Classic Hikes in the Canadian RockiesGraeme Pole
Walking guide
Classic Hikes in the Canadian Rockies
Graeme Pole · 2011
Well-regarded guide to the Rockies' best day hikes and backpacks, including Johnston Canyon and Yoho Valley routes.
Canada · Alberta
Johnston Canyon Falls
Steel catwalks bolted to a limestone canyon wall, a wet tunnel to the Lower Falls, a 30-metre Upper Falls and a meadow of cold, blue-green springs beyond. Banff's busiest trail, and the natural base for the Rockies' other big waterfalls.
Full guide Checked September 2026 by David Bussell · 40 sources UNESCO World Heritage
Johnston Creek does not fall off a cliff so much as saw its way down through one. Over a few kilometres above the Bow Valley it has cut a canyon in the limestone so narrow and sheer in places that there is no floor to walk on, so the trail is bolted to the wall instead. You walk on steel catwalks hung over the water, with the creek churning a few metres below your boots and the rock close enough to touch. Parks Canada gives the Upper Falls as 30 metres; the Lower Falls is smaller but more intimate, reached through a short, dripping tunnel in the rock.
The trail is an out-and-back that gets steadily quieter the further you go. The Lower Falls sits 1.2 km in, with about 50 metres of climb, and that is where most people turn round. The Upper Falls is 2.5 km from the trailhead and 120 metres up, with one platform at its base and another above it. Past that the canyon opens out, the trail climbs through forest and, 3.2 km further on, drops into the Ink Pots, a cluster of cold spring pools in shades of turquoise and green in a wide meadow under the peaks.
It is the obvious anchor for a Rockies waterfall trip because everything else is within a day's drive: Takakkaw Falls in Yoho, one of the tallest in Canada, is roughly an hour and a quarter west; Athabasca and Sunwapta Falls sit on the Icefields Parkway towards Jasper. Johnston itself works in every season — high water in June, clear light in September, and a frozen canyon walked on guided icewalks in winter — though autumn 2026 comes with a scheduled closure you need to plan around.
Book this trip
All activities & prices ↓- Johnston Canyon Icewalkfrom US$74 Check availability
- Canyon icewalks with White Mountain Adventures Check availability
- Athabasca and Sunwapta Falls, Icefields Parkway Check availability
Closing after Thanksgiving 2026 — and the parkway isn't always open to cars
Parks Canada has said it will close the Lower Falls area and the Johnston Canyon car park after the Thanksgiving long weekend (Monday 12 October 2026) for two to three months, to scale loose rock and stabilise the canyon walls — routine work it does roughly every decade, timed for the quietest part of the year, with more planned for autumn 2027. Exact dates had not been finalised when this guide was written, and that window overlaps the start of icewalk season. Separately, until 6 October 2026 the Bow Valley Parkway's 17 km eastern section is closed to private vehicles: you can still drive to the canyon, but via the Trans-Canada and Castle Junction, approaching from the west. Check the Banff trail-conditions and bulletins pages the week you go.
Lower Falls, Upper Falls or the Ink Pots?
Lower Falls
20–30 minutes each way1.2 km from the Johnston Canyon day-use area on the Bow Valley Parkway
The short walk that most of those 700,000 annual visitors actually do. The trail is wide and gentle, then turns into catwalks clamped to the canyon wall with the creek close below. At the falls, a bridge crosses the creek to a short tunnel through the rock: squeeze through and you come out on a ledge facing the plunge pool, close enough to get wet. On summer afternoons there is a queue for the tunnel, sometimes a long one.
Canyon catwalksLower Falls bridgeTunnel (cave) viewpointPlunge pool
- Entry Park pass required (C$12.25 adult/day, youth free); trail open 24 hours outside closures; closing after 12 Oct 2026 for 2–3 months
- Best for Families, first-timers, anyone with an hour, winter icewalks
Upper Falls
The 30-metre drop2.5 km from the trailhead, continuing past the Lower Falls
The crowd thins by half after the Lower Falls, and the trail gets steeper, with more catwalk and more forest. The Upper Falls is the taller and more dramatic of the two, a 30-metre drop down a sheer wall, seen from a lower platform on the creek and from a higher one near the lip. In winter the whole fall freezes into columns of blue ice, and ice climbers are sometimes working the face. Allow two to three hours return from the car park.
