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    Home » Lifestyle » Adventure » Travel » North America

    Johnston Canyon + the Ink Pots: Hiking in Banff National Park

    August 27, 2016 / Updated Jun 06, 2020 / by Carolyn Gratzer Cope / Leave a Comment / This post may contain affiliate links. Learn more.

    Hiking Canada's national parks

    Welcome to the first post in what promises to be a truly picturesque series on hiking the national parks of Alberta and British Columbia, Canada. Today we’ll be showing off Johnston Canyon and The Ink Pots in Banff National Park. Our family discovered right here that we’ve reached a stage where we all love hiking, and I can’t think of anything better. The littlest Cope, now 8, needed some encouragement from time to time in the form of, “Think of how all this altitude training will improve your gymnastics!” But otherwise we fielded few complaints. Small price to pay for a new world of magical experiences.

    Johnston Canyon Hike Banff National Park Canada 780 | Umami Girl-6

    Johnston Canyon: choose your own adventure

    At Johnston Canyon you can choose your own adventure. There’s a more crowded 1.7-mile hike to the Upper Falls (3.5 miles round-trip), which takes you on paved paths and the catwalk type thingy in the photo above. There’s an elevation gain of about 120 feet (which doesn’t begin at sea level, let me tell you), and the scenery is MAGNIFICENT, but otherwise this part of the journey feels a little less  hikey and a little more touristy.

    Leaving the crowds behind

    The second phase of the trip, from the Upper Falls to the Ink Pots, climbs higher through the woods on dirt paths and is much less crowded. The trail opens up at the end to beautiful meadows and the Ink Pots, seven cold mineral springs that bubble to the surface. Although they’re all in close proximity, each is a different color due to the mineral composition of the spring. I’m surprised how few people decided to continue on for the additional 1.9 miles to the Ink Pots. Maybe they’ve packed their schedules, or maybe they don’t know what they’re missing. But dudes. Do it. The total round-trip distance for this hike is 7.2 miles. We got a seriously late start on the day and still had plenty of time, even with kids.

    Johnston Canyon official website

    Here’s a link to the official website for the area in case you’re in information-seeking mode. If you’d like to browse photos and endure some of my color commentary (both literal and figurative), keep scrolling.

    Johnston Canyon Hike Banff National Park Canada 780 | Umami Girl-2
    Johnston Canyon Hike Banff National Park Canada 780 | Umami Girl-3

    Every Good Boy Does FABULOUS

    These two made fantastic ambassadors from the under-10 set. I won’t say there were zero complaints, but there weren’t many. They’re both full of personality and things to say, which helps to keep bears away, too. The one on the left (i.e. mine) said to her violin teacher the other day while reviewing the treble clef line names, “OR it could be Every Good Boy Does FABULOUS.” Just to give you an idea of where we’re coming from.

    Johnston Canyon Hike Banff National Park Canada 780 | Umami Girl-4
    Johnston Canyon Hike Banff National Park Canada 780 | Umami Girl-5
    Johnston Canyon Hike Banff National Park Canada 780 | Umami Girl-8

    Falls, falls, falls

    Falls falls falls. Or as we said in Iceland last year, Foss foss foss, am I right? Same idea, different language. We are all earthlings. (Bonus points if you caught that reference and know it’s me copping to my age.)

    Johnston Canyon Hike Banff National Park Canada 780 | Umami Girl-9
    Johnston Canyon Hike Banff National Park Canada 780 | Umami Girl-10

    Trail vibes

    Up top there, a post-lunch branch ride fiesta. And below, here’s a rare downhill moment on the way from the Upper Falls to the Ink Pots. (Of course that means the way back is downhill galore.) This is a good indication of what the trail feels like otherwise.

    Johnston Canyon Hike Banff National Park Canada 780 | Umami Girl-11

    Fox and rabbit therapy

    We saw a fox! This was our first glimpse of wildlife larger (though barely) than the insanely giant rabbits they have in Calgary. Side note, I might need therapy after seeing those in people’s yards. The fox was a fitting sight for our crew since we met while living in London, and similar foxes run rampant there.

    Johnston Canyon Hike Banff National Park Canada 780 | Umami Girl-12

    End of Nordic ski trail

    I enjoyed learning from this sign that I’d just spent the better part of the afternoon on a Nordic ski trail without knowing it. That's Canada for ya.

    Johnston Canyon Hike Banff National Park Canada 780 | Umami Girl-15

    Holiday card outtakes

    Which photo should we go with? I'm partial to the one with the extra personality.

    Johnston Canyon Hike Banff National Park Canada 780 | Umami Girl-13
    Johnston Canyon Hike Banff National Park Canada 780 | Umami Girl-14

    The Inkpots

    You can see two of the Ink Pots in the next photo and immediately notice the variation in water color. So cool, right? And check out this super-short Instagam video to see the water bubbling up from underground. 

    Johnston Canyon Hike Banff National Park Canada 780 | Umami Girl-16
    Johnston Canyon Hike Banff National Park Canada 780 | Umami Girl-17
    Johnston Canyon Hike Banff National Park Canada 780 | Umami Girl-18
    Johnston Canyon Hike Banff National Park Canada 780 | Umami Girl-20
    My loves. Hi.

    You belong among the wildflowers 

    And this gorgeous crew. These lovely wildflowers are a tiny taste of what you’ll see when I take you to Sunshine Mountain.

    Johnston Canyon Hike Banff National Park Canada 780 | Umami Girl-21

    A moment of zen

    And I’ll close with one of my signature meditative water flow videos. Don’t ask — I don’t know. Just roll with it and turn on the sound for a moment of zen. Talk to you soon.

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    More North America

    • The Best Restaurants in Canmore, Alberta, Canada
    • The Best Banff Hikes: Sunshine Village
    • A Few Notes + Where to Eat in Calgary
    • A Colorado Wedding Weekend: Estes Park, Lyons, and Boulder Recs
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    About Carolyn Gratzer Cope

    Hi there, I'm Carolyn Gratzer Cope. Welcome to Umami Girl, where I've been sharing recipes and more for thoughtful folks since 2008. Learn more.

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    Hi there, I'm Carolyn Gratzer Cope, founder and publisher of Umami Girl (Est. 2008). Join me in savoring life, one recipe at a time. Learn more.

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