Grotto Canyon or Johnston Canyon for a winter ice walk near Banff
The Bow Valley has two well-known canyons for winter ice walks, and many visitors only have time for one. They look alike in photos but feel quite different underfoot. Below, the two side by side, with a view on which suits whom.
Two canyons, two kinds of park
Johnston Canyon lies in Banff National Park on the Bow Valley Parkway, about 25 km (15 miles) from Banff town. It is one of the park's best-known walks in summer and winter alike.
Grotto Canyon sits outside the national park, in Kananaskis Country about 15 minutes east of Canmore. The two lie on opposite sides of Banff town, so most visitors give each one its own half day.
Catwalks against the creek bed
At Johnston Canyon you walk on catwalks bolted to the canyon walls, above the water. The route leads to the Lower Falls at about 1.2 km and the Upper Falls at about 2.6 km from the trailhead, both usually frozen in midwinter.
Grotto Canyon has no catwalks. Once the creek freezes you walk on the ice of the creek bed itself, between narrow limestone walls, up to frozen waterfalls where the canyon forks.
That difference shapes the whole outing. Johnston feels like a built path with railings, while Grotto feels more like a winter hike, with cleats doing the job the catwalks do over at Johnston.
The flip side is the conditions. Bare blue ice is never guaranteed at Grotto, because fresh snow can cover the creek and a warm spell can leave water on top. The ice safety rules explain how guides handle both.
Johnston's catwalks keep you above most of that. Its ice still matters on the steps and the paths between the walkways, and many walkers there wear cleats as well, so neither canyon is a stroll in town shoes.
Crowds and pace
Johnston Canyon draws far more people. The catwalks are narrow, so near the falls you may shuffle along in a line at busy times of day.
Grotto sees fewer visitors. You still share it with other walkers and often with ice climbers on the frozen falls, but the creek bed gives a group room to spread out and stop for photos.
For anyone who dislikes crowds, that alone can settle the question. At Grotto the pace is set by your guide and the ice, not by the people behind you.
Johnston's railings do have one advantage for nervous walkers. A built path with a handhold feels safer to many people than open ice, and for them the extra company is a fair trade.
What Grotto has that Johnston does not
The Grotto Canyon pictographs are the clearest extra. Faded red ochre figures on the wall partway into the canyon are easy to miss in snow glare, and a guide will point them out.
Grotto also puts you inside the canyon rather than above it. Looking up at the walls from the frozen creek is the view most walkers carry home, along with the ice at the forks.
Some people walk Grotto without a guide, since it is a public trail in Kananaskis Country. That carries real risks on thin or wet ice, set out in our guide to walking Grotto alone.
One operator, both canyons
Discover Banff Tours runs ice walks in both places. Its Johnston Canyon icewalk on Viator scores 4.9 from 530+ reviews, a far larger base than any Grotto tour, which reflects how many more people go there.
Its Grotto Canyon walk is our pick for this canyon. The Discover Banff Grotto walk, from ~$78, holds a 5.0 rating on GetYourGuide (20+ reviews) and 4.7 on Viator (50+), with pickup at Banff hotels.
The Grotto walk includes cleats and poles, plus hot chocolate with maple cookies at the falls, in about 4 hours from Banff. Its catch is the snow, since in some weeks much of the ice lies buried.
Choosing Grotto from Banff
Discover Banff's small-group walk takes up to 12 people from Banff hotels to the frozen creek, with a certified guide who shows you the pictographs. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Who should pick which
- Pick Johnston Canyon if you want railings and a built path, or you are staying near the Bow Valley Parkway
- Pick Grotto Canyon if you want to walk on the frozen creek itself. It also suits you if you prefer fewer people or are staying in Canmore
- Pick Grotto with a guide if you have never walked on ice, since the guide reads the creek and brings the cleats
- Do both if you have two winter days near Banff, as they feel different enough to justify it
Grotto is the wilder choice and Johnston the easier one to slot into a day. Neither is hard for a reasonably fit adult wearing cleats.
Where you sleep often decides it. From Canmore, Grotto is a short drive and Johnston means heading back west past Banff, while guests in Banff town can reach either one with a tour pickup.
Planning a Grotto day
Midwinter usually brings the firmest ice in both canyons. The month-by-month guide covers how December and March compare with the heart of winter.
Grotto offers more tour shapes than a single walk. Journey's day with Grassi Lakes, from ~$70, sits next to the rest in the ice walk prices, as does Canmore Raft Tours' brewery walk from ~$93.
Families should read the seven points for kids first, since age rules apply. If you are driving, getting to Grotto Canyon covers the Kananaskis Conservation Pass and the turnoff from Highway 1A.