The Kootenay Rockies Combine Exhilarating Adventures With First-Class Dining
Navigating Class IV rapids on a Kicking Horse River whitewater rafting trip is a heart-pounding, hilarity-laden adventure. Whether you are getting splashed amid gasps and cheers, paddling furiously beneath the 90-metre-high Park Bridge, or spotting mountain goats on canyon slopes, this Glacier Raft Company outing offers an exciting way to cool off on a hot afternoon in southeastern British Columbia.
By contrast, dining at The Island restaurant in downtown Golden that evening delivers pure relaxation and indulgence. Slow-braised pork ribs with bumbleberry sauce pair beautifully with rösti potatoes and roasted vegetables. Afterwards, a riverfront stroll leads to the Whitetooth Brewing Co.’s airy patio, where you can enjoy a Jambrosia Raspberry Wheat Ale.
The takeaway? When you do good things, you get rewarded. This rule might not always hold true in life, but on a Kootenay Rockies summer road trip, a scenic adventure is soon followed by a culinary celebration. Fervent foodies feel as welcome as adrenaline aficionados.
Start off with natural wonders in Kootenay National Park, two hours west of Calgary. In Marble Canyon, glacial silt tints the dirty-blue Tokumm Creek beneath limestone walls, while Milbert’s tortoiseshell butterflies flutter over the paths. On the nearby Paint Pots trail, iron mineral-rich springs yield ochre beds—reminiscent of Mars—that the local Ktunaxa people traditionally used for paint. Meanwhile, it is not rare to see both rainbows and ravens at the compact, powerful Numa Falls.
Ready for some taste treats? Onward to Radium Hot Springs, home to the Screamers ice cream shop. It serves more than 20 luscious flavours from mint chip to lavender lemonade as a gleaming jukebox pumps out “Love Me Do” and “La Bamba.” And before overnighting at the Invermere-area Panorama Mountain Resort, an Alto Kitchen & Bar dinner with elk bolognese and peach and pecan salad is geared to satisfy.
Near the resort, Toby Creek Adventures reinforces the adventure-plus-food theme with a daring ATV adventure in Paradise Basin. The ultradusty ascent to 2,440 metres has switchbacks galore, plus stops at Marmot Falls and an abandoned silver mining town. A barbecue lunch with locally sourced burgers and chocolate chip cookies next to a weather-beaten cabin overlooking the Purcell Mountains tops it all off.
Panorama Mountain Resort burgeons with summer activities from mountain biking to mini-golf, but you may simply rest your weary muscles in the outdoor pools before your Swiss-inspired dinner outing. A Playwest Mountain Experiences guided hike up Swansea Mountain offers botanical insights on lichen and alpine succulents, plus breathtaking views of Mount Assiniboine, dubbed “Canada’s Matterhorn.” At the 1,727-metre summit, guide Chris Skinner prepares a gruyère-and-emmenthal fondue with cured bison and Ambrosia apples for dipping.
Another revitalizing alternative is a guided morning canoe outing with Columbia River Paddle. The 180-kilometre-long Columbia Wetlands provides habitat for close to 260 bird species, and sightings of bald eagles and baby mergansers abound. Tales about early explorer David Thompson and modern ski icon Christina Lustenberger enliven the tour.
Invermere’s Kicking Horse Café, a sleek, Scandinavian-style coffee shop, keeps you perked up. Even outside, you can inhale the rich, chocolatey scent of roasting coffee. Sip a mocha latte and lunch on zesty green chicken curry next to an elegant cedar wood screen wall.
When you head north to Golden, fun and feasting reach awe-inspiring new heights. After checking into Glacier Mountaineer Lodge at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, visiting the nearby grizzly bear refuge is a must. Boo – a 700-pound male grizzly orphaned as a cub – has lived and foraged in this 20-acre mountainside habitat for more than 20 years. To watch him splashing in a green pond or devouring a staff-prepared “popsicle” with honey, beef, and apples is unforgettable.
Bring a hearty appetite to dinner at Golden’s Eleven22. Marking its 30th anniversary in 2024 , the homey restaurant adorned with landscape paintings has an all-British Columbia wine list and diverse, delicious dishes like duck satay rice bowls and pork and kimchi stickers. A good night’s sleep naturally follows at Glacier Mountaineer Lodge, whose spacious suites include balconies, ensuite washers and dryers, and full kitchens.
Limitless excitement awaits at the 2021-launched Golden Skybridge. Cross a gigantic canyon on a swaying, 130-metre-high suspension bridge or on a zipline hitting speeds of 65 kilometres an hour. Also unmissable is the Railrider Mountain Coaster, an Indiana Jones-worthy rush through old-growth forest, a tunnel, and cliff’s-edge views. Around the adventure park, interpretive panels highlight local geography and Indigenous creation stories.
Back at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, ride the Golden Eagle Express Gondola to dine at Eagle’s Eye, Canada’s highest restaurant at 2,347 metres above sea level. Truffle fries and quinoa salad with grilled chicken are spot-on choices as you survey the pristine Alpine scenery . From challenging single-track mountain bike trails to Terminator Peak’s Via Ferrata course, more adventures lie within eyeshot.
This is just a little taste of the region’s delights. You will not go hungry in the Kootenay Rockies, but you will be hungry to come back.
