My family did our first summer gondola ride last year at Lake Louise in Alberta. Full story can be found here. I found it okay (maybe 3 out of 5 starts). We are avid skiers so we have been on many of Alberta and British Columbia's gondolas during the winter. Experiencing these mountains in the summer is beautiful, way less busy and fun to do with the whole family!
I have always wanted to experience Kicking Horse Mountain Resort (KHMR) in Golden, British Columbia in the summer. Finally we did it and we dragged the grandparents along with us!
KHMR Gondola gets top marks from me!
It's about $40 CDN an adult to take the gondola for sightseeing / hiking (more for mountain biking). We had learned that Kicking Horse offers early bird summer gondola passes (just like it does in the winter). We were able to get our whole family gondola passes for the cost of one trip but reusable for the season. We plan on going more than once so it's a great deal!
There is an option to see the Grizzly Bear refugee. Participants take the chair lift to get to the bear enclosure. Tours run every half an hour. We saw "Boo" the bear from the gondola but we are going to take the kids another day to see the bear/hear the talk. Our kids are 10 months and 2 years so doing both Gondola and Chairlift/Grizzly refugee is a little too much for us in a day if we don't have too.
We did the KHMR gondola trip mid-July on a Sunday. There was BC Enduro Kootney Rockies Series mountain bike race happening the same day. We thought it would be busy but there was no line for the gondola or restaurant. Summer time even with events happening is quiet. There are little to no waits and still people around to make a fun environment.
The gondola ride is about 12 minutes. My dad timed it, he's a bit of a nerd haha. Love you dad! You can not see the summit from the bottom of the gondola - this mountain is huge - 1260 vertical with the summit at 2450 elevation. The gondola provides views down the valley, of the town of Golden and when you are at the top 360 degree views! The views are what makes this place so amazing! There are hiking, climbing, and biking activities if you want to participate. We went for lunch and short walks. Kicking Horse is a steep mountain so we took trails we were comfortable with kids and for my parents. This trail is down CPR ridge.
CPR ridge trail gave us good views of the Eagle Eye restaurant that we had lunch at and the Gondola loader.
The Eagle Eye restaurant has a beautiful patio, views, great food and prices are good for being at the top of a mountain (expect around $18 for a meal). Kids are welcome and for the adults the beer is cold!
My mom hadn't been on a gondola for years and was very impressed. She says the one in Banff is nice as it also offers 360 degree views. I'll have to check it out one day! The whole family loved the gondola ride, we will be back!
Note: You can hike the mountain from the bottom, KHMR says it takes 4-6 hours. Hikers and bikers share trails. Even in the summer the peaks can be cooler or hotter than the base. Hotter as sometimes cloud blocks the valley but not the peaks. Bring water, layers, a camera and your sense of adventure!