KICKING HORSE RESORT

Kicking Horse Resort

High in the mountains above Golden, British Columbia Updated June 2022

The Kicking Horse Resort is a trendy ski resort near the town of Golden, British Columbia, Canada. This is a great place to go if you are there during winter and want a great ski holiday. It has the fourth-highest vertical drop in North America at 1,260 metres (4,133 feet). An eight-passenger gondola and four ski lifts take you up to various starting points on the mountain. The longest run is ten kilometres down to the resort. Accommodations are available in the town or right at the resort.

 Kicking Horse in Summer

Thousands of tourists from all over the world pass through the town of Golden during the summer months. The town is surrounded by six of Canada’s great Rocky Mountain National Parks.

While in Golden, take a day off from driving and experience the Kicking Horse Resort in summer. The gondola and one ski lift are operational during the summer months.

Sightseeing

If you have limited time, you can still make a sightseeing trip, in the gondola, to the top of the mountain. The 14-minute ride will take you up 1,260 metres (4,133 feet) for a spectacular view of the mountain scenery, the Colombia Valley, and the town of Golden far below. The total elevation is 2,450 metres (8,033 feet).

The Restaurant

At the top of the mountain, you will find the highest restaurant in Canada. A fabulous place for lunch.

Get Married

If you are in the mood, you can get married here. The whole place can be rented for weddings, and there are accommodations for the bride and groom and one other couple to spend the night.

Boo, the Bear

Take the ski lift (not the gondola) to the bear sanctuary to see Boo, the Grizzly Bear. This huge grizzly has been here since he was rescued as an orphan. He is a captive animal but has a huge enclosure to roam in his natural environment. It is not like a cage at a zoo.

Take this opportunity to see a Grizzly close-up. He is awesome. He is usually near the fence, where you can get a close look at him early in the morning. By mid-day, he might be further away in the woods.

Tell them when you purchase your ticket that you want to use both the gondola and the ski lift to the bear sanctuary or the gondola only.

Hiking

If you have time, take the gondola up and walk back down to the resort. Here is your chance to go hiking in the mountains without going uphill. Make sure you have good-fitting shoes and trim your toenails before going, or you might get sore toes from walking steeply downhill. This walk will take you between 2.5 and four hours, depending on your speed and the number of rest stops.

If you are too tired to continue after walking about 80% of the way down, you can take the ski lift at the bear sanctuary to ride the remainder of the way down.

The Stairway to Heaven

View of the resort from the Stairway to Heaven.

For the more ambitious and physically fit people, you can take one of the hiking trails to the left or right of the restaurant.   The best one is appropriately named “The Stairway to Heaven”.   Go right of the restaurant, descending along the road for about 200 metres. At this point, you will see a trail going steeply uphill. Follow this trail to a ski lift that is not operational during the summer.   Here you will find a stairway going further up. After ascending the stairs, you will need to hike up a further short but steep trail to reach the top of the mountain.

There are spectacular views of the Kicking Horse Resort, the surrounding mountain ranges, the town of Golden far below, and the Columbia Valley in the distance beyond the restaurant.   Well worth the climb.

If you still feel energetic, the trail continues beyond the resort boundary to the next mountain.

Marmots and Mountain Wildlife

If you hike down the mountain, keep a lookout in the rocks for a Marmot. This large rodent lives in the rock piles at high elevations. They are common at Kicking Horse Resort, but most people pass by without noticing them.

Another type of wildlife you might see is a type of squirrel that looks like a large chipmunk. It is called the Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel and lives underground when it is not busy looking for food.

If you are a birder, keep your eyes peeled for Mountain Bluebird, Steller’s Jay, several types of warblers and sometimes a raptor flies over.

Mountain Biking

If you are into mountain biking, this is the place to be. There are many bike trails down the mountain for intermediate and advanced bikers. In addition, there are some challenging trails with jumps and loops for the very adventurous.

Kicking Horse Resort has the longest mountain bike descent in Canada. Bike rentals and lessons are also available for beginners.

The Via Ferrata

If hiking and biking are not enough adrenaline, try the new Via Ferrata. This is a vertical climb to a nearby mountain top, 465 metres above the resort. You will climb under controlled conditions wearing a harness so you can’t fall. The photo above shows where you will be at the end of your climb.

Golden B.C.

With a population of only 3,700, the town has more than 50 hotels, cabins, bed and breakfasts and other types of accommodation, which will give you some idea of its popularity. The town can meet most of your basic needs such as grocery shopping, car repair, banking, etc. Despite this abundance of accommodation, places are often full in winter and summer, and you should make a reservation before going.

You can stay in town or right at the base of the gondola in this beautiful hotel.

Summary

Whatever you like doing, there is something for everyone during both summer and winter at Kicking Horse Resort. Unfortunately, the gondola is closed for a while for maintenance during the spring and fall.

 Directions

Turn at the IGA grocery store in Golden and drive 14 km to the resort.

Photo Credit

All photos are copyright and property of My Thatched Hut except for the photos of skiing and biking which are used with the kind permission of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort