Banff Trip Overview
Johnston Canyon is one of Banff National Park’s most popular hiking spots, but most people don’t think to experience it at night. Your headlight (yours to keep after the tour) makes the frozen waterfalls shimmer as you hike along the suspended catwalk in quiet darkness. The evening icewalk is all about heightening your senses, appreciating the darkness, the scents of the fresh pine forest and enjoying the silence of a night spent beneath the stars as you follow your guide through this narrow, water-formed canyon.
Additional Info
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
Starts: Banff, Canada
Trip Category: Outdoor Activities >> Nature & Wildlife
Explore Banff Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Banff, Alberta, Canada
Johnston Canyon is one of Banff National Park’s most popular hiking spots, but most people don’t think to experience it at night. Your headlight (yours to keep after the tour) makes the frozen waterfalls shimmer as you hike along the suspended catwalk in quiet darkness. The evening icewalk is all about heightening your senses, appreciating the darkness, the scents of the fresh pine forest and enjoying the silence of a night spent beneath the stars as you follow your guide through this narrow, water-formed canyon.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Pass By: Bow Valley Parkway, Banff, Banff National Park, Alberta Canada
Travel through breathtaking scenery and nature on your way to the trailhead and learn about the history and geology of Johnston Canyon.
Stop At: Johnston Canyon, Banff National Park, Alberta Canada
Light your way through this narrow, water-formed canyon as your small group follows your guide to the Canyon’s lower falls. The suspended catwalks, built into the limestone walls, make this an easy trip for everyone. Along the way, your guide will highlight unique features by powerful flashlight and pause for moments of darkness and quiet to foster an appreciation for spending time in the canyon at night.
At the turn around point, your guide will illuminate the expanding ice that encases the rushing water and escort you through a natural tunnel onto the viewing platform, beside the cascading Lower Falls themselves. Warm up with hot chocolate and maple cookies while you look around the Lower Falls, the turnaround point.
The return journey is your opportunity to travel without your headlamp (should you wish!). You’ll be amazed as to how quickly your eyes adjust to the darkness, enough for you to travel through the pine forest guided only by the ambient light of the moon and the stars above your head.
What to expect:
• Walking Time: 1 – 1.5 hours
• Return Distance: 1.4 miles (2.2 kilometers)
• Elevation Gain: 213 feet (65 meters)
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
