Old Logging Roads Lead to New Adventures in Golden, British Columbia

Published July 10th, 2023



Perfectly situated and surrounded by six National Parks, Golden, BC is an adventurers paradise, especially with a sprawling network of old logging roads. From remarkable views nearly 2,000 metres above sea level to an about 70 km drive up an old logging road and much more in between, outdoor adventure is unmatched here.


Before you start packing and planning, the key aspect to these experiences are having and using the right vehicle. 


The best choice is an all-wheel drive vehicle with ample ground clearance as the logging roads are unpaved and have uneven terrain.
Immediate and well-appointed options include the Toyota 4Runner, Jeep Wrangler/Gladiator, Ford Bronco, Land Rover Defender, and Subaru Outback.

With the modern automotive market skewing heavily toward outdoor adventure, the number of off-road capable offerings are quite high. 


During a Canadian Rockies Road trip in late 2022, the vehicle I used was the first-ever 2023 Mazda CX-50, a vehicle that, you guessed it, is outdoors focussed and engineered for adventure. Their tag line is “We’re more human in nature” with an accompanying video of the SUV rolling through rock and dirt roads.

What made there CX-50 the right vehicle for me and resulted in zero issues? All-Wheel Drive and an off-road driving mode.
What does the CX-50’s off-road mode do that’ll help you safely ascend and descend logging roads? It’s designed to help eliminate wheel spin, the turn-in response is sharper, when the wheels turn, more weight is pushed to the front to capture the initial bite point, there’s more torque slip to delay the torque converter lockup resulting in more power and smoother propulsion. Also, if one wheel is in the air due to a diagonally offset portion of road and one tire starts to spin, the brakes are automatically applied to the spinning tire and the one diagonally opposite as that wheel will spin next; applying the brake to those tires sends torque to the tires that are on the road.

My path was full of narrow twists, turns, bends, uneven terrain, climbs, descents and the CX-50 handled it flawlessly. No moments of anxiety, uncertainty or worry; the right vehicle built for off-road adventure should be the perfect travel companion. Also, having 227 horsepower and a terrific 310 lb-ft. of torque at only 2,000 RPM gives you plenty of power and push/pull at much lower speeds, which you’ll highly utilize on the logging roads. 


A front or rear-wheel drive vehicle, in theory only, could do the trek but as someone who’s driven over a million kilometres over 30 years in nearly 1,000 different vehicles, in nearly all conditions, I’d use this if there were no four/all-wheel drive options. 
Why? There’s not enough ground clearance, four-wheel/all-wheel drive is paramount, and you’ll be unnecessarily punishing and over-exerting the vehicle. Plus, there’s a probably that you’ll have to do on-site fixes/repairs as these vehicles are best suited for paved roads.
Just because it can doesn’t mean you should, is my point.

2023 Mazda CX-50

Right, now that we’ve covered the medium, let’s get to the journey and destination, shall we?


Note that logging roads can either be active, inactive or decommissioned. 

Active logging roads are those where they have cut blocks where they are currently harvesting trees. The public can access these roads however they should have a radio to monitor and call in their position on the road to avoid any negative situations. Inactive logging roads are there where they have previously harvested trees and may harvest trees in the future but aren't currently doing so. In this situation, you do not need a radio to travel down the road. 

Deactivated logging roads are those where they no longer plan on harvesting trees in the area and they make it extremely difficult to access the rest of the road by either putting large boulders in the way or digging a massive trench. 

What you’ll see below are split into beginner, intermediate and advanced for trip options, provided by Andy Brown, Communications Manager, Tourism Golden. These logging roads provide the paths to astounding hikes, vivacious viewpoints and cool camping spots. 



Beginner

These trips have non-complicated travel where there is cell reception for the majority of the trip or there are enough people travelling the route that should something go wrong you won't be stuck for long. They also don't necessarily require a vehicle with a lot of ground clearance. 

Watching a sunset from the Mount 7 Launch
This involves a 14 KM drive up the Bowl Evans Drive Forest Service Road (FSR) to the Mount 7 paragliding launch site. This gravel road is well maintained and ascends over 1000 meters to one of the most spectacular sunset locations you'll ever see. Some sections of the road are steep and there aren't any barriers, but it is wide enough for 2 vehicles. 

Exploring the lakes and recreation sites on the west side of the Columbia Valley
These FSRs are well maintained and hold many great spots to visit including reception sites for camping and lakes for swimming and hiking opportunities. There are several roads to explore and you can get turned around so it is recommended to have a paper map as cell service can be spotty. 

Photo by Andy Brown

Intermediate

These trips take you along roads that are tougher to travel and it is highly recommended that you have a vehicle with more ground clearance and all-wheel or 4x4 capabilities. I would also recommend that you drop your speed by 10-20% so your reaction time is increased.

Driving to the Gorman Lake Trailhead
This trip is relatively short but the road has degraded significantly over the years and now requires a capable vehicle for the final 2km where there are lots of rocks with relatively steep climbs and only room for 1 vehicle at a time. The route climbs to roughly 1800 meters above seas level, once you've reached the trailhead you can tackle the 6.5 km roundtrip hike to the alpine lake.  

12-mile FSR and hike
This route requires a little more route finding as there are several FSR roads that branch off the route. Similar to Gorman Lake this drive takes you well up the side of a mountain to access a hiking trailhead. At one point you are literally driving through a login cut block along the face of a mountain that overlooks the Columbia valley. At times the road is only wide enough for 1 vehicle and has some areas with exposure that requires a confident driver. Once at the trailhead, this hike takes you deep into a picturesque alpine valley.

Photo by Andy Brown

Advanced

These trips can be more unpredictable as they cover longer distances. Anyone attempting them should plan ahead, know the route and if they need overnight equipment and should have the tools and ability to change a flat tire or remove deadfall on the road. The vehicle used requires the ability to travel over rough terrain with 4x4 capabilities. When travelling on backcountry roads cell service is non-existent in British Columbia always, make smart decisions and come prepared. This advanced trips requires at least 1 overnight as a staging area to explore the old FSRs in the area. 

Valenciennes Adventure 
Getting to this remote recreation site from Golden requires less than 30 km of paved driving, and over an hour and a half of backroads (logging roads) following beside Kinbasket Lake, up the Bush arm and beyond until you arrive at Valenciennes recreation site. The drive in total can take upwards of 2 hours with the route itself being fairly straightforward, but knowing how to read a traditional map can come in handy. Once you arrive the chances of someone else being there are slim to none, and you can truly unplug and enjoy the wilderness. From here you can start exploring the other FSRs in the area, some will come to a quick end others will continue on for kms and kms up the side of mountains and deep into remote valleys. 
Before you head out, remember that safety is crucial for all involved so if you’re weighing a “should I or shouldn’t I?” decision, you probably shouldn’t. 


Start with safety, finish with fun, and fill the gaps with adventure.
To start planning your adventured anchored in beautiful Golden, BC, visit goldentourism.com