Active Pursuits

Fishing

The Columbia River runs through town and offers fair fishing for rainbow trout and kokanee salmon. There's better fishing in the Kinbasket Lake section of the river, which begins just north of Golden.

Golf

Golden Golf & Country Club (tel. 866/727-7222 or 250/344-2700; www.golfgolden.com) is an 18-hole championship course along the Columbia River. Bill Newis designed the front 9 holes; Les Furber took care of the back 9. The clubhouse includes a pro shop with equipment rentals. Greens fees are C$59 to C$65 (US$59-US$65/£30-£33).

Heli-Hiking

Although based in Banff, CMH Heli-Hiking (tel. 800/661-0252 or 403/762-7100; www.cmhhike.com) offers a variety of helicopter-assisted hiking packages in the mountains west of Golden. Three-, 4-, or 6-day heli-hiking trips involve staying at remote high-country lodges accessible only by long hikes or by helicopter. Prices vary depending on time of year and individual lodge, but 3-day trips begin at C$2,318 (US$2,318/£1,159); rates include lodging, food, and helicopter transport.

Mid-June through September, Purcell Helicopter Skiing (tel. 877/435-4754 or 250/344-5410; www.purcellhelicopterskiing.com) offers heli-hiking day trips in the Purcell Mountains west of Golden. Guided day hikes go for C$325 to C$485 (US$325-US$485/£163-£243), including lunch. Sightseeing tours start at C$150 (US$150/£75) per person.

Heli-Skiing

Banff-based CMH Heli-Skiing has eight high-country lodges in the mountain ranges near Golden. Prices vary greatly depending on the lodge and time of year, but start at C$5,414 (US$5,414/£2,707) all-inclusive for a week. Rates include lodging, food, helicopter transport, use of specialized powder skis, and ground transport from the nearest large airport (usually Calgary).

If you prefer more of a DIY approach to heli-skiing, Purcell Helicopter Skiing offers day trips to peaks in the Selkirk and Purcell ranges. Three-run (C$669/US$669/£335) and five-run (C$779/US$779/£390) packages are available, and include the helicopter ride, lunch, a guide, and instruction; you'll provide your own skis and lodging.

Horseback Riding

Located at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, Flying W Trail Rides (tel. 250/344-0495; flyingw@redshift.bc.ca) offers 1-hour (C$30/US$30/£15) and 2-hour (C$54/US$54/£27) trail rides.

Skiing

Kicking Horse Mountain Resort (tel. 866/754-5425; www.kickinghorseresort.com) has transformed the winter scene in Golden. Located 14km (8 3/4 miles) west of Golden, it features a 1,260m-long (4,133-ft.) vertical drop, a gondola lift that takes skiers up above elevations of 2,450m (8,033 ft.), and the Eagle's Eye, the highest-elevation restaurant in Canada. It has six lifts and over 1,113 hectares (2,750 acres) of skiable terrain. Lift tickets are C$48 (US$48/£24) a day. Several lodging options are now available at the resort, including five lodges, three-bedroom town houses, and resort homes. You can also spend a night at the Eagle's Eye restaurant complex and wake up at the crest of the Selkirk Mountains (at C$1,995/US$1,995/£998 per couple, the views won't provide the only unforgettable memory of this overnight stay).

Wildlife Viewing

Kicking Horse resort offers something no other ski area can top -- a grizzly bear refuge. Located mid-mountain under the main lifts, the 8-hectare (20-acre) enclosure is home to Boo, an orphaned grizzly bear. Although Boo is habituated to human visitors, he is still very much a wild animal; the refuge (reportedly the world's largest enclosed and protected grizzly bear habitat) provides him enough terrain to live a fairly normal grizzly life. Visitors are given the opportunity, as part of a one-of-a-kind interpretive tour, to view Boo living much as he would in the wild: foraging, hunting, playing, swimming, snoozing, and exploring. The refuge is accessible by chairlift with a short walk to a small interpretive center. Hour-long tours are offered daily late June through Labour Day (and Fri-Sun until mid-Oct) on the hour at 9am through noon, and 2 to 5pm (Boo hibernates in the winter). Boo is most active in the morning, so an early tour is recommended. Tours depart from the base of the lifts at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, 14km (8 3/4 miles) west of Golden. For more information and reservations, contact the resort (tel. 866/754-5425 or 250/439-5400; www.kickinghorseresort.com/activities/bear). Tours (including lift ticket) cost C$25 (US$25/£13) for adults, half price for students, and free for children under 6. The ticket also allows visitors day access to the lifts, so it's possible to continue from the refuge area to the mountain top, where you can hike or picnic in alpine meadows before catching the lift back down to the resort base.

Visitors can get up close and personal with gray wolves at Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Centre, 1745 Short Rd. (tel. 877/377-WOLF or 250/344-6798; www.northernlightswildlife.com). The center offers interpretive talks about wolves and their role in a healthy natural ecosystem. The wolves of Northern Lights, which live in a .5-hectare (1 1/4-acre) enclosure, have all been adopted from various facilities. Born and bred in captivity, these wolves are not candidates for release into the wild. Admission to the center, which includes a 20-minute introduction to the wolves, is C$10 (US$10/£5) adults, C$8 (US$8/£4) seniors and children ages 12 to 18, C$6 (US$6/£3) children ages 4 to 11; C$30 (US$30/£15) for families. For an additional fee, the wolves are also available for custom photographic sessions.

White-Water Rafting

The Kicking Horse River, which enters the Columbia at Golden, is one of the most exciting white-water runs in Canada, with constant Class III and Class IV rapids as it tumbles down from the Continental Divide through Yoho. A trip down the Kicking Horse will be a highlight of your vacation in the Rockies. Rafting trips are usually offered from mid-May to mid-September.

Alpine Rafting (tel. 888/599-5299 or 250/344-6778; www.alpinerafting.com) offers the daylong Kicking Horse Challenge trip for C$149 (US$149/£75), including a barbecue steak lunch. A gentler 2-hour introduction to white water goes for C$65 (US$65/£33) for adults and C$30 (US$30/£15) for children 12 and under.

Glacier Raft Company (tel. 250/344-6521; www.glacierraft.com) offers a variety of options. The easygoing scenic float day trip goes to the gentle upper valley of the Kicking Horse; it's for those who want an introduction to rafting or who don't want the thrills of white water. Cost is C$65 (US$65/£33) for adults and C$40 (US$40/£20) for kids 14 and under. Two separate day trips explore the white-water sections of the Kicking Horse and cost C$105 to C$130 (US$105-US$130/£53-£65). Deduct C$10 (US$10/£5) from the white-water trip rates if you take your trip on a weekday. All day trips include a steak barbecue lunch.

Wet 'n' Wild Adventures (tel. 800/668-9119 or 250/344-6546; www.wetnwild.bc.ca) offers Kicking Horse trips from Banff, Lake Louise, and Golden (the shuttle from Banff and Lake Louise costs C$15/US$15/£7.50 round-trip). The standard day trip is C$95 (US$95/£48), including lunch. If you just want to shoot the rapids of the lower canyon, a half-day trip is available for C$65 (US$65/£33). For beginners, a morning introduction to white water is C$60 (US$60/£30) for adults and C$40 (US$40/£20) for children 12 and under, including lunch.