Johnston Canyon: What To Expect & How To Make It Worth It

Johnston Canyon is one of the top things to do in Banff National Park, especially since it’s so close to Banff town. I didn’t know what to expect from visiting Johnston Canyon and I was pleasantly surprised… but it could have easily gone the other way.

Depending on when you visit, your experience could be a wonderful hike through a canyon, or a complete mess of waiting in lines and walking through crowds. Here’s are my tips for how to avoid the latter and make the most of your trip to Johnston Canyon!

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Why Skip Johnston Canyon

Johnston Canyon might be on your skip list for Banff National Park because it’s PACKED! Like really packed! Plus, there are other spots in Banff National Park that are just as nice and way less busy.

Johnston Canyon wasn’t designed for the amount of people that visit every day. You could be left trying to navigate crowds instead of see the views. Plus, don’t even get me started on the lines you might have to wait in just to see the falls.

If you’re a bit skittish on bridges, or afraid of heights, you might also want to skip Johnston Canyon. You’re suspended over the water on a narrow bridge… let’s just say there were moments were even I wasn’t too pleased!

Plan the ultimate trip to Banff National Park with my travel guide. Includes packing lists, and checklists for all the top things to do, like Johnston Canyon.

Why Visit Johnston Canyon

First, I was in complete awe of the canyon – it was so magical to walk through! I’d never experience anything like this before. What sets Johnston Canyon a part is that you’re actually walking in the canyon. You’re right above the river on a suspended boardwalk hanging off the canyon walls.

Typically, other canyons I’ve visited (like the Grand Canyon in Arizona) you just have to admire the canyon from way above.

How To Get to Johnston Canyon From Banff

The easiest way to get to Johnston Canyon from Banff is by car… but as always, it’s easier said than done. It’s about a 30 minute drive from Banff. I actually visited on my way from Banff to Lake Louise. But you can also visit the canyon in a day trip from Banff.

how-to-get-from-johnston-canyon-from-banff-by-car

You shouldn’t have an issue with the drive along the scenic Bow Valley Parkway. But Parks Canada is trying a new pilot project where the road is closed to cars in the Spring and Fall.

If the road is closed (as it was when I visited in June), it’s not a big detour. It’s a few extra minutes, but you will have to back track a bit. You’ll drive along the TransCanada highway, get off at Castle Junction (which is another scenic spot you can stop at) and drive back a few minutes.

The the next struggle is going to be finding parking at Johnston Canyon. I was very lucky and got the LAST spot in P1. There are two parking lots, but once they’re full I’m not sure what happens…

If you don’t have a car, you can rent one in Banff from Avis or Hertz (I rented a car in Calgary from both Avis and Enterprise and would highly recommend Enterprise).

driving-the-trans-canada-high-from-banff-to-johnston-canyon

How To Get From Banff To Johnston Canyon Without A Car

If you want to avoid dealing with parking, or if you don’t have a car, there are a few other options to get to Johnston Canyon from Banff. Unfortunately, there aren’t any shuttles, but you can take Roam public transit, see the schedule.

Or, an even easier option is just to go on an organized tour to Johnston Canyon. For example, this tour from Viator takes you to all the top spots in Banff including Johnston Canyon. Or see more Johnston Canyon tours from Viator.

Do You Have To Pay?

Johnston Canyon is a part of Banff National Park, so you only need a park pass to access it (I recommend buying a park pass in advance though). Parking is also free here – just make sure to display your park pass!

How Long Do You Need At The Canyon?

Depending on what you want to do at Johnston Canyon, you can spend as little as an hour to as long as a full day.

The minimum amount of time you need at Johnston Canyon is about an hour though. It’s a 30 minute hike each way to the Johnston Canyon lower falls. But that doesn’t include stopping for pictures, so you’ll most likely want to plan a bit more time!

If you’re plan is to go all the way to the Inkpots, the hike takes about 4-6 hours (and again, not including stops!). So expect everything to take longer because you will want to stop and take pictures (and a lot of picture too!).

P.S. Use my Banff National Park digital travel guide to perfectly plan your trip!

What To Do At Johnston Canyon: Three Things To See…

There are three things you can see at Johnston Canyon: the lower falls, upper falls, and then finally the Inkpots.

Johnston Canyon Lower Falls (The Only One That’s Worth It!)

The first stop on your Johnston Canyon hike is to the lower falls. This is by far the best part of the hike, although I’ll admit can be a bit scary for some.

