Johnston Canyon

If you park in the parking lot that is marked as Johnston Canyon from the road, you will want to find the path leading from the north-west corner of the lot. This path will take you across a river and meet up with the other paths. Johnston Canyon gets very, very busy. It is not uncommon to have to park on the side of the parkway in the warmer months. The trail head is on the west side of the river. There are also bathrooms and a ice cream stand that is open in summer.

The trail itself is short walk that is great to check out year round. In winter time when the surface of the water is frozen, there are guided interpretive ice walks that are offered which take you along the length of the canyon and allow you to see the ice climbers which frequent the falls up close. In summer time it is a bee hive. The best time to visit would in the morning. Usually around 11am it starts to get very busy and by mid afternoon your are bouncing amongst everyone trying to get a good view of all the waterfalls.

The trail itself starts at the sign with the map on it just past the bathrooms. It is on the west side of the river. The pathway is easily done in street shoes as the catwalks are concrete and the dirt path is very compacted. If it's raining or winter time, watch out for slipping and dress accordingly.

You will see waterfalls in all shapes and sizes. More than you can remember to count.

Once you reach the 1.1km mark they trail splits in two. If you head right you will reach the lower falls in a 50 meters or so. You get a great view as the waterfalls and pounds into a small pool before cascading again to the river bottom.

If you cross the bridge you will also be greeted by a low tunnel (watch your head) in which you can actually be up close and personal to the lower falls. There is lots of water spray which can feel very refreshing on a hot summers day. In winter time when the falls ice up, you can still hear the sound of the water rushing below.

Once you have gotten a little wet it is time to continue to the upper falls. The trail heads uphill gradually and still pops onto the river now and then.

When you reach another T intersection you will want to head right to see the bottom of the upper falls. For those who had enough of heading uphill this is still a great place to finish off and turn around. You are greeted with the 40 meter high Upper Falls of Johnston Canyon which can be seen perfectly from a platform that stretches to the center of the river.

If you still have it in you, the rest of the trail is pretty much uphill and is the steepest section of the whole hike. Hardly a challenge for anyone who frequents outdoors but since this trail offers gorgeous sights in such a small distance; the physical experience does vary quite a bit for all ages. When you get to the top, you can walk onto the platform that juts out a bit above the river below which allows you to see the entire Upper Falls. You can also follow it along further to see more of the river.

This is the end of the interpretive portion of Johnston Canyon. The trail continues past this to the Ink Pots but it is a another 3km uphill on rougher ground. Good boots with ankle support are recommended.