After completing the Columbia Icefield Parkway, we returned to the outskirts of Banff. We still had a couple of hours before we could check into our room at Buffalo Mountain Lodge. The brief rainstorm ended, so we used this opportunity to hike Johnston Canyon.
Johnston Canyon is one of the most visited hiking trails in Banff National Park. Located just 14 miles northwest of the town of Banff, the flowing waters of Johnston Creek created the limestone canyon on its way to the Bow River.
Johnston Canyon – Upper and Lower Falls
After parking (more about that below), we began the trail to the Upper Falls. A friend who went the previous year said the Upper Falls are much more impressive than the Lower Falls. I’ll say this – they’re both impressive, so try to do both if you can!
The hike to the Lower Falls is under three-quarters of a mile, making the round trip about 1.4 miles. If you hike to the Upper Falls, the round trip is a little over 3 miles. But the best reason to hike to Upper Falls? When you hike to the Upper Falls, you pass right by the Lower Falls, and you see several smaller waterfalls, giving you the most bang for your buck!
Lower Falls
The path to the Lower Falls is fully paved and features many metal catwalks. These catwalks, bolted into the side of the canyon, make you feel like you’re walking right over Johnston Creek. Don’t worry, these have handrails too.
Since the hike is relatively easy and only ascends about 100 feet, you’ll find the walkways leading to the Lower Falls the most crowded. We saw lots of families with grandparents, small children, and strollers, often blocking the path to take pictures of the whole group. But once you get to the waterfalls, you’ll forget those slight annoyances and take in the natural beauty surrounding you.
Step off the main trail and take the bridge crossing the creek for the best views of the Lower Falls. To get closer, you can go through the small, cave-like opening in the rocks that allows 5-6 people to feel the mist from the falls. We stood in line for about 20 minutes. It’s cool, but not necessary for experiencing the falls.
Upper Falls
Continue on to the Upper Falls if you can. The trail becomes moderate with fewer paved pathways and a 300-foot elevation gain. This definitely thins out most of the crowds, and we could hike at a pretty good pace. On this portion, we passed by three sets of smaller waterfalls: Tunnel, Stella, and Marguerite. The higher we climbed, the more turquoise the water became.
A few sections of the trail took us away from the creek and more into a forested area with a few chances to see wildlife. At the Upper Falls, a viewing deck near the canyon floor gave us the best view. I later learned there is another viewpoint a little higher on the trail.
We turned around here to backtrack to the parking lot. However, you can continue another 1.6 miles to see the Ink Pots. These are five shallow pools of turquoise-blue, spring-fed water located in an alpine meadow. If you do the Ink Pots trail via Johnston Canyon Upper and Lower Falls, the total hike is 7 miles round-trip and takes up to 4 hours.
Parking
Parking is free at Johnston Canyon, but like everywhere else in Banff National Park, you must display your park pass in the windshield. Don’t do what we did and pay $20 CAD to park in a different lot. Coming from the north, we turned into the first lot we saw with a sign that read, “Johnston Canyon day parking: $20 CAD.” We turned in, parked, and paid it. Later, we realized this wasn’t the official lot, but rather the lot for Johnston Canyon Lodge. When we left Johnston Canyon, we drove past the free lot with lots of empty parking spots.
However, our parking payment supported a local business. Johnston Canyon Lodge & Bungalows began in 1926 when Walter and Marguerite Camp built cabins for motor tourists. Walter not only gave interpretive talks at the lodge for over 50 years, but also developed the trail to the Upper Falls and named two waterfalls: Marguerite (after his wife) and Stella (after his daughter). Still owned by the same family, the lodge now has 42 cabins, a restaurant, a market, an ice cream stand, and a gift shop.
Back in Banff
Our hike in Johnston Canyon lasted only about 90 minutes, so we had time to shop in Banff. We bought a few souvenirs, then headed to Evelyn’s Coffee, a great coffee place we had visited earlier in the week. Banff parking was much easier at the train station since it was midweek.
We then headed to Tunnel Mountain. Originally named Sleepy Mountain by the Stoney Nakoda, the small mountain has an elevation gain of close to 950 feet. So where’s the tunnel? There isn’t one. Canadian Pacific Railway considered cutting a 900-foot railroad tunnel before scrapping the idea around 1882. Somehow, the name stayed around.
Our hotel on Tunnel Mountain offered great views of Mt. Rundle. In fact, we witnessed a wedding in the park area the next day. As we headed to dinner, we stepped out on the deck to see a glorious rainbow.
In Conclusion
Johnston Canyon is one of Banff’s busiest hikes. It’s no wonder, since the stroller-friendly path to the Lower Falls offers breathtaking scenery. If you go, plan to arrive early or late in the afternoon to avoid peak times. If the trail is crowded, remember it usually thins out after the Lower Falls. Plan to hike all the way to the Upper Falls for more natural beauty.
Don’t confuse Johnston Canyon with Johnson Lake. The lake, located east of Banff near Two-Jack Lake, is a popular swimming lake. For more information about Johnston Canyon, click here. Roam, Banff’s public bus service, offers routes to Johnston Canyon here.