Upper Falls lower platformUpper Falls upper viewpointFrozen ice columns in winter
- Entry Same park pass; allow 2–3 hours return; icy November–April, cleats strongly recommended
- Best for Anyone reasonably fit, photographers, the fuller canyon experience
The Ink Pots
The quiet end5.7 km from the Johnston Canyon trailhead, or from Moose Meadows
Beyond the Upper Falls the canyon ends and the trail climbs through forest before dropping to an open meadow on Johnston Creek, where a cluster of cold springs well up through the gravel in pools of turquoise, jade and deep green. It is a half-day round trip, and the reward is space: a small fraction of canyon visitors come this far. The Moose Meadows trailhead, a little west on the parkway, is an alternative start that skips the canyon crowds entirely.
Ink Pots springsJohnston Creek meadowMoose Meadows route
- Entry Same park pass; 11–12 km return, 3.5–5 hours; bridge washed out past the Ink Pots towards Jo9 campground (Sept 2026)
- Best for Hikers, anyone who hates queues, a picnic with a view
The short answer
If you have an hour, do the Lower Falls, but get there before 9am or after 5pm so the tunnel is yours. If you have half a day, the Upper Falls is the better waterfall and the better walk. If you have a full day and decent legs, go all the way to the Ink Pots — or start from Moose Meadows and come down through the canyon, when it is quiet.
When to go
June for the fullest falls, September for clear light and thinner crowds, and January to March for the frozen canyon — but in 2026 the canyon closes after 12 October for two to three months.
The biggest variable at Johnston Canyon is not water but access: the Bow Valley Parkway runs cycling-only and overnight restrictions in spring and autumn, the canyon ices over from November to April, and in 2026 Parks Canada is closing it for maintenance after Thanksgiving.
Spring and high water
May – JuneSnowmelt pushes the creek to its loudest and the falls to their fullest, and the summer crowds have not yet arrived. The trade-off is access: between 1 March and 25 June no one may travel the parkway's eastern 17 km between 8pm and 8am, and from 30 April to 25 June that stretch is cycling-only from 8am to 8pm. Roam Route 9 started its daily summer schedule on 13 May in 2026.
Open
- Johnston Canyon trail to Lower and Upper Falls
- Ink Pots (can be snowy early in the season)
- Roam Route 9 daily from mid-May
- Johnston Canyon Lodge from May
- Bow Valley Parkway cycling (eastern 17 km, 8am–8pm)
Closed or compromised
- Eastern 17 km of the parkway to cars, 30 Apr – 25 Jun, 8am–8pm
- All travel on that section 8pm–8am, 1 Mar – 25 Jun
- Takakkaw Falls road until mid-June
Summer
July – AugustEverything is open, the Yoho Valley Road to Takakkaw Falls is running, and the Icefields Parkway's lodges are all trading. It is also Johnston Canyon at its most crowded: the car parks fill on fine days, cars back up along the parkway, and the Lower Falls tunnel can have a long queue from late morning until early evening. In 2026 the Canada Strong Pass made Parks Canada admission free from 19 June to 7 September.
Open
- Full canyon trail and Ink Pots
- Roam Route 9, seven daily departures
- Takakkaw Falls (Yoho Valley Road)
- Icefields Parkway services, including Sunwapta Falls Resort
- Johnston Canyon Lodge, BlackSwift Bistro and Market Café
Closed or compromised
- Nothing seasonal — but parking fills by mid-morning
Autumn
September – mid-OctoberClear air, larches turning gold on the high slopes, thinner crowds after Labour Day — and the parkway's eastern section car-free for cycling from 1 September to 6 October, so drivers approach via the Trans-Canada and Castle Junction. Johnston Canyon Lodge closes in early October and the Yoho Valley Road in mid-October. In 2026 the canyon itself is scheduled to close after the Thanksgiving weekend.
