STATE & NATION TRAVEL · alerts
Johnston Canyon trail and day-use area closed through Dec. 11 for rock work
By Staff Writer · Published October 24, 2026
Parks Canada has closed the main canyon route, P1 parking and washrooms. Upper Falls and the Ink Pots remain reachable only by the longer Moose Meadows approach.
Official announcement: Parks Canada · October 13, 2026
Source: Parks Canada: Johnston Canyon closure bulletin
Parks Canada has closed the Johnston Canyon Trail and day-use area in Banff National Park through December 11 while crews carry out construction and rock-slope work. The order covers the main trail from the parking area to both waterfall viewpoints, the P1 lot and the washrooms, removing the usual starting point and visitor services during the project.
The closure applies to all traffic and travel in the designated area. Parks Canada says it is intended to protect visitors and workers; entering a closed area can lead to charges under the Canada National Parks Act. The bulletin gives an end date but does not promise that every facility will reopen on a particular hour that day.
The closure does not eliminate every route to the upper canyon. Parks Canada says the Upper Falls and the Ink Pots remain accessible from the Moose Meadows parking area by the Moose Meadows Trail, also identified as the Johnston Creek trailhead. That alternate approach does not restore access to the Lower Falls from the main trailhead, and it should not be treated as a short substitute for the closed paved route.
Current trail conditions dated October 23 list Johnston Canyon Trail as closed and the Ink Pots route as open only from Moose Meadows, with wet, muddy ground and fresh snow. Those conditions can change faster than the construction schedule, so travelers need both the legal closure bulletin and the current trail report before setting out.
What Travelers Need to Know
Do not enter the closed Johnston Canyon Trail or day-use area, and do not plan to use P1 parking or the washrooms. Parks Canada lists the closure through December 11, 2026; check the bulletin again before travel because a stated end date is not a substitute for an open-status confirmation.
For the Upper Falls or Ink Pots, use only the Moose Meadows/Johnston Creek trailhead identified by Parks Canada. The parking area is on the Bow Valley Parkway, about 27 kilometres northwest of Banff and 31 kilometres southeast of Lake Louise, and has limited, unlined paved parking. The alternate trail is rougher and longer than the familiar paved canyon route.
Check the live Banff trail report on departure day. The October 23 report noted wet and muddy sections plus fresh snow on the Ink Pots approach. Roadside parking is prohibited, so choose another outing if the designated lot is full rather than stopping along the parkway.
A Banff park pass is still required for visitors stopping in the national park or traveling on the Bow Valley Parkway. Buy through an official Parks Canada channel or an authorized point of sale, and verify current fees and operating information instead of relying on the closed day-use area's usual services.
About the Location
Johnston Canyon lies on the Bow Valley Parkway, about 25 kilometres northwest of the town of Banff and 33 kilometres southeast of Lake Louise. The regular paved trail runs through a narrow canyon on bridges and catwalks to the Lower Falls and the 30-metre Upper Falls; the official trail description lists the Lower Falls at 1.1 kilometres one way and the Upper Falls at 2.4 kilometres one way.
Banff, established in 1885, was Canada's first national park and is part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage Site. Johnston Canyon is one of its best-known day-use walks, so closing the main trailhead, parking and washrooms changes a normally straightforward outing into either a different destination or a longer backcountry-style approach.