Hike to the Ink Pots in Banff National Park

Hiking to the Ink Pots in Banff National Park offers a scenic trail that winds through Johnston Canyon, leading to a series of stunning, clear blue mineral springs set against a backdrop of lush forest and mountain peaks.

Each time we hike to the Ink Pots we are reminded of what a special place this is in Banff National Park. The blue-green color of the ponds never ceases to amaze and the mountain scenery surrounding is nothing short of spectacular.

Even after decades of hiking around Banff, Canmore and Kananaskis places like this are still able to take our breath away and leave us simply saying “Wow!”.

So what are the Ink Pots? The Ink Pots are a series of 5 cool springs where spring water percolates up through the sand and gravel.

You can see circles in the deep blue-green pools where the water and air bubbles up.

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How to Get to the Ink Pots

The Ink Pots hike is along the Bow Valley Parkway in Banff National Park. The Bow Valley Parkway, also known as Highway 1A, starts just 6 km west of Banff and connects at Lake Louise. A third access point is at Castle Junction at the Highway 93 exit between Banff and Lake Louise.

There are two ways to hike to the Ink Pots, either by hiking via Johnston Canyon or via Moose Meadows. The Johnston Canyon trailhead is quite obvious, while Moose Meadows is 2 km west of Johnston Canyon (on the same side of the highway). This is not to be confused with the similarly named Moose Meadows roadside turnout on the south side of the highway.

To access one of the two trailheads for the Ink Pots hike by public transit, hikers can take Roam Transit from Banff (Route 9) to Johnston Canyon. Please check the Roam Route #9 Bus to Johnston Canyon – Schedule and Route before heading out to make sure there haven’t been any changes.

Cycling the Bow Valley Parkway from the town of Banff to Johnston Canyon is a fun experience that could be added on to hiking the Ink Pots.

If cycling the Bow Valley Parkway, bikes are not allowed on either of the trails. There are places to lock up bikes at Johnston Canyon. At Johnston Creek / Moose Meadows, the horse hitching post or a tree is the only place to lock up bikes.

Ink Pots Hike Highlights

The hike to the Ink Pots is one of the best hikes in Banff. It’s a relatively easy hike with a moderate distance of approximately 12 km return. There are two separate trailheads that will meet at a junction at which point there is only one trail to continue on to the Ink Pots.

The Ink Pots can be reached by hiking past the Upper Falls at Johnston Canyon and joining the trail at the junction. We’ve always enjoyed the alternate Moose Meadows starting point. It avoids the crowds at Johnston Canyon and offers a peaceful walk through the forest.

Hiking to the Ink Pots via Johnston Canyon

For hiking to the Ink Pots via Johnston Canyon, please read our detailed post on hiking Johnston Canyon.

The Johnston Canyon trail leads visitors up into the belly of a dramatic canyon created by the flow of Johnston Creek. The Johnston Canyon trail alternates between being in a lush pine forest and on elevated walkways above the flowing water.

The elevated walkways are one of the big highlights of the Johnston Canyon hike. The Johnston Canyon Lower Falls are well-hidden in a narrow part of the canyon.

Your first glimpse of these falls is crossing Johnston Creek on a solid metal bridge, but the best place to enjoy the Johnston Canyon Lower Falls is by walking into the small cave on the far side of the bridge. Chances are you will get wet, but it’s so worth it to feel the raw power of nature up close.

The Johnston Canyon Upper Falls are much higher than the Lower Falls. There are two viewing platforms for the Upper Falls. The lower platform leads to the bottom of the Upper Falls; it’s is quite small and can get congested. The upper viewing platform is much larger and allows you to see the Johnston Canyon Upper Falls from above.

Hiking Johnston Canyon is truly a unique experience, so we recommend doing this at least one. You can also expect it to take longer as you’ll want to take plenty of pictures, enter the cave to see the Lower Falls and check out both Upper Falls viewpoints.

Once at the Upper Falls, continue past the top viewpoint and connect at the junction to continue to the Ink Pots.

Hiking to the Ink Pots via Moose Meadows

Hiking to the Ink Pots via Moose Meadows begins by entering an evergreen forest, with a smattering of aspen trees. The mossy forest isn’t very dense, allowing hikers to see deep into the forest.

You’ll be walking slightly uphill as you wind your way along this peaceful forested trail. With the Johnston Creek so close by, the sound of birdsong is a constant hiking companion on the Moose Meadows trail.

After approximately 1 km of hiking, you’ll reach the first of several forks in the trail. Each of these trail junctions has a hiking sign pointing you in the correct direction.

As you approach 2.3 km, take a look to the right and you’ll see a canyon forming below you. This is the famous Johnston Canyon and the hiking trail to the Upper falls is just below you.

