Grizzly Bear Interpretive Centre

British Columbia


Kicking Horse Mountain Resort has a 20-acre fenced area for Boo, a grizzly bear who was rescued as an orphaned cub in 2003.

While zoos and wildlife parks might not be everyone's cup of tea, the ethics of Boo's captivity are a little different. Following his instincts during mating season, the playful grizzly has escaped a number of times in the past, but has always voluntarily returned to his 'home.' His refuge is run and maintained by highly professional wardens who talk with enthusiasm and authority about Boo and other ursine matters. This is no robotic zoo trip. Although a new tour leaves every hour, visitors are encouraged to dip in and out as they wish and ask all manner of questions.

To visit the refuge, purchase tickets at the Kicking Horse gondola base station. Access is via the Catamount Chair Lift. Tours run hourly from 9am to 5pm, with an hour’s break for lunch at 1pm. A better deal is the Adventure Pass (adult/child $48/24), which allows you to also travel on the gondola to the top of the mountain for hiking and sightseeing afterward.

For a more up-close introduction to Boo with one of his keepers, join the Ranger Assistant Tour. Visits run at 9am and 4pm; numbers are limited to five per visit, so book ahead.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby British Columbia attractions

1. Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge

3.48 MILES

Originally established as a logging town and supply station for the Canadian Pacific Railway, back when the town was simply known as ‘the Cache’, Golden…

2. Northern Lights Wolf Centre

8.18 MILES

This small wildlife center houses a small pack of gray wolves and wolf-husky crosses, all born and bred in captivity. Visits include an introduction to…

3. Glacier National Park

20.45 MILES

To be accurate, this 1350-sq-km park should be called '430 Glaciers National Park'. The annual snowfall can be as much as 23m, and due to the sheer…

4. Wapta Falls

21.89 MILES

Named after a Nakoda word meaning ‘river,’ these are the largest set of falls anywhere on the Kicking Horse River, measuring 150m (490ft) across and 30m …

5. Emerald Lake

24.06 MILES

For most visitors, this vividly colored lake is Yoho’s most unmissable sight. Ringed by forest and silhouetted by impressive mountains, including the…

6. Burgess Shale Fossil Beds

25 MILES

This World Heritage site protects the amazing Cambrian-age fossil beds on Mt Stephen and Mt Field. These 515-million-year-old fossils preserve the remains…

7. Yoho National Park

26.38 MILES

Although the smallest (1310 sq km) of the four national parks in the Rockies, Yoho is a diamond in the (very) rough. This wilderness is the real deal; it…

8. Takakkaw Falls

28.55 MILES

A thundering torrent of water tumbles from its source in the nearby Daly Glacier over a sheer cliff face for 255m (836ft), making it the second-highest…