36 Hours in Banff and Yoho Nat'l Parks: Things to Do at Johnston Canyon, Emerald Lake, and More

That's us—Jon’s on the left, I (Kelly) am in the middle, and our pup, Lincoln, is on the right. (Lincoln prefers to tag along just about everywhere we go :))

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Day 0: Bow Valley Parkway and Johnston Canyon

I’m calling today’s entry “Day 0” because it’s not really supposed to be a part of this 10-day Icefields Parkway Road Trip. After all, it’s a Thursday afternoon, and the only thing on our itinerary is to work and then drive to the Lake Louise Campground. That’s supposed to be the true start of our road trip along Highway 93.

But, thanks to one entirely chaotic day and then a pretty amazing surprise hike, the events of today are worth sharing, too. So, here we go! Welcome to “Day 0”—the unofficial and unexpected start of our road trip from Calgary to Jasper National Park.

But first, some context.

We’ve spent the last three weeks working while traveling in Calgary, Alberta. We’ve taken day trips to phenomenal destinations—such as Moraine Lake, the Kananaskis, Glacier National Park of Canada, and Banff’s Mt. Norquay. Despite spending our evenings and weekends exploring as much as possible, there’s so much more we want to see and do while in the Canadian Rockies. That’s why we’re taking the next 10 days off in true vacation mode to road trip from Calgary to Jasper National Park along the Icefields Parkway.

Our itinerary has us driving from Calgary along the Bow Valley Parkway to Lake Louise, exploring the town of Banff, staying in the famous Fairmont Château Lake Louise, spending three days on the Icefields Parkway, hiking and sightseeing in Jasper National Park, and even making a pitstop in Waterton Lakes National Park on our way back to the States.

This is where we find ourselves this Thursday—looking excitedly ahead to the next 10 days with just one more day of work between us and an out-of-office message. We expect to work the day as usual, then check out of our hotel in Calgary to drive to our campsite in Lake Louise. The Marriott hotel we’re staying in offers late checkout for members, so we arranged a 4pm checkout to work before hitting the road.

There’s just *one* problem.

This is our first travel season working primarily from hotels rather than short-term rentals. You generally don’t get late checkouts for short-term rentals, so we typically move locations on weekends rather than weekdays. That makes today our first time working a full day, packing up our things, and driving to a new destination all in the same day. It usually takes us about two hours to pack, clean, and get our things in the car, so it shouldn’t be a huge problem… except Jon has a full day of meetings, and I’ve completely miscalculated how long this will take me to do solo.

It’s. Pure. Chaos. 🤪

Jon’s presenting on meetings with his computer screen angled to limit as much of the hotel background as possible.

I’m certainly in the background of said meetings, bobbing in and out of the frame as I attempt to pack up all of our bags as quickly and quietly as possible.

There’s laundry—shorts, tees, socks, underwear, hoodies, and pants—thrown about the room on every inch of hanger and flat surface we could find. (…because the coin-operated hotel laundry we used this morning didn’t fully dry our items, and we’re fresh out of Canadian coins required to run it again. 🤷‍♀️)

It’s now 4pm on the dot, and hotel staff are (politely) hurrying us along. So I load all of our remaining things into the hallway as Jon gets off his last meeting of the day, and we awkwardly finish packing around the cleaning now taking place in our room. Super fun.

Eventually, the embarrassment ends, and we’re in the car driving from Calgary to Lake Louise as we vow never to travel after a work day ever again. (A vow I’m sure we’ll forget by next season 🤪)

Turning on an audio novel, we set our GPS in the direction of Lake Louise. In a few days’ time, we’ll be staying in one of the dreamiest hotels I can imagine—right on the shores of the famous Lake Louise!—but tonight, we’re down the street from said hotel at the Lake Louise Soft-Sided Campground. There are actually two campgrounds in the area, a “soft-sided” campground, and a “hard-sided” campground.

If you’re sleeping in something with a soft side (like a tent), you’re in the soft-sided campground. If you’re sleeping in something hard-sided (like an RV or camper), you’re good to go in the hard-sided campground. This is one way the area manages tourists and bears, as the soft-sided campground has bear-deterrent electric fencing and animal grates to help deter bears from the campers inside. (It’s similar to when we camped with bears at Katmai National Park, but at least here, we’ll have our car with us!!)

When we make it from Calgary to Banff, we hop off the Trans-Canada Highway to take the scenic route from Banff to Lake Louise, a 48-kilometer drive along the Bow Valley Parkway.

Our timing is perfect, as the Bow Valley Parkway is closing to cars tomorrow, September 1st, to become a cycling-only road for the next month. This is part of a three-year pilot program for Parks Canada to test a better cycling experience along the Parkway.

Depending on how much we can fit in before the sun sets, there are a few stops we hope to make along Bow Valley Parkway, the first and most popular being Johnston Canyon.

