Johnston Canyon is a slot in the limestone of Banff National Park, and the whole attraction is that a path has been built into it. Steel catwalks bolted to the canyon wall lead you over the creek, with turquoise water rushing below and the rock close enough to touch. After about a kilometre you reach the Lower Falls, a small drop into a pool, and after a longer walk, the Upper Falls, a taller plunge of about thirty metres. Further on, the Ink Pots are a cluster of cold green springs in a meadow, a pleasing finish if you have the legs.
The creek has cut its gorge through the Rocky Mountain limestone over thousands of years, using the force of meltwater and the grinding of stones. The rock is pale grey, streaked with orange and black, and in places the walls close over your head. Spray cools the air, moss grows in the cracks and in winter the waterfalls freeze into tall blue columns, which draw ice climbers and people with cleated boots. Dippers, small grey birds that walk underwater, are sometimes seen hunting insects in the creek.
The canyon is on the Bow Valley Parkway, which runs along the north side of the Bow River between Banff and Lake Louise. It is a quieter, slower alternative to the Trans-Canada Highway, with a speed limit of sixty kilometres an hour and long stretches of forest broken by views of the Bow and the ridge of Castle Mountain. For a rider, it is an easy, relaxed ride, ideal for early morning when wildlife, from elk to black bears, grazes beside the road. There are seasonal restrictions to protect wildlife, which can close sections of the parkway to vehicles at certain times, so check Parks Canada's current notices before you go. A park pass is needed for any stop in the national park.
Johnston Canyon is one of the busiest sites in the park, and the car park fills quickly in summer. Arrive before nine in the morning or after five in the evening to avoid the worst of the crowds, and keep an eye on the bike when you park. Do not approach any animals, particularly bears and elk, and carry bear spray if you intend to walk.
Services are limited. Banff, about twenty kilometres away, is the nearest large town, and Lake Louise has a station further west. Fill the tank in Banff before you set out, and enjoy the cool air under the pines.