Banff: Johnston Canyon

The skies had begun to clear as we departed the town of Banff so we decided to drive back to Lake Louise by way of the Bow Valley Parkway. We would stop for a short walk through Johnston Canyon which is located along the parkway.

As we were driving we saw this beauty grazing by the side of the road

Elk on the Bow Valley Parkway

Johnston Canyon is not a difficult hike, in fact, I hesitate to even call it a hike. The path is mostly paved and there is little elevation gain. The only thing that might scare people away from this trail is the large number of catwalks that must be crossed. In fact, the stepmother is afraid of these and opted to remain behind at the car with Tilly.

The path winds through the canyon and runs alongside the water. There are many little water falls in addition to the Lower and Upper Falls. It is a very pretty trail and not very challenging.

Most people only go as far as the Lower Falls but Dad and I opted to continue to the Upper Falls. The trail continues past the Upper Falls to the Ink Pots. We opted not to go that far though as the stepmother was waiting and it was getting late in the afternoon.

Video:

Lower Falls

Upper Falls

Johnston Canyon was a nice add-on for the day and I was glad that the weather cleared enough to allow us to explore the trail.

On the way back to the campground we passed Castle Mountain, isn't it beautiful?