Headed to Banff? Don't Skip Johnston Canyon!

If you are road-tripping through Banff, be sure to plan a solid half-day to make this one hour drive to stop and see Johnston Canyon. I promise you will not regret it!

How to get to Johnston Canyon

There are two ways to get from Lake Louise Village in northwest Banff National Park to the city of Banff in the south of the park. You could take the Trans-Canada Highway, but what's the fun in that?

The better option is the Bow Valley Parkway, which runs alongside the highway through almost the whole length of Banff National Park, and unlike the highway, it offers scenic stopping points along the way. In my opinion, the best stop of the Bow Valley Parkway, and an absolute must-see part of Banff National Park, is Johnston Canyon.

If you aren't driving, not to worry! You can catch the public shuttle from the city of Banff to Johnston Canyon. It's a 40-minute bus ride on the #9, leaving from Banff High School Transit Hub every two hours, and it's extremely affordable.

No matter how you get there, Johnston Canyon is an absolute must-see stop within Banff National Park. Of course, Lakes Louise and Moraine are gorgeous and the most famous part of Banff for a reason. But I think Johnston Canyon is a highly under-rated second best. The canyon is carved from Johnston Creek, which flows from nearby Castle Mountain into the Bow River. Along the way, there are two gorgeous waterfalls, and of course the beauty of the canyon itself.

Unlike the slightly touristy Lake Louise, Johnston Canyon feels quite remote and only has a few shops at the foot of the trail. After that, you are on your own!

Hiking Johnson Canyon

The hike to Johnston Canyon's Lower Falls is 1.2 km, and it's another 1.3 km to Upper Falls. There's also a small hike to the Upper Falls overlook that you don't want to miss! After you wait in line for quite a while, to be honest, (Maybe 30 minutes, but it was a well deserved break after the hike!) you can head up the trail to the right, and it's a very short five minutes to the overlook.

The whole hike is via a wooden boardwalk that alternates between sitting in the midst of the fir forest and dangling off the edge of the canyon walls. It's a beautiful walk that would surely frighten acrophobes - luckily I'm not afraid of heights.

How hard is it to hike Johnston Canyon?

This hike was definitely a little strenuous, but it was also absolutely do-able. We saw plenty of older folks on the hike. You might need to walk slower or take a couple of breaks, but I with a little pacing, you can definitely do it.

Besides, hiking Johnston Canyon was so worth it! The Upper Falls is really nice, and I loved being able to hike in the canyon. The rock formations are so weird and unique, and despite all the people, it felt very close to nature. You can hear the water surging through and imagine it continuing to carve out the bottom of the canyon walls. Johnston Canyon was undoubtedly one of my favorite hikes in Banff National Park.