Johnston Canyon has a variety of forested trails and waterfalls, connected by a series of catwalks and bridges that offer stunning views of the canyon’s geological formations.

We park and hop out of the car to explore. It’s incredible!

The weather when we arrive is overcast and chilly, with a slight drizzle. But this is one of those areas that lends itself to this kind of weather—similar to the Pacific Northwest—where misty weather is the vibe.

With Lincoln in tow, of course, we start following the trails and bridges to the Lower and Upper Falls, the sort of “crown jewels” of Johnston Canyon.

Both areas are beautiful, but the Lower Falls is extra spectacular. You walk through a short cave to get a direct view, and once you do, you’re met with a viewing area in front of the Lower Falls that’s generally only large enough for one group at a time. So, although we have to wait a few minutes for our turn, once we enter the cave and walk the final distance to Lower Falls, we enjoy it all to ourselves.

We’re treated to a close-up and intimate view of a gorgeous waterfall rushing into a clear, teal bowl of water. Its flow continues down the canyon, carving a natural water slide out of the rock on its way.

After exploring the Lower and Upper Falls at Johnston Canyon, we hop back in the car to continue our drive along Bow Valley Parkway toward Lake Louise.

We pass a few different cabin resorts, with many cabins lined by Christmas lights so they glow warm against the cool summer night. “That’s so cute!” Jon and I say in unison as we drive by a roaring campfire in the middle of seven or so glowing cabins. Note to self: Whenever we come back, we’re staying here for a night.

It’s getting dark, so we opt for just one final stop along Bow Valley Parkway.

Morant’s Curve is a scenic viewpoint named after photographer Nicholas Morant. It offers a panoramic view of the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks, which parallel the Bow River through the valley. All while framed by gorgeous Rocky Mountain peaks in the background.

This viewpoint is particularly iconic during snowy winter months (see below), but unfortunately, we’re visiting just after sunset on a rainy summer day, so our view’s watered down (pun intended 😜).

A glimpse at Morants Curve in the winter 😍 [[Photo Credit]] Summer is the best time to road trip the Canadian Rockies thanks to moderate temperatures, easier road travel, and abundant outdoor activity, but winter looks EVEN dreamier with snow-capped mountains and snow-lined pine trees as far as the eye can see.

Finally arriving at the Lake Louise Soft-Sided Campground, we check in and find our campsite for the night.

If you’ve read our posts about working from the road, you know we sometimes run into challenges balancing work and travel. After our day of packing and working… and failing to do either particularly well… there are some additional deadlines we need to meet before officially taking the next 10 days off.

There’s no WiFi or cell service at the Lake Louise Soft-Sided Campground, so we head into town around 8pm. Sitting in the parking lot at Lake Louise Village, we send a few final emails and finish prepping tasks for our upcoming vacation.

By the time we’re back at our campsite, we’re making PB&Js for dinner and realize the rain’s not letting up. We don’t want to set up our bed in the rain and the dark, so we leave Lincoln in her bed in the backseat while we settle in for a cold, rainy night of front-seat car camping.

Day 1: Emerald Lake, Banff Ave, & Cave and Basin

Our road trip *officially* begins today!

It’s still drizzling when we wake up at the Lake Louise Soft-Sided Campground, so we pivot our plans for the day. Rather than walk 19 miles to Lake O’Hara in Yoho National Park, we head to Emerald Lake instead.

We’re ambitious road trippers who generally plan more than we can actually do, so we’re used to pivoting as we go based on the weather, our energy levels, the dog friendliness of a place, or whatever else. Lake O’Hara was high on our list because it’s one of the best hikes in Yoho National Park (and it’s g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s); however, the bus generally used to access the trail isn’t dog-friendly. Because of that, we’d have to hike in rather than ride in, adding 12 or so miles to our day *just* to reach the start of the trailhead.

After a long night of front-seat car camping, we don’t have the energy for a full-day hike, so we pivot to Emerald Lake, another top place to see in Yoho. There’s plenty of parking when we arrive—even at 8:30am on a holiday weekend—and we’re immediately grateful we opted for this short, flat walk rather than the long, intense hike to Lake O’Hara.

Walking clockwise around Emerald Lake, we enjoy all kinds of stunning views and varying landscapes. The longer we walk, the more the sun hits the lake, showing off the water’s different shades of green. There may be *slightly* more beautiful lakes in the Canadian Rockies (looking at you—Moraine Lake—and your out-of-this-world-are-you-sure-its-not-dyed blue hues), but the serenity of Emerald Lake this morning can’t be beat.

It’s tranquil, not crowded, and, despite its popularity and the booked-out Emerald Lake Lodge sitting on one side of the shore, the three-mile Emerald Lake Loop feels like a tucked-away oasis.

