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If you want to know how to access and visit Joshnston Canyon in Banff National Park , you've come to the right place. I'll try to explain everything based on our firsthand experience.

On our 21-day route through the Canadian Rockies , one of the must- see sights in Banff National Park was Lake Louise , Lake Morain , Banff Village , the Icefields Parkway and Johnston Canyon, one of the must- see canyons in Canada.

Without a doubt, I want to start this post by telling you that if you have any doubts about visiting it, don't think twice! This place is one of the ones we liked the most in Banff National Park. The metal walkways over the river, between steep rocks, and its beautiful waterfalls are worthy of being in the top 3 of this Canadian national park. 

Don't worry, I'll tell you everything you can see there, the different walking routes you can take, and I'll show you lots of photos so you can decide what to do in Johnston Canyon.

This post is one of those available in our Guide to traveling to Canada , a compilation post with everything you need to know to travel to this wonderful country.

Location of Johnston Canyon in Banff National Park

Johnston Canyon is one of the most beautiful and largest canyons to see in Banff National Park and a must-see. It is located just 27 km (17 miles), a 30-minute drive, from the town of Banff via the Bow Valley Parkway, the largest town in Banff National Park.

How to get to Johnstone Canyon

There are 2 options that I will try to explain to you on how to get to Johnstone Canyon.

By car parking in parking lot 1 or 2 of Johnstone Canyon

If you have a rental car, motorhome, or campervan, you can park there. There are two parking areas , P1 and P2, with illuminated signs indicating how many spaces are available at the entrance.

P1 fills up early in the morning. It was already full at 7am when we went (mid-August). On the other hand, we didn't see P2 fill up at any time.

The difference from P1 to P2 is 3 minutes walking, so don't worry too much.

If you're traveling by RV, like we did on our trip through Canada , parking in P1 is prohibited and you'll have to park in P2, which is right next to the Johnston Canyon public campground.

By public bus 

If you're staying in Banff, the Route 9 bus will take you directly to the Johnstone Canyon Trail starting point. Therefore, you can easily access the trail in 30 minutes without worrying about parking or getting up early to find a spot.

Where to stay to visit Johnston Canyon

The best place to stay near Johnston Canyon, for easy access to the canyon, is in Banff Village, where you 'll find 50 accommodations . This can be a cheaper option than staying at a resort in Johnston Canyon itself. Plus, Banff makes it a great base for exploring all of Banff National Park without having to pack and unpack.

Another option for your base, which is very reasonably priced and centrally located for other national parks in the Canadian Rockies, is to stay in one of the 66 accommodations in Golden . It's an hour and fifteen minutes from Johnston Canyon and definitely offers the best prices for lodging in Banff National Park.

Finally, if you're looking to camp in a motorhome, campervan, or tent, there are many campsites within Banff National Park , and one of them is right at the entrance to Johnston Canyon. However, it requires advance booking, so book quickly because the sites fill up fast; it's one of the smaller campsites.

Discovery Pass to access Johnson Canyon, Banff National Park

To access Canada's National Parks, you need a pass that must be displayed on the rearview mirror of your vehicle. Therefore, you must have this pass before entering Johnson Canyon.

There are passes for a single day and national park, or if you're going to be there for more than 7 days like we were, and visiting different National Parks, the one that's worth buying is the annual pass called the Discovery Pass.

There are different Discovery Passes at different prices . If you're traveling as a single adult, there's one for $75, if you're traveling as a family or group, there's another for $151 , and if you're a senior citizen, it's $64. However, it's only valid for one vehicle. In our case, we opted for the Family/Group Discovery Pass.

With the Family Discovery Pass, we can access more than 80 destinations in Canada's National Parks and historic sites for up to 7 people in one vehicle.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the access booths on the highway, at visitor centers, or online. If you choose the online option, order at least a month in advance to ensure delivery.

3 Tips for your visit to Johnston Canyon

Before you start reading this guide to help you plan your visit to Johnston Canyon, think about these basic initial tips.

1 Travel medical insurance for any unforeseen events during trekking and routes

AN IMPORTANT TIP: Don't travel to Canada without a good travel insurance, avoid big problems. It is one of the first requirements that they tell you on the Canadian government website along with the processing of the And so.
We recommend you the Iati Star We hired this insurance after a good comparison and study of the different ones on the market. It is the only one that exceeds one million euros of coverage. Without a doubt, it is the best for North America, where breaking a leg costs you €150.000, as happened to a friend of ours in the USA. Another positive thing is that Iati has an app for virtual visits.
I leave you here a link where you have a 5% off for any Iati travel insurance.

2 If you don't like crowds, get up early

Up to the top waterfalls, there are a lot of people and the walkways are narrow in some sections. If you go after 10am, it looks like Las Ramblas in July and August. Also, to take photos with the waterfalls, there are queues of half an hour or more, imagine. We got up early and were there at 8am and there was already a queue to take photos at the first waterfall.

3 Bring water, food and raincoats, as well as bear spray if you are going up to the Ink Pots

If you're going to do the full route to the Ink Pots, be well equipped, the route is long and you'll want to stop for a picnic when you get to the top of the Ink Pots. Also, from the waterfall at the top to the Ink Pots the crowds disappear quite a bit, so as a precaution bring bear spray and above all make noise by talking to scare away the bears that frequent the area.

