Johnston Canyon Icewalk – Exploring Banff This Winter

Disclosure: Advertising and affiliate services, including Amazon Associates, help the cost of running my blog. Clicking ads or making purchases through affiliate links may, at no additional cost to you, earn me a small commission. I appreciate your support.

Who says hiking in the Canadian Rockies is just for summer? If you remember to layer up, and wear the right shoes, you can also head out on a winter hike and see the outdoors in a completely different way. A Johnston Canyon icewalk is the perfect winter activity, if you’ve never been here before, winter is a spectacular time to visit.

Where Is Johnston Canyon?

Just outside of Banff, Johnston Canyon is about a 30-minute drive. It’s located along the Bow Valley and is very easy to get to. The Canyon is along Highway 1A, just a parallel detour from the main Highway 1 that runs between Banff and Lake Louise.

If you’re planning on doing a Johnston Canyon icewalk this winter, there are three possible ways to get there:

BY CAR

There’s a large parking lot at Johnston Canyon, and it’s only a short distance from Banff if you have a car.

Directions: Follow Trans-Canada Highway signs West and drive as if you’re heading to Lake Louise. Take exit AB-1A and slight RIGHT onto Highway 1A and continue for around 17km. The free Johnston Canyon parking lot will be on the right.

BY BUS

Relying on public transportation on this trip? No problem. There’s a regional bus that goes directly from Banff to Johnston Canyon.

Bus #9 leaves from the Banff High School Transit Hub on Banff Avenue, and runs 4 times a day in each direction.

The bus takes 35 minutes and is $5 per direction. Get your ticket from the machine at the transit hub.

BY TOUR

Want to have a bit more of a guided tour? That’s exactly what I did. I joined a small group tour by Discover Banff and enjoyed a 4 hour tour (including travel time). There were only ten of us on the tour so it was a good group size.

The Johnston Canyon icewalk tour was around $120, which is a little steep when you look at the bus cost. But you’ll have a local guide with you telling you all about the area, and you’ll get to meet other people (great for solo travelers).

Note you will be required to sign a waiver, as with many other winter activities, if you take a tour.

What Will I Need For A Winter Johnston Canyon Icewalk?

Layers, layers, and more layers. Dress warmly and prepare for cold temperatures and sometimes snow. You’ll also need appropriate footwear – good soles on (waterproof) hiking boots or snow boots. On top of that, you’ll need cleats/crampons to attach to your footwear – this will help with traction on snowy and icy surfaces.

The plus side of booking a tour is that they’ll provide cleats/crampons and trekking poles whereas you might need to rent them if you’re going on your own. Unless you bring your own of course.

While the hike isn’t difficult, this is winter in the Rockies, so you should be prepared. Here are my recommended essentials:

• Thermal base layer – top and bottoms (I like Smartwool, Icebreaker is another good one)
• Snowpants (if you have them, otherwise regular pants and rain pants on top would be good in case it rains)
• A thick sweater
• Ski jacket – or something thick and waterproof (I have a fleece lined ski-jacket from Under Armour that I like)
• Waterproof insulated gloves – I got some cheaper ones from Costco that did the trick)
• Neck warmer/buff and a cozy winter hat

How Long Is The Johnston Canyon Icewalk Trail?

There are three main stopping points on the Johnston Canyon Trail: Lower Falls, Upper Falls and Ink Pots.

I’ve done this hike in the summer, and the Ink Pots are definitely worth seeing at that time of year. They are small mineral springs that can change color. However, in the winter they’re not as impressive and it’s a lot further to get there. I’d recommend you make Upper Falls your turnaround spot which is what most people do.

The hike to the Upper Falls is 2.5km each direction and will take about 2-2.5 hours including a bit of a break at the falls.

The hike is easy-moderate but ice can make it more challenging. The hike to the Lower Falls is only 1.2km in each direction and is a relatively easy hike.

LOWER FALLS: 1.2 km one way in length; 50 m elevation gain; 1 hour round trip 

UPPER FALLS: 2.5 km one way in length; 120 m elevation gain; 2 hour round trip

INK POTS: 5.7 km one way in length; 330 m elevation gain; 4 hour round trip

What To Expect On Your Johnston Canyon Winter Icewalk

The hike is by no means a challenging one to the Upper Falls. There’s a little uphill, but it’s fairly gradual. The only thing that can make a difference is a cold day – with your layers and the cold temperatures it can make you breathless a little quicker.

TRAIL QUALITY

The trail is well laid out, and at times crosses metal walkways around the canyon. The path is wide enough for two-way traffic although in some spots it’s a little tighter.