It’s about a 30 minute hike to the falls. Well, it’s less of a hike and more of a lovely walk along a suspension bridge over the canyon. You’re above the canyon and next to the rock wall – it’s surreal!

Once you’ve made it to the lower falls, make sure to cross the bridge to the tunnel through the cave. On the other side, you get an even closer view of the falls.

P.S. be prepared to get wet! You’re right next to the falls! I made sure to put my phone in a waterproof proof bag for this)!

Johnston Canyon Upper Falls (Less Worth It)

After the lower falls, it’s another 30 minute hike to the upper falls. And this felt like a bit more of a slog…

First, the boardwalk stopped, so it’s a real hiking trail through the forest. You can still see the river, but you’re no longer directly above it. The trail is still well groomed, but it’s definitely more of an intense hike, as it’s an uphill rugged path.

About halfway, there’s another small waterfall you can stop at for a break – but these are not the upper falls, those are still another 10-15 minutes away.

Also, keep in mind, once you reach the upper falls, it’s now about an hour hike back to the parking lot.

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Why The Upper Falls Are Less Worth It…

I’m not going to lie, I was slightly underwhelmed by the upper falls. For starters, I didn’t love the hike to get to them – I also didn’t realize it was another 30 minutes away!

So, like I said, the entire time it just felt like a real slog compare to the first 30 minutes of the hike. And then when I finally made it, I was greeted with a long line to wait in just to see them. That’s because it’s a very small platform to actually see the falls and only a few people can fit at a time.

To make matters even worse, when you finally make it on to the viewing platform, you realize that you have an obstructed view of the falls…

upper-falls-johnston-canyon — *I feel like even a foot longer would have been a less obstructed view*

This platform is just a complete fail in my mind. Once you’re building a structure to see the falls, build it far enough to see them in their entirety. And, make it big enough to at least hold a few people!

But, I think the most frustrating part was when you’re waiting in line, we had so many people walk by us saying that the falls were worth the wait… I would have to disagree completely. This also just hyped them up for complete disappointment.

And remember, this added an hour to your day (if not more, depending on how long you have to wait in line). Think about all the other things you could do in Banff National Park…

lineup-waiting-for-the-upper-falls-johnston-canyon — *The lineup to see the upper falls…*

Johnston Canyon Inkpots (I’m Happy We Didn’t Make It There)

Once you’ve made it to the Upper Falls, it’s a short hike back to the path that leads to the Inkpots. The iInkpots are five green and blue pools of spring water that form. What sets them a part is that they all differ in colour based on how quickly they each fill up with water.

From the upper falls though, it’s another hour to an hour and a half hike (and keep in mind, it will be another 2-3 hours back!). The total hike to them can take between 4-6 hours. So, needless to say, I opted against continuing this far. And I’m happy I did…

I looked at pictures afterwards and I was unimpressed. Maybe I’m wrong, of course, the real view is usually a lot better than a picture, but that hike is way too long for that risk.

There are just such incredible views in Banff that are a MUCH shorter hike to get to, if there’s even any hike at all. I would recommend saving your energy for other activities in Banff.

rainbow-shimmering-in-lower-falls-johnston-canyon

Is Johnston Canyon Hike Hard?

As I said, the first part of the Johnston Canyon hike (to the lower falls) is very doable.

Now, I don’t know if it’s because I tried to get there really quickly, but the hike to the upper falls gets a bit harder. It is more rugged and uphill. But again, it should be doable. It’s just more long and boring.

And I can’t say what the hike is like to get to the inkpots.

Tips For Visiting Johnston Canyon

Here are some tips for visiting Johnston Canyon to plan your day and make your visit easier.

Get There Early! And I Mean REALLY EARLY!

I’ve never seen such a busy place. Aside from Lake Louise, this was the busiest place we visited in Banff National Park.

Not only is there no parking the later you come, but the trails are PACKED. You end up walking in a line along the suspension bridges which just takes away from the whole experience.

The worst part are the lines. Like I said, there are’s a small passageway at the lower falls where you can see them up close… it’s a very small space inside so not that many people can fit at once. I waited maybe 2 minutes in line, and I’m so happy we didn’t wait longer.

the gushing waterfall at johnston canyon . Water gushes through two large rock walls.

On my way back, I saw that the line went all the way across the bridge and around the corner. This must have been at least a 30 minute wait (and p.s. it’s not that worth it… it’s more for the experience than the view). The view is actually better from the other side of the bridge or even on the bridge is way better.

Then, once you actually make it up the trek to the upper falls, you guessed it, there’s another line! I waited maybe 15 minutes (and again, it’s not really worth the wait!). I expect the wait was also just about to get worse, as it did at the lower falls.

