Johnston Canyon Banff Alberta Hiking Tips and Warnings + Inkpots
Johnston Canyon is a mountain range hike located in Banff national park, it is a hiking paradise! We love this place, and have hiked it many times because of its diverse terrain, beauty and overall safety. Today was a ver special version of this hike, this was the day I hiked it with my 6 year old son…
Johnston Canyon Hiking, Banff Alberta
If you know us we are adventurers from Edmonton, Alberta and we travel all over the world with our 2 kids Rayden and Natasha. We refuse to be held back from experiences by using having children as an excuse.
This day started out like this, we were camping at the tunnel mountain campsites with our cousins and I stated to the group, “let’s go on a tough hike today”. Some of the older people in the group agreed to go and my 6 year old son quickly piped up and said I’m coming. SHit I thought, what do I do? This hike is going to be way too hard for him. I nicely told him this was a hike for big people and it would be very hard, we are going up hill and climbing a mountain. We will go on a hike with you later. Well that didn’t go very well for me, he snapped and started crying. If you know me, you would know I am a sucker with kids and fall for almost all of their traps.
I quickly changed my tune and told him he could come. In my mind I had agreed with myself that he could do a part of it and I would let the rest go ahead if he was too tired to go on. We could always meet at the bottom right!
Hiking Johnston Canyon and Inkpots with Kids
How to get to Johnston Canyon from Banff
We packed our bags and drove 20 minutes to Johnston canyon. You can get to johntson canyon from Banff town by going left on highway 1. Not in the direction of Calgary, but in the opposite direction. Don’t go too fast as about 5 minutes on the highway you will see a midsized green sign that says Johnston canyon. You will have to turn off to the right onto a small road off the highway. Don’t miss it. It will wind through a small road of trees and mountain. The drive is beautiful. Around 10 minutes into that windy drive there will be a roundabout in the road that looks like it should not be there. Take a right and you will get to the entrance.
Are there bathrooms at Johnston Canyon?
There are public washrooms at the base of the Johnston Canyon hike. There will not be any bathrooms anywhere during your hike. Bring TP if you are going with your kids.
Is there parking at Johnston Canyon?
Yes there is a parking lot and overflow parking at Johnston Canyon.
Johnston Canyon Banff Waterfalls
What is hiking Johnston canyon like?
At the beginning of the hike you will notice an entrance and quickly realize this is a very popular marked hiking site. You will cross a small bridge with a stream below. This is a cool spot to take pictures. To your left there is cabins in the woods that are avail for rent and a restaurant with a patio. This is a great reward for when you complete the hike. There is also a small concession that sell water and chips etc. Make sure you have water before you go up.
At the beginning of the hike, it will be paved. Doesn’t feel like a real hike to me at first but this will change the higher up you go. There are a lot of people that do this hike because the beginning of it is very easy and extremely beautiful. There are waterfalls, and blue streams. This is good for all ages. You will notice a lot of people with their babies in carriers on this part of the hike.
There will be a lot of squirrels and chipmunks that will get real close to you. It is really safe with rails in most of the spots with drop offs. My son fed some popcorn to a chipmunk by accident when he spilled some of it on the ground. You are not supposed to feed the wildlife but it was really cute as they are not scared of humans and get really close to you.
There are 2 waterfall that they call chutes, the small one that is around 10 minutes into the hike and the large waterfall that is 1 hour into the hike. It is paved all the way up to the second waterfall.
At the end of the last waterfall the path will turn to gravel and dirt. This is where the hike becomes more strenuous and uphill. This path will take you up to the inkpots. I told my son we could stop here and he refused. He wanted to continue on to the inkpots at the top of the mountain.
As you continue on you will be rewarded with a huge open area with pools called the ink pots and a stream in the valley between mountains. The ink pots are coloured pools of water coming out of the earth in the mountain.
I was super proud as my son made it all the way to the top. We ate lunch at the stream by the ink pots. We spent around 30 minutes here and threw rocks in the water.
The hike down the mountain was a lot easier and we were excited to see the end after a long day on the mountain.
Johnston Canyon Banff walkway. Hiking
Common Questions about Johnston Canyon
What should I bring when I hike Johnston Canyon?
You should bring a bag with snacks, a bear bell, water, bear spray, toilet paper or baby wipes and warm clothes as it can be brisk around the waterfalls.
Is it safe to bring food when I hike Johnston Canyon?
Yes it is safe to bring food, keep it in a bag. The wildlife will not come close as there are a lot of people on this hike.
Is Hiking Johnston Canyon Safe?
Yes it is very safe. The drop offs are clearly marked and there are rails in front of many of them. There are a lot of people so dangerous wildlife avoid this area.
Is Johnston Canyon Wheelchair accessible?
The beginning is wheelchair accessible, but the paths to the waterfalls are thin and a wheelchair will not pass through easily. I did see one person on a wheel chair here and he was able to stand up and fold his wheelchair for these parts.
Is Johnston Canyon good for Kids?
This could be the best hike in Banff for kids to do. It is easy at the beginning and safe.
Are there bears on Johnston Canyon?
There are bears all over Banff but I have never seen bears on this hike. There are too many people. Either way I always bring bear spray and a bear bell to keep myself extra protected.
Do I need a bear bell when I hike Johnston Canyon?
I would take a bear bell anywhere you hike in Banff.
Is there a waterfall at Johnston Canyon?
There are 2 waterfalls on Johnston Canyon and they are both at the beginning of the hike.
Johnston Canyon Banff Hike Entrance
Can I fish at Johnston Canyon?
You can fly fish at the top of the mountain. You could catch rainbow trout here.
Can I smoke at Johnston Canyon?
Yes you can smoke here.
Is Johnston Canyon a hard hike?
The first couple of miles are considered easy, then it will get to medium difficulty after the last waterfall.
Is Johnston Canyon the best hike in Banff?
This is definitely on of the best hikes in Banff because of beauty and diversity.
Is there cell phone reception at Johnston Canyon?
While I was there, there was cell phone reception at the beginning of the hike and as I got further up the reception was going in and out.
Backcountry hiking on Johnston Canyon
A few years ago I did some backcountry hiking in Banff. Johnston canyon was one of the hikes I did. You can keep going past the ink pots for a few KM. There is a campground set up here. You will have to cut your own wood and there are no toilets or running water. We boiled water from the stream and caught fish here.
You have to be really careful when backcountry hiking. Your bags have to be up in a tree away from your tent. This is bear country. Backcountry hiking here is beautiful and if you keep on going there are lakes on the mountain and you will find true tranquility with nature.
I went with 2 people and we slept right on the mountain. It is Exhilarating and I can’t wait until my kids are bigger so that I can do this with them.
Hiking to the inkpots in Banff
Overall opinion of Johnston Canyon Hiking
If I could recommend on hike to anyone going to Banff this would be it. There are many beautiful hikes here, but Johnston Canyon ifs the one people will ask about. It is safe, it is medium in difficulty and it is great for the whole family. My six year old son was able to do it and he loved it. We took a lot of really beautiful pictures here.
Here is a link to the banff travel alberta Website
If you have any more insight or questions about Banff or Johnston Canyon, please shoot us an email or comment. We want our Canadian Travel blogs to be the most comprehensive source of information about Banff on the internet.
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