There may be some ice hiding under the fresh snowfall so watch your step – especially on inclines. It’s impossible to get lost, there are a number of signs pointing you in the right direction.

FLORA & FAUNA

If you’re doing a winter icewalk through Johnston Canyon you won’t see too much of either. Even if it’s not currently snowing, there will be snow on the ground covering a lot of the vegetation. Around you though, you’ll see lots of spruce and fir trees. Smaller trees poking out of the deep snow lining the trail, and larger trees climbing the canyon to the top.

You may see some birds around, especially ravens. However, other critters won’t be too plentiful. Our guide told us that since it’s a canyon the prey don’t like to be here where they may not be able to escape, and the predators won’t come here much if there isn’t a lot of prey. Makes sense.

FOOT TRAFFIC

Being a pretty easy winter hike there are lot of people who favor a visit to Johnston Canyon. Weekends can be a little busy so aim for a weekday if possible, and earlier if you’re driving so you can get a parking spot.

I visited on a Saturday afternoon in early February and it wasn’t too busy. There were a number of people in each direction, but I wouldn’t call it crowded. There were times when my group were the only people around. Crowds tend to form at the lookout points, and the waterfalls, but for the most part I found everyone respectful of others around them.

RIVER & FROZEN WATERFALLS

The river through the canyon is reduced to a babble, and is often concealed under layers of snow and ice. There are a couple of breaks in the snow where you can see the icy cold clear water. And in one spot I could see it flowing underneath a sheet of really thick ice.

The highlights of a winter icewalk through Johnston Canyon are of course seeing the waterfalls in their frozen state. There are a number of waterfalls in Johnston Canyon, but the main two are the unimaginatively named Lower Falls and Upper Falls.

Since the waterfalls are made from the usually crystal clear glacier water, in winter when they freeze they look blue. That’s because of the density of glacier water, which is also good news for ice climbers as the blue ice is sturdier and thicker than non-blue ice.

ICE CLIMBERS

Not content with just walking the trails? Why not try your hand at ice climbing. It’s exactly as it sounds – instead of scaling rock walls, climbers ascend the thick frozen waterfalls using ice axes, ropes and spiky crampons to help feet grip the ice.

But on this trip you can at least see other ice climbers and work and consider if it might be for you. After watching one ice climber’s crampon partially fall off his shoe and watching him try to get it back on for 10 minutes dangling off the side of a frozen waterfall, I’m going to pass. But they seem to have fun, and it’s really interesting to watch the technique.

GUIDED TOUR

If, like me, you choose to take the guided tour, you can expect a few stories and information about the area as you walk. Our local guide told us about the geology, vegetation, and the formation of the national park we were traveling through.

Once we made it to the Upper Falls we got some hot chocolate and maple cookies to enjoy while we gazed out at the blue falls. Even if you don’t take a guided tour, I highly recommend a flask of hot chocolate – the perfect way to warm up.

TOILETS

There are no toilets on the trail, however there are some in the parking lot at the trailhead. They are proper toilets and are actually quite nice. If those toilets are closed, there are a couple of pit toilets nearby too. Make sure to go before you hit the trail. NOTE: Cleats/crampons are not allowed to be worn in the toilet building as they damage the floors.

Benefits of a Guided Johnston Canyon Icewalk

I enjoy hiking with friends, and we often like to go at our own pace. But hiking in winter is not something I usually do, which is why I booked a guided tour.

Here are some of the benefits I noticed about booking a guided Johnston Canyon icewalk tour:

• LOCAL GUIDE – Learn a little more about the area you are travelling through, and someone who is more familiar with the terrain in winter;
• EQUIPMENT – Trekking poles and ice cleats for your shoes are included in the price – if going alone I likely would have had to rent these anyway;
• MEET OTHER PEOPLE – I was travelling on my own so this was a great way to meet new people, and hike with the safety of a group;
• CONVENIENCE – Hotel pick ups, comfortable transportation included, even the snacks were provided. I didn’t have to do any planning other than showing up on time.

Is Summer Or Winter Best To Visit Johnston Canyon

Having done both, I can say that I felt more comfortable in the summer as the temperatures were much more pleasant. But I actually think Johnston Canyon looks way more beautiful in the winter.

The heavy snowfall gripping the tree branches, the hard packed snow covering the trail, and the stunning frozen blue waterfalls. I had a hard time keeping up with the group for taking photos – even as my hands turned as blue as the ice from repeatedly taking off my gloves.

As long as you’re prepared for the cold, and layered up, winter is the clear winner for me. Johnston Canyon is a great hike with a lot of winter wonderland vibes along the way.

If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. Have you ever visited Johnston Canyon in the winter, or done a winter ice walk?