Day trip from Calgary to Johnston Canyon

Johnston Canyon

Banff National Park

Only a short drive from Calgary is a must-visit attraction located in the Banff National Park. Also one of the busiest.

Follow eroded pathways full of rock tunnels, limestone, gorges and majestic waterfalls.

Johnston Canyon is a 30-minute hike to the lower fall and a​ one hour hike to the upper falls.

This year-round attraction requires a park pass, so don’t forget to pick one up on your way to the Bow Valley Parkway.

Plan to go early, we hit the trail at 10:30 am, and the path was very busy to the lower falls, including a line up to check out the lower falls cave.

Strollers and Wheelchairs: my advice is plan to travel the path at non-peek times early morning or late evening. But even so, there is mud, rocks and turns which makes it harder for both strollers and Wheelchairs. You have to take stairs to the upper falls, which would make the accessibility tricky.

Parking: Plan to arrive early to access the parking lot, if not plan to park a distance down the highway and walk in to access the path.

If you are in for a full day hike and adventure, continue to Ink Pots (5.4 km one way from the parking lot), but the little travellers in our group were ready to head back after the view of the upper falls.

This path is dog-friendly as long as they are on a leash!

If you’ve forgotten food and drinks, you can purchase them at the bistro at the start of the Johnston Canyon Trail. There are also washrooms located at the beginning of the path.

Happy hiking trails!

From our Family to yours, Happy Travels!