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the lineup and crowds at johnston canyon. There's a small hill before reaching a paved area with a green fence and bridge. You can't see much else because there are too many people crowding the space ahead. — *The lineup for the tunnel starts across the bridge!*

How Early Should You Get There?

I got to the parking lot around 10:00 A.M. and I think this was already a bit too late. As I said, the parking lot was already full (I got the last spot) and lines were already starting at the falls.

I would recommend trying to get there by 9:00 A.M. latest if you can! But the park actually opens at 6:00 A.M. during high season. So if you really want to get ahead of the crowds, you can get there for when it opens.

an empty trail at johnston canyon. There's a gravel path in between very tall evergreen trees. you can't even see the tops of them, but the blue sky is trying to peak through. — *This is the start of the trail at 10:00 A.M…. and we still couldn’t beat the line at the upper falls*

Limited Good Food Options… Pack A Lunch!!

Johnston Canyon actually has three options for food, but they’re not that good… Your first option is a small snack shack for coffee and ice cream (so not for lunch).

Then there’s the Blackswift Bistro which is a sit down restaurant, but it has a 2.8 on google reviews at the time of writing this. I didn’t even get a chance to try it because I was in a bit of a rush and they said the service might be slow…

Your third and final option is the Market Cafe, which sounds promising, in theory. They did have sandwiches for lunch… but none you actually want to eat. They were very basic grocery store sandwiches, which didn’t have a vegetarian options either… I opted to remain a little hungry to save myself from potential food poisoning.

So, to avoid any food problems, just pack yourself a lunch, or at least some good snacks to get you by.

a small food shack in johnston canyon. Its a wooden strucutre, with a wood sign sticking out that says coffee in white. It looks closed though because there's a boarded up window.

No Bathrooms On The trail

There are bathrooms at the start of the trail (near P1) and that’s it! So make sure to use those before you start the hike because these are the only bathrooms you’ll see the entire time.

Opt To Stay At Johnston Canyon!

If you think you might struggle getting there early, you can actually stay at Johnston Canyon at the Johnston Canyon Lodge & Bungalows. This might help you beat the crowds because you can be the first (or the last) ones on the trails.

P.S. This is also my recommended hack for visiting Lake Louise without any of the crowds as well. So I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for Johnston Canyon too!

a cabin restaurant in the woods. A woman walks her dog on a gravel path next to the house. Bright red umbrellas are open on the terrace. There are tall green tress. In the distance are large mountains.

Johnston Canyon in the Winter

If you’re visiting Banff in the winter, Johnston Canyon is a completely different experience from the summer. The trails are still open, the river is ice, and the trees are covered in snow. It’s truly magical. And benefit of visiting in the winter is that there are a lot less people.

But you do have to watch out because it’s not as easy of a hike in the winter. I highly recommend having crampons if you plan on hiking Johnston Canyon in the winter. I saw someone fall within 5 minutes of our walk. Crampons go over your boots and have little metal cleats to grip the snow or ice below.

If you’r visiting in the winter, you can book this organized Icewalk tour through Johnston Canyon for a truly unique experience with a guide. It includes pick up from Banff, crampons, hiking poles, and even some hot chocolate!

It’s also important to note that although the bathrooms are still open in the winter, the restaurant and cafe are closed. So there are no food options if you visit Johnston Canyon in the winter.

a suspended bridge with packed snow on the ground. There's a short fence on the right side, on the left side you're greeted with a giant rock wall. The evegreen trees are also snow covered and they lead your eyes up to the sky above. Below is an ice and snow covered river.

My Banff National Park Amazon Must Haves

There’s no denying that a trip to Banff is outdoor focused. Even if you aren’t planning on doing any intense hikes or outdoor activities, there are a few essentials I pack. For example, these protein bars and a refillable water bottle. You’re visiting more remote locations, that won’t have a place to buy any food or water so it’s important you always have something on hand.

I also like these Columbia Newton hiking boots because they also double as my waterproof shoes during the summer months and they also worked in the winter as a pair of lighter boots.

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Banff Travel Guide

Use it digitally on your phone to check off top attractions as you do them. Or print it out in one of three size formats.

9 Pages included:

Cover page
Banff at a Glance: with tips for travelling to Banff National Park
Packing Guide (summer & winter)
Things to do on the way to Banff (Canmore)
Things to do in Calgary
Banff National Park checklist
Souvenirs to Buy
Additional notes

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