Open
- Canyon trail until Thanksgiving weekend (12 Oct 2026)
- Ink Pots
- Roam Route 9 (autumn schedule)
- Bow Valley Parkway cycling, 1 Sept – 6 Oct
- Takakkaw Falls until mid-October
Closed or compromised
- Eastern 17 km of the parkway to private cars, 1 Sept – 6 Oct 2026
- Lower Falls area and parking lot from after 12 Oct 2026, for 2–3 months
- Johnston Canyon Lodge from early October
Winter ice
November – AprilThe falls freeze into curtains and pillars of blue ice, snow settles on the catwalks, and the canyon becomes one of Banff's classic guided icewalks, with cleats and hot chocolate. Parks Canada calls the trail usually very icy and strongly recommends ice cleats. Crowds drop sharply outside weekends. For winter 2026–27, the maintenance closure may keep the canyon shut into December or later — confirm before booking.
Open
- Guided icewalks (normally November–April)
- Independent walking with cleats, when the trail is open
- Roam Route 9 at weekends and holidays (reported)
- Banff and Lake Louise hotels year-round
Closed or compromised
- Canyon closed after 12 Oct 2026 for 2–3 months — reopening date not announced
- Johnston Canyon Lodge
- Takakkaw Falls road
- Most Icefields Parkway services
The frozen canyon and the icewalk
From roughly November to April the Lower and Upper Falls freeze into walls of blue and white ice, and the catwalks turn into a winter walk that needs no technical skill — only cleats, warm layers and some patience on the slick sections. Several Banff operators run guided icewalks with hotel pick-up and cleats included; Discover Banff Tours lists morning and afternoon departures and an evening version. Winter 2026–27 is the exception to plan around: Parks Canada is closing the Lower Falls area and car park after the 12 October Thanksgiving weekend for two to three months of rock stabilisation, so icewalks may start late. Operators have said they will run alternative canyon tours during the shutdown — ask what you are actually booking.
Everything you can do here
Prices are 2026 advertised rates from Parks Canada, Roam Transit and operator sites, converted from CAD to USD at about 0.71 (the late-September 2026 rate) and rounded; hotel and shuttle figures marked as third-party are listing prices, not quotes, and move sharply with season.
Lower Falls and the tunnel viewpoint
free with park entry (C$12.25 adult/day)
The short, famous part: 1.2 km of wide trail and steel catwalk clamped above the creek to the Lower Falls, where a bridge and a short tunnel through the rock bring you out on a ledge right beside the plunge pool. Expect spray, a queue for the tunnel from late morning in summer, and a wet camera lens. Go at 8am or after 5pm and you may have the ledge to yourself for a minute or two.
Year-round when open; icy November–April; closed after 12 Oct 2026 for 2–3 months
No booking needed.
Upper Falls
free with park entry
Keep going past the Lower Falls and the canyon gets deeper, the crowd thinner and the trail steeper. The 30-metre Upper Falls is seen from a platform at its base, looking up at the drop and the stained rock around it, and from a higher viewpoint near the lip. In winter it freezes into columns of blue ice and draws ice climbers. The better of the two waterfalls, and worth the extra hour.
Year-round when open; cleats strongly recommended in winter
No booking needed.
Ink Pots via Johnston Canyon
free with park entry
The full walk: through the canyon, past both falls, then 3.2 km on through forest to a meadow where cold springs bubble up into small pools of turquoise and green beneath the peaks. It is a moderate climb and a quieter world — most canyon visitors never get this far. Pack lunch; there is nothing to buy beyond the trailhead. As of September 2026 the bridge beyond the Ink Pots towards Jo9 campground is washed out, so treat the springs as your turnaround.
Late spring to autumn; snowy and icy in winter
No booking needed.