On the other hand, I must warn you that on long walks the weather can change a lot from bottom to top, so always carry a raincoat. For us, it started to pour down with rain right at the top of the Ink Pots. Despite carrying raincoats, we got soaked hahaha.

What to see in Johnstone Canyon and the Bow Valley

In the Bow Valley/Castle Junction Area of ​​Banff National Park there are many hiking trails and sights to explore.

The most famous is Johnton Canyon, but in this post we are also going to see other nearby ones within the Bow River Valley. 

Let's look at the main walks and visits we have in this area.

Johnstone Canyon Trail Hiking Tour 

The main attraction of the Bow Valley area is the impressive and beautiful Johnstone Canyon, and to visit it there is a very well marked trail called the Johnstone Canyon Trail.

This well-marked trail is a total of 12,5 km round trip and has an elevation gain of 412 meters.

This trail, however, is divided into different parts and visits . So it can be made shorter or longer, depending on what each person wants and is able to do.

Let's now look at the different sub-trails of the Johnstone Canyon Trail:

To Johnston Canyon Lower Falls

The easiest and lightest option for visiting the Johnston Canyon Trail is this: the trek to the Lower Falls, the lower waterfalls of this canyon, which ends with a large waterfall where people cross a footbridge and take a photo between a rock that acts as a window.

An easy 2,4 km round trip route with only 120 meters of elevation gain , which can be easily done in an hour .

This route begins by ascending a slight slope through a forest near Johnston Creek and reaches the Lower Falls via iron walkways that are embedded in the canyon walls and that fly over the river. The truth is that it is the most surprising and perhaps beautiful part. Although also the most crowded with people.

These lower waterfalls create a pool that can be accessed via the rock bridge and tunnel at the end, crossing an iron walkway over the river. In our case, we avoided taking a photo of the queue that was already full of people. That was before 9 in the morning.

Trekking to Johnston Canyon Upper Falls

If we want to extend the previous trek, we will continue on to visit the second point of interest in Johnston Canyon: the Upper Falls.

The route from the parking lot to Upper Falls is also easy, totaling 5 km round trip with 120 meters of elevation gain . However, you'll need at least 2 hours for this hike.

The route here, apart from starting with what was explained up to the Lower Falls, continues through the forest, ascending to 1565 meters where the Upper Falls are located. You walk through the woods and sometimes along iron walkways, but these are now shorter.

Once you reach Upper Falls, you can view them from one of its two viewing platforms. One is at the bottom, accessed via a footbridge over the river, and is usually crowded with people taking photos . The other is at the top, accessible via a marked path further along, but this is less crowded and, in my opinion, offers better photo opportunities.

However, there are fewer people here than in the Lower Falls.

Trekking through Johnston Canyon to the Inkpots

This is the most sought-after route in Johnston Canyon, though not the one everyone takes. It's where we find the end of this trail. Here we find the Ink Pots, seven turquoise springs located in a meadow three kilometers past the last waterfalls.

In total, there are 12 km round trip from the parking lot. To do this route you need at least 4 hours.

This hike is a haven of peace , as many people stop at the first or second waterfall and do not continue.

What you should also know is that it's a quieter route, but you'll be leaving the river canyon and the river itself behind . The Inkpots aren't in Johnston Canyon or on the Johnston River. They're not far from the river, but they're located in an adjacent meadow.

The route from the second waterfall to there is in the middle of the forest and a little more demanding due to large slopes that go up and down.

Are they worth seeing? We certainly thought so. It's a unique, peaceful, and beautiful place. It's not a canyon; they're more like thermal pools, not actually hot, but they have those vibrant green and blue colors that were once used as ink by the inhabitants of these lands.

In addition, it's a great place for a picnic and nearby is the wider Johnston River , before entering the canyon, where on a nice day you can dip your toes in to cool off.

In our case, it poured rain when we arrived at Inkpots, so we couldn't enjoy that last plan I mentioned. The bathing experience was quite different, though, hehe.

Walk through the Moose Meadows 

From Johnston Canyon, a very short drive away, you can park in this parking lot and enter a beautiful meadow in the middle of the Bow River valley.

Apart from simply enjoying the meadow, a route starts from here that goes to the turquoise pools of the Ink Pots, although the route is more monotonous than the previous one, since you only see forest and there are not as many views and landscape as in Johnston Canyon, where you see the spectacular river canyon.

We were told that it was unlikely that we would see moose or elk here until September. We didn't see any, although we stopped for a short time.

Silverston Falls from Castle Junction

A little further on from Moose Meadows, we find Castle Junction , one of the important road junctions where we can get to Highway 1 Trans Canada.

Right at Castle Junction we can park the car here and take the Rockbound Lake Trail and in 1 km and with almost no elevation change we reach Silverston Falls, an easily accessible waterfall.

Conclusion of the visit to Johnston Canyon

To finish and after explaining the main activities you can do in Johnston Canyon, here are some conclusions from our visit.

Apart from the downpour we got caught in, we loved the place. The metal walkways between the emerald waters of the Johnston River canyon are definitely worth the visit.

From here on out, I just want to say that I hope this article has been helpful in planning your stay and visit to Johnston Canyon. If so, I look forward to reading your comments below . Happy trails, friends!