Hotels near Johnston Canyon and the Ink Pots

Johnston Canyon works as three hikes stacked on one trail. The Lower Falls sit 1.1 km in on steel catwalks bolted to the limestone gorge, an easy 2.2 km round trip suitable for almost anyone. The Upper Falls, a 30 m curtain dropping into a plunge pool, are 2.7 km in for a 5.4 km round trip. Continuing to the Ink Pots makes it a 10.7 km round trip with roughly 550 m of elevation gain, 3.5 to 5 hours, moderate - and that last stretch is where the character changes entirely, climbing out of the canyon into open meadow on the Johnston Creek flats.

The Ink Pots are seven cold mineral springs bubbling up through the meadow at a constant 4 degrees Celsius year-round, shading from milky blue-green to clear. Almost nobody who queues for the catwalks walks this far, so crowd density collapses past the Upper Falls. The canyon section is popular enough that Parks Canada meters the day use car park, and the Bow Valley Parkway west of Johnston Canyon carries seasonal travel restrictions to protect wildlife, so confirm access before you drive out in 2026.

Pro Tip: Roam Transit Route 9 runs Banff to Johnston Canyon in summer 2026 for about CAD 6 each way, which removes the car park problem completely. If you do drive, arrive before 08:00 or after 16:00 - between 10:00 and 15:00 in July and August the lot is a queue rather than a car park.