Tours and Tickets by Backroads Whistler - River of Golden Dreams
Overview
The river is heaps of fun. People come back year after year to paddle it. It's a twisty turny shallow flat water (no rapids) creek that winds it's way through Whistlers wetlands. We'll start you off with a river orientation, give you steering tips, lifejackets and all your gear. You start on the lake to get used to your boats then enter the river. It's not just a float, you have to steer your boat around the corners or get stuck in the streamside foliage. Single kayaks are the easiest boat to use but Canadian Canoes are way more fun as you have to coordinate with your partner navigating the corners. We call them the divorce boats!:) We have beginners to experts join us. Often paddlers without moving water experience hire one of our guides. Either way we're happy to answer all your questions so you have a memorable time.
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Paddling down the River of Golden Dreams was one of the highlights of our recent trip to Whistler. My son and I rented a canoe and did a self guided trip. It was so much fun and we really had to work as a team, firstly to cross the lake and then to navigate the river. There were areas that ran faster, some that brought us to a stop at a dam mid stream, and places where we had to paddle hard to avoid low hanging branches on the sides. Because the water level was low we actually had to get out, put our canoe onto a trolley and pull it along a trail to where the river was deep enough to paddle again. This actually added to the experience - not only did we have to work as a team, but it really felt like an adventure. Along the river banks we saw a variety of birds and, when we stopped paddling, we enjoyed the sound of silence. It was magical. I highly recommend this trip, in fact we'll definitely be doing again!…
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Date of experience: July 2021
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Amazing tour, different to a lot of kayaking experiences. Would definitely recommend it to individuals, couples, families or groups of friends!
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Date of experience: June 2021
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A group of 4 of us did the self guided tour, one of which was kayaking on her own for the first time, and loved it. The trip was super fun, easy with just a few fun bumps in the proverbial road - beaver dams, which you had to navigate, which only added to the fun, and an easy assisted portage in the middle. It was beautiful, and the staff are amazing, super friendly, and take care of getting you out and back safely. Highly recommended for the whole family!…
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Date of experience: September 2020
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The self guided canoeing trip down the river of golden dreams was a lot of fun. We had 2 canoes with 3 people in each. It was a beautiful day and very quiet. There were many beaver dams to go over so I don’t recommend using an inflatable. We were picked up at the end and brought back. Everything was perfect!…
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Date of experience: August 2020
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Rented Kayaks, friendly knowledgeable staff! Reasonable rental prices. We had a wonderful time kayaking on beautiful Alta Lake, highly recommend renting from Backroad Whistler.
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Date of experience: August 2020
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