's Johnston Canyon - Ink Pots
How to get there?
If you are coming from the east by banff, head west on the number 1 and take the Bow Valley Parkway turn off about 5km west of banff. Head 18km and turn right into the parking lot when you see the sign for Johnston Canyon.
From the west by Lake Louise you will want to head east on the number 1 till you reach Castle Junction. Head north onto the parkway and when you reach the T-intersection at Castle Junction, head west for 6km until you reach the sign for Johnston Canyon.
Johnston's Canyon to Ink Pots trip log
For more a more detailed trip log of the Johnston Canyon portion, click here.
This is the trail head. It is very hard to miss once you are on the west side of the river. Just follow the herds of people. Thankfully the majority of the masses stop at the Upper Falls and the rest of the hike is considerably quieter.
It takes about 2.7km to reach the top of the upper falls. Once you get to the top and the trail turns into the long viewing area of the river. You will want to find the trail on the back left side which looks like a much smaller rougher dirt path. Take this path to the Ink Pots.
The trail then heads steadily upwards for about 2.5km and offers a few points where the trees break and you get to see the valley below and the mountains in the distance.
The last bit is all downhill which is a nice change, but you soon realize you have to go back up this at one point, bummer. Once you reach the valley you will come across the eight pools of warm water. The sight of bubbles steadily coming out of the sandy bottoms in these crystal clear pools is a sight to behold.
One thing we noticed was that the first time we were there, there were lots of bubbles coming out of the bottom in a steady stream. Sometimes even really big ones. Then year or two later when we returned there were a very minimal amount rising in the pools. Some didn't even have any. So if this changes due to the weather or just due to the time of year we are not sure. But if you catch it at a time when they are pretty active, well sit down on any of the benches and enjoy the spectacle.
Return is the same way with one option. Instead of going back through the busy Johnston Canyon, especially in the mid afternoon. Take the fire access road that you come across on the way back. It is a steady decent all the way down to the cabins by the road. No crowds of people to try and squeeze through.
GPS Plotted Route
Currently unavailable for this route. Sorry!
If there is any change to the route you feel others should know about, shoot us an e-mail from our contact page.
