Introduction to Golden

134km (83 miles) W of Banff; 713km (443 miles) E of Vancouver

For more than a century, Golden (pop. 4,500) has been known primarily as a transport hub, first as a division point on the transcontinental Canadian Pacific Railway, next as the upstream steamboat terminus on the Columbia River, and then as a junction of two of Canada's busiest highway systems.

Nowadays, Golden is known for its outdoor recreation. The town sits in a breathtaking location in the trenchlike Columbia River valley, between the massive Rocky Mountains and the soaring Purcell Range, within a 90-minute drive of five major national parks. The fact that Golden is near -- and not in -- the parks is largely the reason for the area's recent phenomenal growth. Outfitters that offer heli-skiing, heli-hiking, and other recreation that isn't allowed in the national parks (for conservation reasons) choose to make Golden their base. And with park towns such as nearby Banff trying to limit further development, businesses and outfitters that want a Rocky Mountain hub find Golden a convenient and congenial center.

Golden won't win any awards for quaint charm, however. It's basically a functional little town with lots of motel rooms in a magnificent location.

Note that Golden and the other communities in this part of the Columbia Valley are in the Mountain Time zone, an hour earlier than the rest of British Columbia.