2. Hike to the Paint Pots
Distance: 1.3 miles
Elevation: 183 feet
Stroller friendly? Partially
Have you ever wanted to hike an orange trail? If so, the Paint Pots is a must do hike for you. You’ll pass a fun bridge over the river and then hit a boardwalk trail that is quite literally very orange! The trail ends at some brightly colored mineral pools. It’s a very unique hike and we loved it!
3. See Numa Falls
Distance: 0.4 miles
Elevation: flat
Numa falls is more of a viewpoint than a hike, but it’s definitely worth a stop. The bright blue water against the dark rocks is really beautiful.
Want more information on Kootenay National Park? Here is our 1 Day Kootenay National Park Itinerary!
Soak in a Hot Springs
The perfect thing to do after a long hike is to soak in a hot springs! There are a few options in this direction including Radium Hot Springs and Fairmont Hot Springs. Fairmont Hot Springs is a farther drive, but a bigger hot springs. Radium Hot Springs is located right near one of the entrances of Kootenay National Park.
We chose to visit Fairmont Hot Springs on this trip. They have several different pools with varying depths and temperatures. They also have a snack/food stand where you can get ice cream, chicken strips, or a variety of other things.
Grab Ice Cream
It’s time to head back to Golden for the evening! There are several places to get ice cream if you get back in time. We liked Big Cones Ice Cream located in the parking lot of a gas station. They has a big selection of both classic and unique flavors from Foothills Creamery, a nearby Calgary shop.
You can also find ice cream at Kicking Horse Movies + Ice Cream. We didn’t make it there on this trip, but if you’re in the area, you might as well try a scoop – and let me know in the comments how it is!
Where to Stay in Golden, British Columbia
We stayed at this cute RV rental called “Watson’s Place”. Our host was fantastic and he had the cutest dog. The RV fit all four of us and was super clean and located near the Golden Skybridge.
There are several other great and affordable places to stay in Golden, BC – I’ve listed them below!
- Log Dovetail Bison Cabin – the perfect mountain getaway (sleeps 5!)
- Whitetooth Vista Downtown Condo – sleeps 4
- Alpine Meadows Lodge
- Cedar House Restaurant and Chalet
Golden, BC Itinerary Map
We hope you enjoy your amazing 3 days in Golden, BC with your family. We love Golden and can’t wait to visit again. If you’re planning the rest of your Canadian National Parks trip, check out some of our other posts!
- 3 Days in Banff with Kids
- 15 Fun Things to do in Canmore with Kids
- Kid Friendly Guide to Mount Revelstoke National Park
AND if you’re looking to plan an epic 7 Day Canadian Rockies Itinerary with your kids – we’ve got you covered with incredible hikes and all the best stops!