Ink Pots via Moose Meadows
free with park entry
The local's answer to the canyon queues. The Moose Meadows trailhead, a short drive west of Johnston Canyon on the Bow Valley Parkway, climbs through forest and joins the main trail just above the Upper Falls, so you reach the Ink Pots without the catwalk crush. A good loop for strong walkers is up from Moose Meadows, over to the Ink Pots, and down through the canyon late in the day when it has emptied — if you can arrange a car at each end.
Late spring to autumn
No booking needed.
Johnston Canyon Icewalk
US$74C$104 (~US$74) adult, taxes included; evening departures also listed
A guided walk through the frozen canyon with Banff hotel pick-up, ice cleats strapped to your boots, poles on request, and hot chocolate and a maple cookie at the end. Groups are capped at 12 per guide. The route follows the catwalks to the frozen Lower Falls and on to the Upper Falls' ice curtain, about 135 m of climb in all. Departures at 8:30am and 1:30pm. Confirm the 2026–27 start date: the canyon closes after mid-October for up to three months.
November – April (normally); winter 2026–27 start depends on the maintenance closure
Check availability
or compare on GetYourGuide
Canyon icewalks with White Mountain Adventures
price not published on the pages checked — ask the operator
A second established Banff guiding company running the Johnston Canyon icewalk on the catwalks and trails, with round-trip transport from Banff, ice cleats and trekking poles, hot chocolate and cookies. It also sells a Marble Canyon and Johnston Canyon combination, pairing Johnston with the narrow slot canyon just over the Continental Divide in Kootenay National Park — a useful fallback if Johnston's winter reopening slips.
Winter
Check availability
or compare on GetYourGuide
Cycle the car-free Bow Valley Parkway
free with park entry; bike and e-bike rental prices not verified
Parks Canada closes the parkway's eastern 17 km to private cars in spring and early autumn, and it becomes one of the best road rides in the Rockies, rolling through montane forest with the Bow River and Castle Mountain alongside. It is prime habitat for bears, wolves and cougars, and Parks Canada warns cyclists are particularly vulnerable to sudden encounters: carry bear spray and make noise. Leave the car at the Banff Train Station car park, and lock up at the bike racks at the Johnston Canyon trailhead.
30 Apr – 25 Jun (8am–8pm) and 1 Sept – 6 Oct in 2026
No booking needed.
Takakkaw Falls, Yoho
free with park entry (same Parks Canada pass)
The Rockies' big one: meltwater from the Daly Glacier leaping off a cliff in Yoho National Park, usually given as 373 m in total. From Johnston Canyon take the Trans-Canada over Kicking Horse Pass towards Field, then the Yoho Valley Road, whose tight switchbacks force vehicles over 7 m to reverse; trailers are banned. A short, level path leads from the car park to the spray at the base. The road is open only from mid-June to mid-October.
Mid-June to mid-October only (Yoho Valley Road)
No booking needed.
Athabasca and Sunwapta Falls, Icefields Parkway
free with park entry
Two short-walk waterfalls near the Jasper end of the Icefields Parkway. Athabasca Falls is only 23 m high but carries the whole Athabasca River through a quartzite slot, carving potholes and a short canyon — one of the most powerful falls in the mountain parks. Sunwapta Falls, further south, drops into a narrow gorge and is the trailhead for a backcountry trail along the Athabasca River. Mist leaves the rocks slick; stay behind the railings. There is no cell coverage on the parkway.
Year-round road; best May – October, when services are open
Check availability
or compare on GetYourGuide
Where to stay
Sleeping at the canyon or along the Bow Valley Parkway puts you on the trail before the day-trippers; Banff town, 25–35 km away, has the widest choice and the Roam bus, and Lake Louise is the better base for Yoho and the Icefields Parkway.
Johnston Canyon Lodge & Bungalows
Forty-two heritage cabins and bungalows at the trailhead, with gas fireplaces in many, the BlackSwift Bistro, a market café, e-bike rental and pet-friendly units. Seasonal, open May to early October; reachable via Castle Junction when the parkway is restricted.
