Johnston Canyon and the Ink Pots

I’ve done the hike up to the upper falls of Johnston Canyon, though I haven’t done the Ink Pots stretch of it yet.
I would really recommend doing this hike in the winter rather than the summer. It’s lovely either way, but in the winter, the falls freeze and look so dramatic! Also, I found that in the summer, this hike is INSANELY busy. Like, you have to squish yourself against the cliffside for a few minutes while streams of people pass you before you can start walking again: P In the winter, it’s a much quieter and really very romantic walk :)
I should also note that this is generally a very easy hike to do — the trails are well-​maintained and not very steep. That said, I’ve been here in the winter twice now, and the last time I went, there had been some snow & rain, so the trails were quite slippery! It made it go from an easy hike to a somewhat tricky one, just trying to keep yourself from falling all the time, haha. So if you go in the winter, you might want some little rubber cleats or good hiking boots for this one — or at least a good hiking stick to help you keep your balance if the trails get slippery: P

Winter Review: This was one of my FAVORITE things we did in Banff when we visited in January. We did it with regular snow boots and jeans — no special snow gear required, although we did notice some people had winter hiking gear on.
It’s great for beginners who don’t hike a lot and they have railings all the way up the trail so you don’t slip. The views were beautiful. The frozen waterfalls especially. Casually strolling up the trail, the whole thing took us about 2 hours. Definitely recommend it!

Go Early or Be Prepared to Be in a Hiking Traffic Jam. Great hike since we started by 8am — it was quiet. We only saw 9 hikers all the way to Ink Pots which is another 1.5 hours beyond Upper Falls. After 11am we saw 453 hikers on our decent! Yes I counted! The falls are spectacular.
August 2014

AMAZING! the first time I visited was winter, everything was frozen, which made the hike very hard-​specially if you dont hike and just wearing sneakers… this time, my hubby and Bailee (labradoodle) their first time, the hike was just a breeze from the bottom to the lower falls. though it was 1^st wk of Oct, it was still very busy, it was stressful since there are catwalks and its not a 2 way walkway. with Bailee very excited, and other dogs around, and little kids, have to be mindful of the others who are not dog lovers, so we often stop and have to let them go first. the view is breath taking. its a must see! bring water… walking stick… and dont forget CAMERA! oh and wear appropriate footwear

We did the ice walk with regular shoes! It was an adventure! We kept slipping all the time. The guard rails built all along the canyon and the catwalks helped. But the experience was totally worth it. The views were gorgeous. The water was as blue and clear as a rare blue topaz.

Visited 2 years ago during December when all the water was frozen. The view from on top of the frozen water falls was amazing. This is a great hike.

Visited this place on the Brewster Mountains, Lakes & Waterfalls tour. We only had time to go to the lower falls while here. It’s about a 0.5 mile hike in & the trail doesn’t loop around but ends at the lower falls. You go through a very narrow & low tunnel to view the falls. But you can also see them from the path just before the tunnel. It was a good hike. I was a little out of breath at first. The elevation perhaps? But I quickly acclimatized & enjoyed the hike. It’s a beautiful spot. I would like to come back again & see the upper falls as well. That would be a lot of fun.

I always wrote off hiking in the winter, I imagined most of the trails would be closed because A: the mountains would be –40 B: Cougars are in the hunt C: The Wolves consider it all as sacred ground.
Crazy city slicker talk.
That said after a week/​month of hectic living in YYC, I craved the great outdoors and wanted to run away to a blanket of trees. So I found myself driving through the thick curtain of snow on a Sunday Morning to Johnston Canyon.
Just a drive past Banff, this trail is worth the visit because it’s open in the winter. It seems like a lengthy drive from the highway turn, but it’s a scenic one. I caught glimpses of Elk chilling out (HA!) and Wolves peacefully watching from the horizon. When I got to this path, I realized this was a popular destination spot and my rookie outdoorsman was a little less nervous. Suddenly my hipster jeans, rockport boots, and B-​rep winter cap wasn’t so out of place.
The walk is amazing. I slithered through the paths that snake around the bottom of the canyon so it’s perfect for people who are afraid of heights. Most hikes have to have breathtaking views but this one allows you to stop and look at the finer details of nature: the half frozen river glacier, the muddy blue ice cliffs, the noble limestone rock walls, and the poplar trees that needn’t any wax poetic description.
Down the path we discovered that the falls had frozen over and there were ice climbers making their way up. Crazy but I like their style.
Someday I’m sure I would return to this place in any weather. Winter hiking brought a unique experience compared to summer. Although, I would HIGHLY recommend wearing cleats or chains around your boots. Patches of ice are hidden and I had a massive bail. Good thing a pretty outdoorslady was nearby to nurse my wounds :)

This is an easy hike and takes around 1 hour round trip to the upper waterfall. It’s definitely worth going all the way to the upper canyon, as the waterfall there is spectacular! Remember to check it both from the upper and lower viewing platforms.

I think that Johnston Canyon and Ink Pots should be separate places. I have yet to go to the Ink Pots, but it is on my next hike list for sure, if there is still nice weather when I’m back from holidays.
I went with some girls for an afternoon away. Well it is a tourist spot so there was a TON of people, which when I hike, I am usually alone and in more remote places. So that grated my nerves. And I get that you want to make it a family thing, but really, bringing your strollers on a hike… come one. Have some common sense. Another annoying point.
Gorgeous though. Stunning, it was pretty, and it was still wonderful to be out in nature. It if touristy, so you don’t have to worry as much for dangerous things to happen. Still always be safe, pack snacks and water.

It feels a bit strange writing a review for a place that was made by nature, but there’s a restaurant on the premises, so I will lump them together.
The actual falls: very, very beautiful. It’s great that they are accessible to people who may not want to hike for miles or who simply cannot. The trails are paved where there is ground and there’s a boardwalk over the water in places. Interesting signs along the way and very reasonable distance even to the bigger falls beyond the first little falls.
Ink pots: you may have heard about the ink pots before or maybe you will see it mentioned on the signs along the falls. It’ll say you have this much to walk to get to the falls and then like ten times longer to get to the ink pots. We were feeling good and I was curious to see them so we did the hike up to the ink pots. The actual destination wasn’t really worth the walk BUT the experience along the way was worth it. You get beautiful views at times that you would never have gotten to see if you were down by the falls.
Restaurant at the foot of the falls by the parking lot: since we wanted to eat outside, we were told to just order food from the food counter and pick it up ourselves. The menu was decent, fish and chips, burgers, fries, etc. I had the chicken sandwich and it was pretty good. We were also really hungry. I don’t think it had to be so expensive though.
Also, be careful driving up here because there is a lot of wildlife on the road leading up to the falls because it’s removed from the highway.