The Moose Meadows trail transitions into a long straightaway up the side of a hill. We’ve long talked about this being an excellent stretch of trail to sled back down when we snowshoe Moose Meadows (but we always forget!)

The final section of the Ink Pots hike via Moose Meadows comes when you enter a small clearing. The forested mountain peeking through the trees to the right is Hillsdale Ridge.

There are a few fallen trees and tree stumps to sit on if you’d like a break before continuing the hike to the Ink Pots

At the far end of the clearing you’ll arrive at a trail junction. A short 200m to the right is the Johnston Canyon Upper Falls.

If you’ve never seen the upper falls, it’s worth the short detour. It’s an impressive waterfall in spring and summer, but it’s especially beautiful as a towering frozen waterfall in winter.

The trail junction to the left goes to the Ink Pots (2.7 km further), Mystic pass (11.4 km) and Luellen lake (14.5 km).

Once you start hiking past this junction on the Ink Pots trail you’ll notice it gets busier as you join up with hikers who are hiking to the Ink Pots via Johnston Canyon. It’s not too bad though, as the vast majority of Johnston Canyon hikers turn back at the Lower Falls, then most of the remainder turn back at the Upper Falls. Which is a shame, as the short hike to the Ink Pots is very enjoyable.

At the 3.7km mark you’ll cross a charming little creek, followed by a noticeably steeper section of hiking trail. This section doesn’t last long and you’ll soon be back to a more moderate incline.

The Ink Pots hiking trail is mostly through the trees, but at times you’ll be treated to occasional views of the Rocky Mountain peaks beyond.

At around 4.5 km from the start of the trail, you’ll reach the highest point of the hike. Take the time to enjoy the final downhill leg to the Ink Pots, as you’ll be grumbling about starting the way back on an uphill leg. If you look through the trees on the right, you’ll see the land fall downwards into the Johnston Canyon below.

As you near the Ink Pots, you’ll be treated to a few nice breaks in the trees where you’ll get amazing views of Mount Ishbel and Mystic Peak. Mt. Ishbel is especially majestic looming straight overhead with its pointy triangle peak.

As you approach the end of the hike, the trees start to thin and you’ll see a massive clearing up ahead. Johnston Creek flows down into the canyon on your right, while beyond is an impressive collection of rugged Rocky Mountain peaks.

There’s a series of short trails around the incredible Ink Pots, with many benches to stop, sit and soak in the majesty of this unique and beautiful Banff landscape.

How Long is the Hike to the Ink Pots?

Regardless if you hike the Ink Pots via Johnston Canyon or via Moose Meadows, it’s 11-12 km return. From Johnston Canyon to the Ink Pots, it’s 11.4 km return compared to hiking from Moose Meadows which we tracked to be 11.84 km return.

While it’s entirely possible to hike the Ink Pots as a loop, starting at one trail head and finishing up on the other, it’s important to know that Johnston Canyon is 2 km away from Moose Meadows along the highway. There’s no other way to connect the two parking lots, making this a fairly unenjoyable way to finish up an otherwise beautiful hike.

How Steep is the Ink Pots Trail?

The Johnston Canyon / Ink Pots hike will result in 608 m elevation gain compared to 555 m elevation gain when hiking the Ink Pots via Moose Meadows.

How Hard is the Ink Pots Hiking Trail?

In all honesty, the Ink Pots is an easy hike but given its distance of almost 12 km we would probably classify it as more of a moderate hike in Banff.

When hiking to the Ink Pots from the Moose Meadows trailhead, the trail is a gradual uphill with some steeper sections, but very manageable. Past the junction to the Upper Falls, the trail widens but continues to be a gradual uphill then descends to the Ink Pots.

Johnston Canyon is also an easy hike with some very short steep sections to reach the viewpoint up above the Upper Falls. Shortly after that point, it comes to the junction where it connects to the Ink Pots trail.

How Long Does the Ink Pots Hike Take?

It should take a typical adult roughly 3-4 hours to complete the out-and-back Ink Pots Trail from either trailhead. We expect it would take longer from Johnston Canyon as there are plenty more photo opportunities and places to stop along the way.

This only includes the hiking portion from the trailhead, add any time for biking or walking along the Bow Valley Parkway to this. Plan on 20-30 minutes for biking from Castle Junction to either trailhead.

Ink Pots Trail Map

The trail to the Ink Pots via Moose Meadows is well marked and easy to follow. There are a couple trail junctions along this Ink Pots hiking trail, but they are well marked.

Similarly from Johnston Canyon, the trail is easy to follow and well marked the entire way.

