whistler eco tours - river of golden dreams

My husband and I are great fans of kayaking and rafting, so we were excited by reviews and photos of the river trip. We took a self-guided tour from lake to lake in individual kayaks.It was quite windy when we set off across the first lake. If you're not a confident kayaker, this could really put you off...or even capsize you. Nevertheless, it was a pleasant start, and it got even better when we entered the river, which looked beautiful with its steep banks and lush aquatic vegetation.Unfortunately we soon ran into difficulties, as the water level was just too low. For the first 1/3 of the journey, we were wading through muddy knee-deep water and pushing the kayaks along.Once we got into deeper water, we hit another snag: beaver dams. There were signs telling us not to destroy the dams - something we wholeheartedly agreed with - but there was no way round them. In some cases, we had to group together and push each other over. I felt very uncomfortable about that and think some bank-side paths would've been a better idea.Some sections of the river are stunning, with gravel bars and calm forested areas. Other parts were disappointingly unattractive; it could've been a canal in Swindon.Eco Tours themselves warned us not to expect to see much wildlife, but we'd seen websites which promised us bears, deer and eagles. Don't be fooled - we saw nothing at all.All in all, we had fun, but then we always do. If you enjoy kayaking and like a bit of a challenge, this is for you. Just don't expect to be bowled over.

We booked this as a self-guided canoe trip as we have some experience with canoeing in the UK and we had great fun following the route across beautiful lakes, peaceful streams and over beaver dams!.We met centrally in Whistler and were taken to the Alta Lake to pick up our canoe. We didn't need much instruction because of our past experience but Ben was very good at explaining the route and some of the challenges we could expect.The whole route was magical with great views and it took us about 3 hours before we arrived at the exit point on green lake. Note that most tour companies get you to exit the river before the lake, but Whistler Eco tours have arranged a pull out point on the lake itself so that you get a slightly longer canoe, and also experience the strangely coloured glacial lake. We were then taken back to our hotel. Even though the water level was very low and we had to wade a little bit it was great fun and one of the highlights of our holiday.

We've been using this company for years now and send down multiple groups every summer. They've always gone above and beyond to meet our needs and consistently over-deliver with their unrivaled attention to customer service. Going from Alta Lake to Green Lake is an incredible experience and is not to be missed if you're visiting Whistler in the summer!!

We went with Whistler Eco Tours on their Peddle Paddle trip...from Whistler, we biked to Alta Lake, got kayaks there and kayaked across the lake and down the River of Golden Dreams to Green Lake. Our bikes were brought there, and then we biked back to Whistler. A 4-5 hour trip and it was awesome. Close to 3 of the hours were in the kayaks. Our guide, Isaac, was awesome. I had never been in a kayak before and thought this would be a good little trip to give me a taste of kayaking...gave me a taste alright...it was more than a "little" trip! My shoulders were feeling it that is for sure and near the end of river, my son was totally tired. I think Isaac said we kayaked something like 7 km...but I think I did more than that as I was just learning and could not get that kayak to go straight, so I did a lot of zig-zagging down the lake! :) The scenery was spectacular, the Eco part of the trip was interesting and it was a great day. Riding bike, you go along some of the many trails they have around Whistler...I love that type of bike riding, so I was in 7th heaven the whole time. Now I want to take kayak lessons and get myself a kayak!

Rented a canoe and did a self guided tour down the river of dreams last month, fun experience, glad the river was not deep at the time. On this month's visit, we tried stand up paddle boarding with an instructor who provided expert advice and great enthusiasm...we learned how to comfortably paddle board in two hours. Highly recommended, staff is always very friendly and helpful, condition of the equipment seemed to be on the newer side.

Thanks for the review. Phil is a great guide who has been guiding with us for almost 10 years. He is knowledgable and helpful with the guests and is a great leader for our newer guides as well. The water is low now so there is a longer portage at present but once back in, the river continues to be great fun!Thanks Keenan

Thanks for the review. Phil is awesome as are the rest of our team as you mentioned. This really is a great family trip and it is an accomplishment when you reach the beach at the Edgewater Activity Centre on Green Lake. Hope your kids received an ice cream there for their reward. Thanks Keenan

Thanks for the wonderful review. The River of Golden Dreams is an experince worth doing over and over again. The river is always changing as well. In the spring the water is cold and fast and really requires a guide but in July and now August it is calm and easy. The water levels now in mid August are quite low but we have added a portage and with the busy beavers making dams and holding back the water the river is still a lot of fun.Thanks Keenan

Thanks for the great review. This tour on The River of Golden Dreams is one that shouldn't be missed when visiting Whistler in the summer. It is everything you mentioned. Only with Whistler Eco Tours may you complete the River and paddle into Green Lake ending up on our Private Beach at the Edgewater Activity Centre. Thanks again . Keenan

Thank-you for your review. It is always so nice to hear how helpful our guides are. We take pride in offering a wonderful guided experience and truely believe our guides make us the best at what we do.Thanks again for your review... Keenan

Thank-you for your review. Andrew like many of our guides have been working with Whistler Eco Tours for many years. His knowledge and experience is what makes our guests experience great! But it does not end there, our experienced guides helps to train and teach our new guides as well. We believe we have the best guides in the business and Andrew logan is definitely one of our stars. Thanks again for the review. Keenan

Thank-you so much for the great review. You guys were excellent and I was very fortunate to meet you both. The trip really is great and you are so right in stating how lucky we are to be the only company to have our own private beach on Green Lake. No better way to end the trip. Thanks again Keenan

Hi MarkThanks for your write-up and photos. Yes the River can be difficult in sections. A Guide is always advisible especially in the spring. Unfortunately the name of the River misleads. If you come back up later in the season the river is much calmer and hopefully your wife will not lean to either side. Thanks again for the write-up and 3 stars considering you dipped twice. Keenan

Thanks for the review. Phil is back leading tours once again for Whistler Eco Tours so please feel free to request to have Phil be yourguide.

Thanks for the review. I am very pleased you enjoyed your paddle with Jamie. He has been an excellent guide and we hope he will be able to return working with us next year. This time of year can be challenging with the river levels at their low points but having a guide help you is the best way to navigate it. Arriving into Green Lake is amazing and we are the only tour company with a Green Lake pull out, at The Edge Water Activity Centres, which guarentees all our clients this remarkable experience at the end of the paddle. Thanks again for your review and the recommendation of Whistler Eco Tours. Keenan Moses