Johnston Canyon in Banff National Park was not crowded during my entire experience there — from when I entered it to viewing the lower falls to being at the two observation areas of the upper falls — but I had already spent a few hours there…
…and there was so much more to see during my week in the Rocky Mountains of Canada; so I decided that the time was right for me to leave.
Leaving Johnston Canyon
Coniferous trees frame the banks of the creek along the way.
The views appear significantly different on the way back to the entrance of Johnston Canyon…
…especially when the ambient light changes due to either the position of the sun in the sky; or due to passing clouds.
A lone person also slowly treks his way back towards the entrance…
…as there is only one main trail which is used for both ingress and egress — but that does not mean that the scenery is the same on the way out.
I enjoyed watching — and listening to — the power and the fury of the raging waters of Johnston Creek near the lower falls.
Droplets of water were randomly choreographed in a dance in the air as the creek descended through the narrow canyon between the rock walls which it had carved through over the centuries.
I watched the mist rise from the middle of the lower falls as I stood on the bridge.
I was fascinated by the designs carved naturally into the rock walls by the creek.
The tunnel to the platform where visitors almost certainly become drenched with the spray of the creek is at the right side in the photograph.
The sky was mainly overcast — pocked with pockets of cerulean holes, as though the mountain peaks reached up to scrape through the clouds.
Facing southwest, the greenery of the hills beyond Bow Valley Parkway accentuated the scenery during the rare peeks through the trees.
This bridge — which crosses Johnston Creek — leads back to the parking lot…
…and it is an indication that the exit is close — right around the bend once this bridge has been crossed.
Summary
Other than admission into Banff National Park — which has been suspended for 2017 while Canada celebrates 150 years as a confederation — there is no admission fee to visit Johnston Canyon…
…which is very easy to find.
Missing seeing anything in Johnston Canyon on the way in is no problem, as you will pass what you missed on the way back out — and due to the aforementioned changing conditions, you will be treated to different views and angles of what you already saw.
After leaving Johnston Canyon, I headed on over to Silverton Falls…
All photographs ©2017 by Brian Cohen.
