Johnston Canyon/ Ink Pots

I can't possibly talk about hiking without talking about Banff. I spent a year and a half there, and hiked almost every week in the summer/ fall (and some during winter and spring.) I gained the best hiking fitness, experiences, and skills of my life there. I learned how altitude gain impacts me, how to get a sense of which clouds mean trouble, and what type of hiking makes me happiest. I learned the balance between solo and shared hiking experience that works for me. I tried new things, I struggled to keep up, I uncovered an underlying dream of being a nature photographer, and wrestled with the question of how to balance tourism and conservation.

I also can't talk about hiking in Banff without talking about one of its most iconic (and popular) hikes: Johnston Canyon. I first went there in March of 2016, and returned 3 more times. On two of these occasions, I hiked to the Inkpots. 

So a few quick trail stats:

Lower Falls
Length: 1.2 km one way to the Lower Falls from trailhead
Elevation gain: 50 m
Hiking time: 1 hour round trip

Upper Falls
Length:2.5 km one way to the Upper Falls from trailhead
Elevation gain: 120 m
Hiking time: 2 hour round trip

Ink pots
Length: 5.7 km one way to the Ink Pots from trailhead
Elevation gain: 330 m, elevation loss 140 m
Hiking time: 4 hour round trip

The most important thing to know here is that this trail is always busy. I always went early in the mornings, which is how I have a few relatively empty trail pictures (also both from early spring). I would recommend going early, or in the slower tourist season to avoid big crowds.

The actual canyon part is pretty easy. A lot of boardwalk to the lower falls, a bit of hill to the upper falls, but pretty straightforward. Good for families. Also, the waterfalls look very cool, both frozen and in the summer.

If you want a nice 4ish hour hike, I highly suggest continuing on to the Inkpots. It's another 3km past the upper falls.

This portion has more up and downs, more overall elevation gain. It goes through forest and ends up in a meadow where you see the Inkpots, which are pools formed by water bubbling up from below the Earth's surface. I would say it is an easy to medium trail. Still relatively popular, but not like the crowds in the earlier parts of the trail.

            

The Inkpots themselves are really cool. There are also some benches and places to sit and snack while taking in the views. Around here, there were a number of sings requesting hikers stay on trail to protect fragile vegetation. Please do so and protect these amazing landscapes for future generations to enjoy as well.

This is an iconic Banff hike, and while the crowds can be a little frustrating, it is worth experiencing, particularly if you are also to get there early in the day. I'm not sure on the answer to decreasing crowds, besides some type of limitation on the amount of people there at a time. Maybe some sort of timeslot reservation online? In combination with a certain number of first come first serve spots? I would love to know any ideas on how to have as many different people as possible enjoy a place like this without seeing overcrowding.