We move further along the Emerald Lake Loop, eventually arriving at one of the most incredible mountain lake views I’ve ever seen. In front of us is an imposing mountain covered by glaciers. In front of that mountain is a gorgeous emerald-green lake with red canoes dotting its surface. Surrounding the lake are pine trees, wet, mossy logs, and short boardwalks used to traverse the muddy path.

I can’t overstate how casual many of these views are and how mindblowing that is.

Most places require miles and miles of hiking or off-road driving to reach views even a fraction of this picturesque. But in the Canadian Rockies, these kinds of views are everywhere. When I say (over and over again) that this is one of the dreamiest road trips, this is what I mean.

Just… wow!

By the time we finish the loop and return to our car, it’s packed, and we’re glad to be moving on to our next adventure for the day. Since we pivoted our plans, we have a couple of options but aren’t sure exactly what we want to do next.

We head to a nearby visitor center to chat with a ranger about the best hikes and things to do in Banff and Yoho National Parks. This is one of our favorite things to do when we arrive anywhere new, as we generally learn a lot from rangers and locals about the can’t-miss things in an area.

We also learn…

It’s best to visit the Canadian Rockies in June if you’re interested in seeing wildlife. (We’ve been wondering where the bears are because we’ve seen none being here in August and September. Not that I’m complaining about this… but Jonathan definitely had a different Canadian wildlife picture in mind, ha!) Since there’s still snow on the mountains in June, wildlife comes down to the road to feed, which means various animals are generally more visible that time of year.
It’s best to visit in July, August, and early September for hiking. (Since there’s still snow on the mountains, June won’t be the best time to visit for hiking. You want to be in the area in July, August, or early September once the snow melts instead for optimal hiking access in Banff and Yoho.)

It’s midday when we leave Yoho’s Visitor Center with lots of great recommendations for things to do in hand, and now we’re getting hungry. Instead of taking the ranger’s advice for another hike, we head to Banff for lunch.

We grab a burger, onion rings, and root beer from A&W—we consider this local in Canada—and stroll Banff Ave.

“Banff has good vibes” is essentially our first impression of this small but stunning mountain town.

The town has a similar feel to mountain towns we’ve visited in Colorado—with the huge mountain banking the downtown streets downtown—but the mountain feels bigger and the town feels smaller so the contrast seems all the more impressive.

We walk the lantern-lined streets full of al fresco dining options and rooftop patios, browse photography galleries and window shops, and enjoy the smell of fresh caramel popcorn and maple fudge as we walk by various eateries.

We follow the Bow River Trail from downtown Banff back to our car, then head to Cave and Basin National Historic Site, which—fun fact!—was the foundation for the Canadian National Park System and the beginning of Banff National Park.

Cave and Basin's main features include “The Cave,” a naturally occurring grotto where the thermal water flows, and “The Basin,” a beautiful turquoise-colored pool fed by mineral-rich hot springs.

Cave and Basin is (admittedly) a little underwhelming, as the main attraction is small, crowded, and pungent. It is pretty—though hard to photograph—and a calming spot, but only if you’re lucky enough to enjoy it to yourself for even a moment.

If you do visit Cave and Basin while in Banff, we highly recommend heading to the outdoor boardwalks first. These short trails lead from the Cave and offer informative signs and views of small thermal springs, including one that’s dark emerald in color, one that’s blue-gray, with a yarn-like texture, and one that’s home to hundreds of tadpoles and Banff Spring Snails.

One more fun fact… This is the only place in the world to see the endangered Banff Spring Snails. For this and its history in the National Park System, I understand why Cave and Basin is one of the most popular things to do in Banff, even if I wouldn’t put it at the top of my list.

It’s close to dinnertime now, but before heading back to Lake Louise Village, there’s one more thing we want to do near Banff, so we make our way to the Vermillion Lakes Scenic Drive just outside of town.

This was, unfortunately, another underwhelming activity, as it’s a really, really short drive that’s better suited for cycling and fishing. Finding a spot to relax at one of the many piers along the way could make an incredible morning picnic, but you head here for its proximity to Banff, as there are better views in Banff, Lake Louise, and Yoho National Park. It’s a neat spot for cycling, fishing, or a picnic, but it’s not a great scenic drive.

It doesn’t take us long to drive the out-and-back Vermillion Lakes Scenic Drive, so we’re soon driving back to Lake Louise and grabbing dinner at Lake Louise Village. We make sure we’re back at our campsite before dark to properly set up our second night of car camping. It’s time to unload our “Bed in the Bag” and swap our sleeping spots, so Lincoln’s upfront, and we’re in the back.

Once set up for sleeping, we prep our bags for our VERY exciting day tomorrow! It’s probably the day I am MOST looking forward to on our entire 10-day road trip… 😍😍😍