A small cascade and a horseshoe bend along the Johnston Canyon Trail/Scott Johnson
In a park known for its majestic peaks and brilliant lakes, perhaps the most enchanting trail in Banff National Park clings to a canyon above a curving, crystal-clear river with a handful of picturesque plunges just 15 miles west of Banff townsite.
Johnston Canyon, one of the area’s most popular hikes, features a pair of large waterfalls, 50-foot Lower Falls and 100-foot Upper Falls, along with a handful of smaller cascades as Johnston Creek carves its way through the limestone walls. The 3-mile out-and-back is a great option for families, but also tour groups. Heck, there’s a resort and coffee kiosk near the trailhead. In our July trip to Banff, my wife and I almost skipped this hike due to the crowd, but on our last day, we arrived early enough to stretch our legs before eight hours of driving toward home, and it left one of the biggest impressions during our week in the Canadian Rockies, both for its natural beauty and the engineering work done to make this location easily accessible.
A catwalk allows hikers to trek through Johnston Canyon/Scott Johnson
Like seemingly every trail in Banff, the path has a steady incline. Unlike most trails, though, it is partially paved and lacking in protruding tree roots. The path starts in a forest and soon enters the namesake canyon, where the trail takes on catwalk form and hugs the rock wall above the creek. At times, you walk near river level, with the creek rushing by; another spot overlooks a horseshoe bend from high above.
In less than a mile, Lower Falls appears, tucked nearly out of view behind a protrusion of the canyon. A bridge crosses the creek, passing over a collection of logs stuck below the splash zone. On the other side, a short tunnel in the rock wall leads to a small viewing area with a front-and-center view of the falls. In the summer, the mist is refreshing, though it does make traversing the tunnel and platform a slippery task.
Lower Falls can be seen from the bridge over Johnston Creek, and there's an up-close view through the tunnel/Scott Johnson
Crossing back over the bridge, the trail steepens a bit and follows the creek up to a number of smaller waterfalls before reaching Upper Falls. A catwalk leads out a short distance into the creek, and you have to get to the very end to fully see the falls, which had three separate drops when we were there. A short trip up grants a view that looks across the canyon with a view of the waterfall from the height of its brink.
The canyon itself is reminiscent of environment you can find in Mount Rainier National Park or Glacier National Park, and a segment of the canyon wall opposite Upper Falls, coated in algae and calcium carbonate, brought memories of Mammoth Hot Springs at Yellowstone National Park. We did not continue past Upper Falls, but if you want to extend the hike to 7 miles total, you’ll leave the canyon and reach spring-fed pools colorful enough to be called “ink pots.” And since most people, like us, stop at Upper Falls, expect more solitude the farther you go.
100-foot Upper Falls can been seen at creek level from a catwalk/Scott Johnson
While the trail won’t be confused with Half Dome or Angels Landing, I did see a couple folks at Johnston Canyon clinging to the handrail as they tentatively moved forward, seemingly affected either by the height or narrowness of the trail. But like those two iconic hikes, Johnston Canyon is very popular and crowded. During high season, expect to be shoulder to shoulder with others, or stuck behind a line of people.
Originally, we had planned on checking out the canyon on our way from Lake Louise to Banff townsite, but when we drove by on a weekday afternoon, the large parking lot was full, and cars were parked on both sides of the Bow Valley Parkway for a quarter mile in each direction. As with any popular location, arrive early or late to avoid large crowds, particularly from July to September. One way to avoid jockeying for a parking spot is to camp across the parkway at a Parks Canada campground or stay at Johnston Canyon Resort.
When we finished our hike around 10 a.m. the following day, the lot was packed and cars were already parking along the road. It is worth beating the crowds, as the viewing platforms for the two main falls are very small (only a handful of people can see Upper Falls from the lower viewing platform), and the catwalk trail built along the canyon wall is only wide enough for two people, meaning you might get to know your fellow hikers very well. During the winter, the waterfalls freeze over and are popular with ice climbers. So no matter the season, there’s a reason to visit.
Despite the crowds, the allure of the canyon stood out the most. A trip to Banff wouldn’t be complete without a stop at Johnston Canyon, a perfect place for us to say goodbye to the Canadian Rockies.
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