Banff’s Most Famous Canyon Walk Is Off Limits Until December

One of Banff National Park’s most visited walks is closed into December. A Parks Canada closure order shuts the Johnston Canyon Trail and Day Use Area from October 13 to December 11, 2026, so crews can carry out rock slope remediation for the safety of visitors and workers, Travel And Tour World reports. The closure covers the main trail from the parking lot to the Lower Falls, about 1.2 kilometres one way, and on to the Upper Falls at about 2.5 kilometres, along with the P1 parking lot and the day-use washrooms.

Johnston Canyon’s catwalks bolted to the canyon walls are a big part of its appeal, especially in winter, when frozen waterfalls draw crowds of hikers and ice-walk tour groups. That makes the timing awkward for early-season visitors. The rest of Banff National Park remains open, and the Upper Falls and the Ink Pots can still be reached from the Moose Meadows Trail, depending on conditions. That approach is longer and less sheltered than the canyon route, so it suits prepared hikers rather than casual walkers.

The order is issued under Section 36(1) of the National Parks General Regulations, and entering a closed area can bring a fine of up to CAD 25,000. Parks Canada has not published a detailed engineering schedule, so the December 11 date should be treated as a planned end rather than a guarantee. For anyone heading out in the meantime, winter conditions call for ice cleats, poles and awareness of avalanche and whiteout risks on higher trails.

If Johnston Canyon was on your itinerary, look at alternatives closer to town. Travel And Tour World points to the Fenland Trail, the Marsh Loop, Stewart Canyon, the Tunnel Mountain summit and Sulphur Mountain as options that stay accessible in colder months. Do not drive to the P1 lot expecting to walk the canyon as usual, and check Parks Canada’s official notices before you go, both for any change to the reopening date and for current trail conditions.

Sources: Travel And Tour World