Johnston Canyon

Johnston Canyon is a narrow limestone canyon carved by Johnston Creek in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada, known for its waterfalls and visitor catwalks. It is a heavily visited day-hike destination with short, well-maintained trails and interpretive signage.

The route through the canyon features steel catwalks and paved sections that run along the canyon walls, giving close-up views of cascades and sculpted rock. The path reaches the Lower Falls at about 1.1 km one-way and continues to the Upper Falls at about 2.7 km one-way, with viewpoints and cascades along the way.

The canyon was formed by fluvial erosion of the limestone bedrock by Johnston Creek, with glacial processes affecting the surrounding valley during the last ice age. Parks Canada developed and maintains the trail, boardwalks, and visitor facilities to provide safe public access to the canyon features.

The trailhead and day-use parking are located off the Bow Valley Parkway (Highway 1A) inside Banff National Park, approximately 25 km west of the town of Banff. The site sits within montane forest and alpine foothills typical of the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies.

• Catwalks: The trail uses steel catwalks anchored to the canyon walls to provide access through narrow sections and viewpoints for the waterfalls.
• Trail distances: Trail distances are about 1.1 km one-way to the Lower Falls and about 2.7 km one-way to the Upper Falls, making the Upper Falls a roughly 5.4 km round-trip hike from the parking area.

What to See #

• Lower Falls: A short paved trail leads to the Lower Falls, about 1.1 km one-way from the Johnston Canyon parking area, with steel catwalks attached to the canyon walls providing close views of the gorge.
• Upper Falls: A longer walk continues to the Upper Falls, roughly 2.7 km one-way from the trailhead; this section gives views of a higher cascade and deeper sections of the canyon.