Castle Mountain Chalets
Log chalets about midway between Banff and Lake Louise, a few minutes' drive from Johnston Canyon, with full kitchens, jet tubs and wood or gas fireplaces. An old family property with more than 80 years of history and strong guest reviews.
Baker Creek by Basecamp
Stand-alone log cabins and alpine suites on the creek, sleeping two to six, with a grab-and-go Creekside Café, fire pits, sauna, free bikes and dog-friendly rooms. Closer to Lake Louise than to Banff, so handy for Yoho and the Icefields Parkway too.
Fairmont Banff Springs
The castle above the Bow River, welcoming guests since 1888, with 724 rooms, a Stanley Thompson golf course, a large spa and many restaurants. A short walk from Bow Falls; about 35 minutes' drive from Johnston Canyon.
Moose Hotel & Suites
A modern hotel a minute's walk from downtown Banff, with two rooftop hot pools looking at the mountains, a spa and suites with more room for families. Walkable to the Roam transit hub for the Route 9 bus to Johnston Canyon.
HI Banff Alpine Centre
Hostelling International's Banff hostel, with dorms and private rooms a little uphill from downtown. The cheapest reliable bed near the canyon, and on the local transit network for getting to the Route 9 hub.
Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
539 rooms on the shore of Lake Louise, with lakeview categories facing the Victoria Glacier and the BASIN glacial-waters thermal experience. The natural base for Takakkaw Falls and the Icefields Parkway; about 30 minutes from Johnston Canyon.
Search all Banff accommodation
Getting there & getting in
YYC
Calgary International
About 144 km / 90 miles to Banff, roughly 1.5 hours on the Trans-Canada, then another 25–35 km to Johnston Canyon. WestJet's hub, with nonstops across Canada and the US and long-haul routes to Europe. Banff Airporter (door to door, one stop in Canmore; C$88.90 / ~US$63 one way per third-party listing) and Brewster Express (from C$66.75 / ~US$47 one way on a round trip) run to Banff hotels.
YEG
Edmonton International
The Jasper-end gateway, about four hours' drive from Jasper. Only worth it if you are doing the Icefields Parkway north to south, finishing at Johnston Canyon; Brewster Express also runs Calgary–Jasper in summer (to 17 October in 2026).
Calgary (YYC) is the only realistic gateway for Johnston Canyon; most international travellers connect through Toronto, Vancouver or a US hub if there is no nonstop from home.
The Bow Valley Parkway, Castle Junction and Roam Route 9
Johnston Canyon sits on the Bow Valley Parkway (Highway 1A), about 25 km from Banff. The parkway's eastern 17 km is closed to private vehicles from 30 April to 25 June (8am–8pm) and from 1 September to 6 October in 2026, and closed to all travel from 8pm to 8am between 1 March and 25 June. During those windows, drive the Trans-Canada to Castle Junction and approach from the west. Without a car, Roam Transit Route 9 runs from the Banff High School Transit Hub via the Trans-Canada and Castle Junction, about 35 minutes, C$5 adult, C$2.50 youth and senior, under-12s free, no reservations; in 2026 it ran daily from 13 May with seven departures a day, and third-party guides report weekend and holiday service in winter. The Parks Canada shuttle does not go to Johnston Canyon — it serves only Lake Louise and Moraine Lake.
Visas & entry
- eTA (Canada)
CA$7 Required only for visa-exempt foreign nationals arriving in Canada by air — which, for Calgary, means almost every overseas visitor from a visa-exempt country. US citizens do not need one. It does not apply to entry by land; driving in from Montana or Idaho needs a valid passport, not an eTA. - Visitor visa (Temporary Resident Visa)
CA$100, plus biometrics fee where required For nationalities that are not visa-exempt. Apply online well ahead; processing times vary widely by country.
Requirements and fees for the eTA and visitor visa change without much notice and depend on your nationality — confirm against the official Government of Canada site before you travel, and never pay a third-party agent for an eTA.
