Despite accommodation issues, Golden is a pretty fun place to visit. And there are a few places I defiantly recommend you go if you’re in the area with kids to entertain.
The launch pad at the top of Mount 7:
Climbing peaks is pretty impossible with a toddler so knowing we could get to the mountain top by car was a great tip from a friend. It takes about 40 minutes to drive up the mountain road to the peak of mount 7.
We have been in a huge heat wave here and was due rain, thunder and lightning around the valley so we thought this would be a great place to watch the storm. (don’t worry we weren’t stood on the top holding a metal ariel or anything)
The road is a forestry road so I would defiantly recommend an SUV or a truck to get up there.
When you arrive at the top of the peak there is a pretty impressive launch pad build for wing suit jumpers, paragliders and any other nutter who wants to throw themselves off the top of a mountain. You have an amazing view of the whole of the Columbia valley and the town of Golden, and the Purcell mountains.
A great little activity if you have a couple of hours to burn.
Just west of Golden, if you drive up to Kicking Horse Mountain resort you turn off the main road down the forestry road and there is the little hidden gen of Cedar Lake.
I say hidden, it was pretty busy, but there is only a small beach spot so it felt busy. You drive up in to a campsite and park in the day use are and have a short walk down to the sandy beach of the lake.
The water is warm (unusual for lakes here) and clear and a great little swimming spot for those hot days. We took the paddle board and a little picnic and had a great few hours playing in the water.
Lots of kids around so Rocket love it, and the sandy beach meant he could kick of his shoes and really enjoy it!
Only 20 minutes out of town, a good spot for the family.
If you have little kids then this is GREAT!
In the middle of a massive heat wave this is what we all needed. It’s a big park near the municipal campground (probably a better spot then the Ranch Campground) loads of space and grass around the edge for you to have a picnic blanket. It’s fenced off so the kids can just go for it and you know they can’t go anywhere.
There is a swimming pool next to it which I hear is good but we didn’t venture in.
We took our bikes with us and Golden is a pretty cool town to bike around. There is a gravel path that loops the town through the woods, the high street and up the river. If you have space to take your bikes it’s defiantly worth it.
There are SO MANY restaurants to chose from in town, and they are all independent and have great reviews. We ate at the Island which was right by the river. My food was great but in-between finally enjoying a gin and tonic and chasing a toddler around I didn’t get any photos.
There is so much else to do in the area, we just focused on what we could do in the heat wave with a toddler. But it’s a great little spot and defiantly worth a visit.
A Beau Place 