From Revelstoke we headed east to Golden, BC to be near Yoho National Park. The fires persisted and we could see the smoke from the burning trees on the surrounding mountainsides. Yoho, Banff, Kootenay and Jasper National Parks all border each other and only the highway through Kootenay was closed because of fires.
Yoho National Park
Yoho is on the western slope of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. It’s known for its vertical rock walls, exceptional hiking and waterfalls.
Natural Bridge
A short walk from the parking lot to see an entire river squeeze through a small crevice. The pictures don’t do it justice.
Emerald Lake
A beautiful emerald tranquil lake fed by glacier melt.
Hamilton Falls
We took an easy 2 mile hike to Hamilton Falls. There was no one else on the trail so we started wondering why we didn’t have bear spray. We became very noisy. Thimbleberries were beginning to ripen. They taste similar to raspberries, are high in vitamin C, and the leaves are a natural toilet paper! No we don’t know by experience.
Takakkaw Falls
Amazing! At 991 feet it is five times higher then Niagara. A short hike brought us to the base of the loud and very wet falls. It’s the second tallest falls in Canada. The falls are fed from the melting Daly glacier.
Golden, BC
A small ski town with all the necessary provisions. We enjoyed lunch and a beer at the Rockwater Grill and Bar. The pecan crusted yam burger was amazing! Michael’s fried dill pickle was also very good.
Golden Eco Venture Ranch
A very large and private site with 30 amp power, water, dump station, ok satellite and marginal wifi. There were plenty of mosquitos, so entry and exits into the coach were quick. Jake enjoyed being off leash and chased the numerous ground squirrels, or maybe he just liked to run and escape from the mosquitos.
Fairmont Hot Springs
Our last stay in Canada for the year. Fairmont is a resort and an RV park. There are a few restaurants on the property. Our site was undeveloped, huge, and private with 50 amp service and decent wifi. The first couple of days were very smoky, but eventually the air improved. The hot springs pool is huge and attracts a lot of people. It had 2 diving boards so kids liked to do somersaults into the pool. Fun to watch but not very relaxing. Other than the resort, there wasn’t much to do in the area especially because of the poor air quality.
Columbia Provincial Park
Nice hiking trails with access to the Columbia Lake. No one was there, so Jake got a chance to explore off leash. Views of the Hoodoos.
Lussier Hot Springs
A beautiful and natural hot spring near the Lussier River. The mineral water at the first pool was 110 F. The pools are non-commercial and away from the crowds of Fairmont Hot Springs, but you need to go early since the pools are only so big.