We used the AllTrails app while hiking to the Ink Pots, but as we’ve done this trail so many times we really only use it to track our hiking stats (distance, elevation gain, etc). If you are unsure, it’s always helpful to find the hiking map for the Ink Pots on AllTrails and download it before venturing out.

You’ll have some cell service along the way, but not up at the Ink Pots. It’s always a good idea to download the trail map onto your phone ahead of time just in case.

A recent App of the Year winner, AllTrails is also one of the best apps for visiting Banff! Enjoy map downloads and many more premium features with a 7-day free trial of AllTrails+!

Hiking to the Ink Pots with Kids

We’ve hiked to the Ink Pots via Moose Meadows with kids using hiking backpack carriers (when our kids weren’t capable of handling this full distance).

We’ve also hiked to the Ink Pots via Johnston Canyon with both our kids hiking on their own. The hike itself isn’t overly difficult, though long, so plan for the appropriate amount of snacks and breaks along the way.

With kids, we hike the Ink Pots via Johnston Canyon. While we like the quiet of the Moose Meadows trail, the kids enjoy the platforms and waterfalls much more than a walk through the forest.

Just be prepared for how busy Johnston Canyon will be when you come back down the trail. We really wish this trail was made into a loop. The best experience would be to hike up from Johnston Canyon then hike back down the Moose Meadows trail, but there’s no easy way to get back to the car. We’ve walked it along the highway, having done this as a loop, and it’s not a great way to end the hike.

Where to Stop for Lunch or a Break

The Ink Pots is the perfect place to stop for lunch. This area is not only stunning, but there are benches that make a perfect picnic spot.

If the timing doesn’t work out then Johnston Canyon has plenty of benches and places to stop along the way. Alternatively, the main junction between the Upper Falls, Moose Meadows and the final portion to the Ink Pots is a nice meadow that has a fallen log that makes a good place to stop.

If the benches are all taken, you can plop down a picnic blanket in the open meadow and enjoy the scenery.

Ink Pots Hiking Safety Tips

The Bow Valley Parkway and surrounding area is prime wildlife habitat. Please take the time to educate yourself about bear and cougar safety in Banff National Park.

There is also a seasonal travel restriction on the eastern 17 km section (Johnston Canyon Campground to Fireside day use) of the Bow Valley Parkway from March 1 to June 25 from 8 pm to 8 am. This applies to ALL TRAVEL (walking, hiking, cycling, vehicles, etc) and is in place to give the animals space.

What to Bring for Hiking to the Ink Pots

Check out our list of essential Banff hiking gear with everything we recommend to safely enjoy your hike, regardless of the variable weather and trail conditions.

For the Ink Pots hike, we recommend packing layers as it will be cooler in the canyon and the wind can get quite chilly up near the Ink Pots in the open meadow. You can learn more in our guide to how to dress for hiking in Banff.

Always bring bear spray and carry your bear spray in an easily accessible place.

Ink Pots Hike in Winter

We’ve been known to visit Johnston Canyon more in the winter than in the summer. The frozen waterfalls are magnificent and so worth the effort to see. The snow-covered meadow up at the Ink Pots won’t disappoint either. If you’d like to visit the Ink Pots in winter, you can enjoy it as a winter hike or snowshoe trail.

Ink Pots Winter Hike

Doing the Ink Pots as a winter hike, we’d recommend going the Johnston Canyon route. The frozen waterfalls are worth every step.

Wearing proper foot traction devices on the Johnston Canyon winter hike allow you to enjoy the experience more fully, as you won’t be focusing on your feet the whole time. We love our Kahtoola MicroSpikes, but Yaktrax are also a popular alternative.

Going past the Upper Falls, we recommend bringing snowshoes to make it to the Ink Pots. While it’s possible that the trail will continue to be packed down past the Upper Falls, it’s much less likely. The trail to the Ink Pots isn’t nearly as popular as Johnston Canyon.

Ink Pots Snowshoe Trail

For a real snowshoe, Moose Meadows to the Ink Pots is always a good bet. This trail is used far less in the winter than the popular Johnston Canyon. You likely will need snowshoes to manage any deep snow on the trail, and the crampons underneath snowshoes are very useful for traction on the hills.

Snowshoeing to the Ink Pots is something we’ve done several times and always enjoyed the snow-covered forested trail followed by the meadow blanketed in snow. What’s even more beautiful is the deep blue-green pools with a snowy backdrop!

Avalanche Risk

We are not avalanche experts, so please educate yourself and make smart, informed decisions while safely enjoying the beauty of the Ink Pots in winter. You are responsible for your own safety.

We recommend consulting the Banff Avalanche Danger Report published by Avalanche Canada before you go.

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