Ways to spend the time
1 day, May – mid-October
One day from Banff
- Early morning — drive (or take the first Roam Route 9 bus) to Johnston Canyon and be on the catwalks by 8–9am, before the car park fills.
- Morning — Lower Falls and the tunnel viewpoint while it's quiet, then on to the Upper Falls.
- Midday — continue to the Ink Pots for lunch in the meadow, or turn back and eat at the lodge's BlackSwift Bistro in season.
- Afternoon — back to Banff via Castle Junction; walk to Bow Falls below the Fairmont Banff Springs before dinner.
3 days, mid-June – early October
Three days of Rockies waterfalls
- Day 1 — Johnston Canyon to the Upper Falls and Ink Pots; sleep on the Bow Valley Parkway (Castle Mountain Chalets or Baker Creek) or at Lake Louise.
- Day 2 — over Kicking Horse Pass into Yoho for Takakkaw Falls (Yoho Valley Road open mid-June to mid-October); back to Lake Louise for the evening.
- Day 3 — north on the Icefields Parkway: Bow Lake and Peyto Lake viewpoints, fuel at Saskatchewan Crossing (summer only), then Sunwapta Falls and Athabasca Falls before Jasper.
- Carry food and water on day 3: there is no cell coverage on the parkway and services are sparse.
2 days, January – March
Winter icewalk weekend
- Day 1 — fly into Calgary, Banff Airporter or Brewster Express to your Banff hotel; evening soak in a rooftop hot pool.
- Day 2 morning — guided Johnston Canyon icewalk (8:30am pick-up), cleats and hot chocolate included.
- Day 2 afternoon — Bow Falls and the frozen Bow River in town, or a second canyon (Marble Canyon via a combination tour).
- Before you book — check that the canyon has reopened after its autumn 2026 maintenance closure.
Practical notes
- Park passes and money Everyone stopping in Banff National Park needs a pass: C$12.25 (~US$8.70) per adult per day or C$24.50 (~US$17.40) per vehicle-load, youth 17 and under free. Staying a week or more, or adding Yoho and Jasper, the Discovery Pass (C$83.50 adult, C$167.50 family, ~US$59 / US$119) usually pays for itself. Prices are in Canadian dollars; cards work almost everywhere.
- Beating the crowds and the car park With over 700,000 visits a year, the canyon is busiest from about 9am to 5pm in summer, when the car park fills and traffic backs up on the parkway. Arrive before 8–9am or after 5pm, come on a weekday, or take Roam Route 9 and skip parking entirely. September and early October are noticeably quieter than July and August.
- Bears, wildlife and staying on the trail The Bow Valley is prime habitat for grizzly and black bears, wolves and cougars. Carry bear spray where you can reach it, make noise, keep dogs leashed and never approach wildlife; report sightings to Banff Dispatch on 403-762-1470. In the canyon, off-trail travel is prohibited to protect nesting black swifts, an endangered bird, with fines up to C$25,000.
- What to pack A light rain shell for the tunnel spray, grippy shoes for wet catwalks, water and layers — the canyon is cool even in August. From roughly November to April, add ice cleats (Parks Canada strongly recommends them) and proper winter layers; guided icewalks supply cleats. For the Ink Pots, bring lunch: there is nothing to buy beyond the trailhead.
- Access and mobility Parks Canada rates the canyon trail easy, and the walk to the Lower Falls has only about 50 m of climb on wide trail and railed catwalks, so it suits most walkers and many families with young children. The tunnel viewpoint is narrow and wet, the Upper Falls leg is steeper, and the trail ices in winter. Wheelchair users should confirm current conditions with the Banff Visitor Centre.
- Checking closures before you go Johnston Canyon is regularly closed in part for rock work or safety operations — the whole network shut briefly in May 2026, and a two-to-three-month closure starts after 12 October 2026. Check the Parks Canada Banff trail-conditions report and bulletins page the week you travel, and Alberta 511 for road conditions on the Trans-Canada and Icefields Parkway.
