Golden Skybridge: Canada’s Highest Suspension Bridge

| Christie

Nestled in the Rocky Mountain Trench between three distinct mountain ranges, the town of Golden lies right in the heart of six of Canada’s most famous national parks. While it may not enjoy the same renown as Banff or Lake Louise, Golden still boasts with something you won’t find in other cities: Canada’s highest suspension bridge! It also offers other activities, such as ziplining and a canyon swing – not that we are particularly drawn to any of such high-adrenaline activities, but it was a perfect stop for us!

Originally a trading post on a Pacific Northwest Company fur trade route in 1807, the settlement began to develop with the arrival of the railway in the area towards the end of the 19th century. Although much of the town’s history is linked to the Canadian Pacific Railway and the logging industry, tourism has been promoted as soon as Swiss mountain guides were hired to assist travellers visiting the region, and soon Golden was put on the map.

We arrived at Golden Skybridge Village in the afternoon, though one could easily spend a whole day there. Upon entering the site, you find yourself in a food court, a small outdoor plaza surrounded by a few food trucks. The path to the first suspension bridge is easy to follow. It leads past the climbing area and treetop adventure course, where children seemed to be having a blast. We stopped only for a few photos, but didn’t linger long, eager as we were to reach the suspension bridge.

A large Muskoka chair sits on a raised platform just before the bridge, a perfect spot to see the entire valley below. It was a hazy day across the entire area due to the wildfires, and the smoke from Yoho seemed to be following us here too, but we were determined to enjoy the experience as much as possible despite this.

The Golden Skybridge has two suspension bridges. I like stepping (a little) out of my comfort zone, and -recalling how amazing it was to cross Eagle Canyon in Ontario – I was the first to reach the starting point.

The First Bridge stands 130 meters (426 feet) above the canyon floor and spans 150 meters (492 feet) in length; however, my enthusiasm vanished the moment I saw the long line of people inching forward at a snail’s pace. Even the attendant supervising the bridge shrugged helplessly, baffled by how slowly the woman in front was walking, holding up everyone else behind her. Deciding I didn’t want to spend that much time on the bridge, we waited a little longer, enjoying the scenery instead.

The Golden Skybridge
To go or not to go, That is the question

The Golden Skybridge in Golden, British Columbia, is a remarkable engineering feat. Construction of the Golden Skybridge began in 2020, with the goal of creating a unique adventure experience that would draw visitors to the area. It opened in June 2021 and is the highest suspension bridge in Canada.

We decided eventually to cross it. Although the bridge is shorter than the one over Eagle Canyon in Ontario (which is the longest suspension footbridge in Canada), for some reason, this one seemed to sway so much more. As someone who is afraid of heights – and considering how many people were on the bridge -I must confess that I felt an immense sense of relief when I reached the other side.

Golden Upper skybridge Golden Upper skybridge

Golden Upper Skybridge and waterfall

There is another adventure hub on the other side of the canyon, as well as another viewing platform where you can admire the surroundings and the people ziplining across the valley.

But then after crossing the first bridge, you know the moment will come to cross the second one, too. Positioned at a height of 80 meters (262 feet), this bridge extends 140 meters (459 feet) across the canyon. A piece of cake, right? Except I hadn’t anticipated that a boy from a group ahead of us would start swinging on the bridge, causing the entire structure to sway in a highly unsettling way. We certainly could have had a better timing here, but there we were, just glad to be over.

Golden Lower Skybridge

Overall, it was an enjoyable experience, Golden Skybridge offers panoramic views of the Rocky and Purcell mountain ranges, as well as a view of a 61-meter (200-foot) waterfall located in the canyon. If you are into other types of experiences, there is a railrider mountain coaster, a zipline, and a giant canyon swing – available for both solo and tandem rides. Before leaving the park, we paused to watch a couple screaming as they plunged together into the depths of the valley, at which point we decided, once again, that this activity is not for us!

***

Before leaving Golden, we stopped at the Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge, the longest freestanding timber bridge in Canada. What was originally planned to be a long steel bridge, it turned into a covered “burr arch truss” type of wooden bridge (a combination of an arch and a multiple kingpost truss design). Planned as a community project by the Timber Framers Guild, it was built by volunteers from Golden joined by carpenters and timber framers from the United States and Europe. The bridge spans 46 metres, weights 95 tons, and was completed in September 2001.

Golden, Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge

Golden Truss bridge

Tip(s) of the day:

*You can buy your ticket online, or else right on the spot. Several booths are open, and we found the check in went very quickly and smoothly. The tickets are non-refundable, and before purchasing them, you must complete and submit a waiver at a separate machine;

*Fully enclosed and secured footwear must be worn;

*You can check all the Rules and Restrictions online, prior your visit here.

~visited in June 2026

28 thoughts on “Golden Skybridge: Canada’s Highest Suspension Bridge”

  1. Those are some amazing bridges. The woman walking very slow should maybe not have gone across. It is not worth it if you are blocking everyone else. The boy who started to swing the bridge is even worse. That is just mischief.

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  2. Great photos and a wonderful story! Congratulations for having the courage to cross to the other side despite the mishaps along the way. The history of the area and the details about the wooden bridge built by volunteers are fascinating. 📸

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  4. Wow, this looks like a pretty cool place to check out, especially as Golden Skybridge beautifully blends into the surrounding forest, with walking trails, mountain views, and activities that encourage you to slow down and explore. The only suspension bridge I’ve ever walked across was the Capilano Suspension Bridge in Vancouver, and it already seemed pretty high up, being 70 meters above the Capilano River. It must be an amazing experience to cross the bridge twice as high up. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

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    1. Capilano is not bad at all! From what I remember it is much wider and shorter, so it offers much greater stability. It is a nice one, we loved the park and trails around!
      Have a lovely week, Aiva! xx

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  5. We lived in Golden for 3 years, but didn’t visit the skybridge. There was quite the controversy when it was built, mostly because it was an American company, and that was long before this current situation. The problem is they own most of the mountain attractions in the Rockies.

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    1. Oh, I didn’t know! Not sure why they gave them the licence so easily. I was just talking to my husband about the crowds we found in quite few places in Banff this time, comparing to 10 years ago. Such a big difference!
      Did you ever make it to Eagle Canyon in Ontario? I know you had a cross-country road trip a few years back.. They also have 2 suspension bridges, but they are off the beaten path and not so touristy as the ones in Golden. Just lovely!

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  7. Wow! The Golden Skybridge looks so cool, yet so harrowing; it makes the Capilano Suspension Bridge I crossed in Vancouver look like a cakewalk! I’d be scared crossing Golden Skybridge, but I’d still do it for the thrill! I’ll need to check this out should I return to that part of Canada some day!

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  10. I love it! I hope to see the bridges someday as I have always wanted to visit Golden for a strange reason, which is that we had a place in Golden, Colorado in the U.S. Rockies and I’ve always been curious if the names are related in any way. (I will actually look that up right now since I keep forgetting to do so.) Good for you for crossing those; even though I am not terribly afraid of heights, the swinging by the young boy might have freaked me out a bit!

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  13. I think I might be ready to strangle the kid, or better yet, his parents. Grin. it would be interesting to walk across, however, and if I found myself in Golden, I might try it. Like you Christie, I have no interest in the other tourist oriented venues.

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