When you pull into the parking lot at Johnston’s Canyon in Banff National Park, the first thing you notice are the chalets overlooking the massive gorge.
They make you wish that you’d brought an overnight bag so you could stay there and appreciate the full beauty of the Rockies at dawn. The patio at the diner is typically full of people drinking cold beverages (suitable, considering the hot, humid air that fills the area in the peak of summer).
When you pass the diner, you approach a sign marking the trailhead that reads, “1.1 kilometres to the Lower Falls, 2.7 to the Upper Falls.” The falls here are not the only attraction. If you continue on the dirt path past the upper falls, you can reach the inkpots (5.8 kilometres from the trailhead). The inkpots are six beautiful, emerald-colored pools filled with spring water.
Despite the initial heat, the trail is cool and moist when you go lower and more toward the creek – the rapid flowing water creates a mist that lowers the air temperature significantly, so it is very important that you dress in layers.
As you walk along the catwalk and look far down onto the creek, you will see what 8,000 years of erosion from the water has done; how it has carved such a smooth canyon that could almost be called a work of art. Study more closely and you will see the bright green moss that lines the canyon walls and the Black Swift birds’ nests that house many of the tiny winged creatures.
Every sinkhole, every crevice, every cavern will entice you. When you walk into the massive hole through the canyon wall – that now acts as a pathway to get closer to the lower falls – the mist will send chills down your spine, and small droplets of water will gather on your hair and clothes.
If you continue on the path to the Upper – more dominant – falls, there are often fewer people on the trail, as many people stop to see the first waterfall and then turn back. The journey, however, is well worth it. The falls are breathtaking; the noise, thundering. At the bottom of the basin, the water is a luminous turquoise, and you can feel the cold air rushing up towards you; it makes you realize just how cold water in the mountains is. The falls appear white, and remind one of how waterfalls look in the winter: white with long lines of turquoise, smooth and still, yet menacing in its sheer size and weight.
Such an incredible force of nature is a great way to get kids interested in the environment; it will bring out their curiosity and make use of all of their senses. Once you’ve taken it all in and are heading back to the trailhead, don’t forget to stop at the little ice cream shop and grab a cone for the road: the perfect end to the perfect hike.
How to get there
From Calgary, go west on the Trans-Canada Highway toward Banff. Continue west after passing Banff and take the Bow Valley Parkway turnoff for approximately 18 kilometres to Johnston’s Canyon.
Stephanie is a freelance writer specializing in travel and food writing. For more information visit her website at www.stephaniearsenault.ca.
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