How it compares
This waterfall
Johnston Canyon Falls
Canada
Height30 mWidth—
Most similar
Nugget Falls
United States
Height30 mWidth—
Also a tiered waterfall, of similar height and in the United States
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
30 m
30 m
108 m
330 m
979 m
Johnston Canyon FallsNugget FallsVictoria FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Angel Falls is 33× taller than Johnston Canyon Falls. Victoria Falls is 3.6× taller. We don't have a reliable crest width for Johnston Canyon Falls yet, so it is left off the width chart. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Videos from Johnston Canyon Falls
11:42
7:40
4:23
Chosen from YouTube; videos belong to their creators and play from YouTube's privacy-enhanced player.
Books worth packing
Walking guide
Don't Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies: The Opinionated Hiking Guide (6th edition)
Kathy and Craig Copeland · 2009
Opinionated hiking guide rating Rockies trails, handy for picking day hikes beyond the busy falls boardwalks.
Lonely Planet Banff, Jasper and Glacier…Lonely Planet
Guidebook
Lonely Planet Banff, Jasper and Glacier National Parks
Lonely Planet · 2024
Latest Lonely Planet Rockies guide covering the Icefields Parkway, Johnston Canyon and Yoho's Takakkaw Falls.
Guidebook
Moon Canadian Rockies: With Banff & Jasper National Parks
Andrew Hempstead · 2022
Banff-based author's Rockies guide with Yoho, the Icefields Parkway and Johnston Canyon, plus lodging and road-trip plans.
On the map
Questions people actually ask
Do I need a park pass for Johnston Canyon?
Yes. Johnston Canyon is inside Banff National Park, so every adult needs a Parks Canada pass: C$12.25 per day, or C$24.50 for a family or group of up to seven in one vehicle. Youth 17 and under are free. The Discovery Pass (C$83.50 adult, C$167.50 family) covers a year. The free Canada Strong Pass period in 2026 ended on 7 September.
How long does the Johnston Canyon hike take?
The Lower Falls is 1.2 km each way with about 50 m of climb — allow an hour to 90 minutes return, including a queue for the tunnel. The Upper Falls is 2.5 km each way and about 120 m up, so two to three hours return. Continuing to the Ink Pots adds 3.2 km each way; budget 3.5 to 5 hours in total.
Is Johnston Canyon closed in fall 2026?
It will be. Parks Canada plans to close the Lower Falls area and the car park after the Thanksgiving long weekend (12 October 2026) for two to three months of rock scaling and wall stabilisation, with exact dates still being finalised. As of 19 September 2026 the trail was open and in good condition. Check the Banff bulletins before you go.
Can I drive to Johnston Canyon when the Bow Valley Parkway is closed?
Yes. Only the parkway's eastern 17 km, between Banff and Johnston Canyon, closes to private vehicles — from 1 September to 6 October in 2026, and 8am to 8pm from 30 April to 25 June. Drive west on the Trans-Canada to Castle Junction and double back east on the 1A. Between 1 March and 25 June, no one may use that section from 8pm to 8am.
How do I get to Johnston Canyon from Banff without a car?
Take Roam Transit Route 9 from the Banff High School Transit Hub. It runs via the Trans-Canada and Castle Junction, takes about 35 minutes and costs C$5 per adult, C$2.50 for youth and seniors, free for under-12s. Seats cannot be reserved. The summer schedule starts in mid-May with seven daily departures. The Parks Canada shuttle does not go there.
Do I need a guide for the Johnston Canyon icewalk?
No — the trail is open to independent walkers in winter when it isn't closed, and Parks Canada simply strongly recommends ice cleats. A guided icewalk (from about C$104 / US$74 with Discover Banff Tours) adds hotel transport, cleats, a guide who knows the ice, and hot chocolate. It's the easier choice if you have no car or cleats.
Are the Ink Pots worth it?
If you have half a day, yes. The canyon crowd mostly turns back at the falls, so the 3.2 km beyond the Upper Falls feels like a different park: forest, then an open meadow with cold springs welling up into turquoise and green pools under the peaks. It's a moderate climb, 11–12 km return in total. Start from Moose Meadows to avoid the canyon entirely.
