Johnston Canyon Hike
Johnston Canyon is sufficiently spectacular that you'll have no difficulty believing it's the result of 8,000 years of erosion.
But the canyon is famous. It's conveniently close to Banff townsite. It's only a few minutes' drive off the Trans-Canada Highway. And a paved path democratically invites everyone, regardless of age or infirmity, to enter the abyss and marvel at the waterfalls within.
So you should also have no difficulty appreciating how spectacularly overcrowded Johnston Canyon is in summer.
Our advice: avoid the crowd but don't miss the canyon. Come in shoulder season. Try as early as May, as late as mid-November. And if there's little or no snow, you can experience the genuine Johnston Canyon hike.
Most people waddle only a short distance into the canyon before exiting. But the Johnston Canyon hike doesn't end in the canyon. It continues to the Inkpots, where cold springs bubble to the surface, and views of Johnston Creek Valley open up.
And if you're a swift, eager hiker, the Johnston Canyon hike goes beyond the Inkpots, all the way to wild, lonely Mystic Pass.
Intrigued by the Johnston Canyon hike? You'll find all the information and inspiration you need in a unique guidebook: Don't Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies, The Opinionated Hiking Guide. Reading it will ensure you devote your limited hiking time to the most scenically rewarding trails in the Canadian Rockies, one of which is the Johnston Canyon hike.
Go to http://www.hikingcamping.com/hike-rockies.php to learn more about Don't Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies, The Opinionated Hiking Guide.
