Today we made the trip from Banff, Alberta to Golden, British Columbia via Kicking Horse Pass and Yoho National Park.
We woke up bright and early after our spectacular journey yesterday along Canada’s Icefields Parkway to Banff.
Banff, Alberta
Before heading off to the town of Golden we decided to head into Banff town centre for a quick look around.
We walked down Wolf Street and Banff Avenue to have a browse in some of the shops and boutiques. One of these included the famous Hudson Bay Company.
It was then time for a coffee and some breakfast opposite Banff’s Central Park and Banff Park Museum.
With limited time remaining before we needed to head off, we walked past Banff Town Hall before getting some supplies for our road-trip.
Banff to Kicking Horse Pass National Historic Site
We travelled along the Trans-Canada Highway from Banff and past Lake Louise which we visited yesterday. The scenery along the way in Banff National Park was mesmerising. It didn’t take us much longer from here to cross the Alberta border into British Columbia.
After about an hour’s drive from Banff, we arrived at the Kicking Horse Pass National Historic Site. The first point of interest on this pass is the Spiral Tunnels viewpoint. This platform lets you watch trains enter various tunnels and then emerge from others at different levels. It was absolutely fascinating to see!
What wasn’t fascinating though was the toilet facilities here. They absolutely stunk and we all had to try and hold our breath to stop passing out from the rancid odour.
Leaving the festering washrooms behind us, we continued our journey along Kicking Horse Pass. The scenery was stunning as we drove down into Yoho National Park.
From our time at the Kicking Horse Pass National Historic Site earlier, we had learnt that Kicking Horse Pass was constructed in order for the rest of Canada to access the state of British Columbia.
Yoho National Park and Visitor Centre
Our journey from Banff to Golden continued as we entered Yoho National Park. This National Park in the Rocky Mountains is located on the Continental Divide of the Americas.
Its unique name is said to come from a Cree word of amazement. We could only agree with the name as the landscape was simply stunning. The mountains stretched as far as our eyes could see on the higher points of our drive.
We made a stop in the Yoho National Park Visitor Centre to learn more about the park, flora and fauna. As well as the exhibits there were some stuffed animals that once inhabited the glorius surroundings.
Field, BC
Across the Kicking Horse River is the small village of Field. This small settlement only has a population of around 150, but there are a few small accommodation options here.
We also had a great view of the village, bridge and the surrounding mountains from the river.
Natural Bridge
Only a few minutes away from Field we saw some signs advertising an attraction described as ‘Natural Bridge’. Curious, we parked the car and made the short walk to see what it was.
Basically we found out that the Natural Bridge is a rock formation that naturally stretches out across the Kicking Horse River. There are several different viewpoints which gave us the opportunity to get some different perspectives and photos of the bridge.
Arrival in Golden, BC
From Natural Bridge it only took us about an hour to reach the town of Golden, BC. On the way we passed through a new section of the highway being constructed and we also stopped to get some photos of mountain sheep.
You could see straight away that Golden is famous for Canadian Pacific Railway as a few trains were arriving when we got there.
We had a quick drive around the town before heading to our hotel. We had a great drive from Banff to Golden. The highlight of the day was definitely the Kicking Horse Pass.
The next stage of our Canadian adventure takes us towards Kamloops tomorrow, who knows what we will see next?
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