How far is Takakkaw Falls from Johnston Canyon?
Roughly 75 km, or about an hour and a quarter by car: west on the Trans-Canada past Lake Louise and over Kicking Horse Pass towards Field, then up the Yoho Valley Road. That road is open only from mid-June to mid-October, has switchbacks that vehicles over 7 m must reverse around, and bans trailers. Your Banff park pass covers Yoho.
Where is Johnston Canyon Falls?
Johnston Canyon Falls is in Canada (Canadian Rockies, Alberta), inside Banff National Park. The nearest base is Banff and the closest airport is YYC. Its coordinates are 51.2489, -115.8386.
Sources (40)
- parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/activ/randonnee-hiking/etat-sentiers-trail-conditions
- parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/activ/marchehiver-winterwalking/banff
- parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/les10-top10/promenade-de-la-vallee-de-la-bow-bow-vall…
- parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/bulletins/f156912a-e1a2-462f-86c8-bc60c704438d
- parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/bulletins/83beb6e9-6192-45ca-b448-f11300df7631
- parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/tarifs-fees
- parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/parkbus/louise
- parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/promenadedesglaciers-icefieldsparkway
- parks.canada.ca/pn-np/bc/yoho/visit/heures-hours
- parks.canada.ca/pn-np/bc/yoho/activ/places
- parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/jasper/activ/itineraires-itineraries/athabasca
- parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/jasper/activ/itineraires-itineraries/sunwapta
- www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/news/2026/05/canada-strong-pass-is-back-this-summer-to…
- ca.news.yahoo.com/johnston-canyon-close-fall-routine-120000525.html
- roamtransit.com/schedules-routes/johnston-canyon-regional-route-9/
- roamtransit.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2026-Route-9-Schedule-May-June.pdf
- deeparrival.com/news/bow-valley-parkway-vehicle-closure-september-october-2026/
- johnstoncanyon.com/faqs/
- www.johnstoncanyon.ca/
- www.travelbanffcanada.com/johnston-canyon-resort/
- castlemountain.com/
- basecampresorts.com/bakercreek/
- www.fairmont.com/banff-springs/
- www.fairmont.com/lake-louise/
- www.moosehotelandsuites.com/
- hihostels.com/hostels/hi-banff-alpine-centre/
- www.readytotrip.com/hotels/Canada/Alberta/Banff/hi-banff-alpine-centre/
- www.ca.kayak.com/Banff-Hotels-Fairmont-Banff-Springs.19792.ksp
- banfftours.com/activities/johnston-canyon-icewalk/
- www.banffadventures.com/things-to-do/johnston-canyon-icewalk/
- www.whitemountainadventures.com/banff-icewalk-tours
- www.whitemountainadventures.com/icewalk/marble-johnston-canyon-icewalk-combo
- banffairporter.com/
- www.banffjaspercollection.com/brewster-express/
- thebanffblog.com/calgary-to-banff/
- thebanffblog.com/banff-to-johnston-canyon/
- thebanffblog.com/johnston-canyon-hike/
- www.travelbanffcanada.com/johnston-canyon-hike-banff-national-park/
- www.10adventures.com/hikes/banff/johnston-canyon-and-ink-pots/
- tradingeconomics.com/canada/currency
Prices, fees and entry rules change. We re-check full guides regularly; spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Nearby
Closest to Johnston Canyon Falls
Bow Falls
Canada · 9 m · 20 km away
Bow Falls is a major waterfall on the Bow River, Alberta just before the junction of it and the Spray River.…
Wapta Falls
Canada · 18 m · 50 km away
Wapta Falls is a waterfall of the Kicking Horse River located in Yoho National Park in British Columbia…
UNESCO Takakkaw Falls
Canada · 373 m · 50 km away
One of Canada's tallest waterfalls
Bow Glacier Falls
Canada · 60 km away
Bow Glacier Falls is located near Banff, AB. The falls originates from meltwater from the Bow Glacier and…