Banff Johnston Canyon hiking spots highlighted

Johnston Canyon in Banff National Park resurfaced in travel chatter on Friday after an X post pointed visitors toward the canyon’s catwalk trail and the Ink Pots meadow beyond. The post was part of a broader weekend hiking thread and matched one of Banff’s best-known warm-weather routes: a short waterfall walk that can be extended into a longer outing. Parks Canada describes Johnston Canyon as a maintained trail system leading first to the Lower Falls and Upper Falls, then onward to the Ink Pots. (parks.canada.ca) For visitors seeing the social post and wondering whether it is a real, established route, the answer is yes. (parks.canada.ca) Parks Canada’s Banff hiking material lists Johnston Canyon as a formal trail from the Johnston Canyon Day-use Area, with set distances to the falls and the longer extension to the Ink Pots. ### How far is the Johnston Canyon walk if you keep going to the Ink Pots? Parks Canada lists the Lower Falls at 1.2 kilometers one way, the Upper Falls at 2.5 kilometers one way, and the Ink Pots at 5.7 kilometers one way from the trailhead. The full extension to the Ink Pots carries 330 meters of elevation gain and 140 meters of elevation loss, according to Banff hiking material surfaced through Parks Canada sources. (parks.canada.ca) The route changes character as it goes. Parks Canada says the path to the Upper Falls follows the busy canyon trail, while the section beyond leaves the paved canyon walk for a forested trail with exposed roots and rocks before reaching the meadow and the mineral springs. (parks.canada.ca) ### What are people talking about when they mention the catwalks? Johnston Canyon is known for metal walkways attached to the canyon walls, and that is the feature most often seen in photos and social posts. A current trail listing describing the route says hikers pass over sturdy iron catwalks beneath overhanging canyon walls on the way toward the falls. (parks.canada.ca) Those catwalk sections are part of why the hike appeals to first-time Banff visitors. The canyon portion offers a short-access waterfall walk, while the longer continuation to the Ink Pots adds distance without turning into a technical mountain route. (parks.canada.ca) Parks Canada classifies the trail as maintained, though conditions can vary and the surface becomes rougher past the falls. ### What exactly are the Ink Pots? Parks Canada describes the Ink Pots as shallow pools where water bubbles from deep below the Earth’s surface. The pools sit in an open meadow beyond the canyon section, which is why many visitors pair the dramatic rock walls and waterfalls of Johnston Canyon with a quieter finish in the valley above. (alltrails.com) The meadow approach also explains why some travel posts present Johnston Canyon and Ink Pots as one outing rather than two separate stops. The same trail links them, with the busiest traffic usually concentrated near the falls and a longer walk required to reach the springs. (parks.canada.ca) ### What should hikers check before they go this weekend? Parks Canada says visitors should check Banff trail conditions before heading out. The agency’s trail conditions page says hikers should plan ahead and review the latest conditions to avoid surprises on park trails. (parks.canada.ca) A May 15, 2026 bulletin adds a Johnston Canyon-specific rule: off-trail use is strictly prohibited from the lower trail sign to the Ink Pots/Moose Meadows junction. Parks Canada says the restriction is in place to protect black swifts, an endangered bird species listed under Canada’s Species at Risk Act. (parks.canada.ca) ### Is there anything else worth checking besides the trail itself? Parks Canada’s Banff bulletin page and closures page are the practical places to look before departure. Those pages list current restrictions, seasonal closures and other access changes across the park, including Johnston Canyon-related notices when they are active. (parks.canada.ca) Parks Canada also maintains brochures for Banff visitors, including hiking guides and campground information tied to Johnston Canyon and nearby areas. For anyone building a weekend plan around the route highlighted online, the next step is to review the Banff trail conditions page and current bulletins before setting out. (parks.canada.ca 1) (parks.canada.ca 2) (parks.canada.ca 3)