Johnson Lake Hike – Banff

One of the most underrated hiking trails in Banff National Park, the Johnson Lake hike is an enjoyable short hike around the shores of a beautiful lake. On this easy Banff hike you’ll enjoy a wide variety of beautiful Banff scenery, including beautiful stretches of forest, views of Johnson Lake and the surrounding mountains.

A visit to Johnson Lake day use area is a popular thing to do with kids in Banff. Located in the Minnewanka Loop, the Johnson Lake day use area has tons of picnic tables and a little beach area for kids. You’ll be amazed at how kids won’t notice how cold the water is at this beautiful lake in Banff.

In addition to being a beautiful picnic spot in Banff, there are many fun things to do at Johnson Lake including kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding and of course, the Johnson Lake hike – one of the best Lake Minnewanka hikes.

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Johnson Lake Hike Highlights

The Johnson Lake hike is a flat, easy hiking trail which circumnavigates this beautiful lake in Banff National Park. Being a loop trail, you can hike the Johnson Lake train in either direction.

For some reason, we always tend to do the Johnson Lake hike in a counter-clockwise direction, so that is how this post is written. But feel free to hike Johnson Lake in the opposite direction if you wish – there’s no clear benefit to hiking it in one direction vs. the other.

Although it is one of the best easy hikes in Banff, the Johnson Lake trail is a little confusing as there are two hiking trails to choose from on the north shore. Don’t worry though, the Johnson Lake trail is pretty easy to figure out.

From the Johnson Lake day use area, you’ll see a nice little bridge where water leaves the Banff lake to create a charming little stream. Head south towards the bridge and take a few moments to read the interpretive signs before crossing.

While you are standing on the bridge, stop and gaze across the blue waters of Johnson Lake and enjoy views of Mount Inglismaldie (2,964 m), Mount Girouard (2,995 m) and Mount Peechee (2,935 m).

Shortly after crossing the bridge, you’ll reach a picnic table on the hiking trail. Turn left at the picnic table to continue the Johnson Lake hike along the shoreline, which is an especially beautiful leg of the Johnson Lake trail.

Along this stretch of the Johnson Lake hike, you’ll always have a nice view of the beautiful Banff lake as you walk through a lush, mossy forest. At times you’ll be slightly elevated above Johnson Lake and others you’ll be within a few feet of the water.

Johnson Lake Hermit Cabin

Approximately 2/3 the way along the southern leg, there’s a real treat hidden in the forest about 100 feet off the Johnson Lake trail.

In 1910, Billy Carver built a cabin near Johnson Lake and lived there as a hermit for 27 years. The lush forest around Johnson Lake has started to grow around this historic two bedroom cabin, but remarkably the cabin remains strong and standing.

Visitors lucky enough to find the Johnson Lake hermit cabin can carefully enter the cabin through the missing door. The two small windows provide a little bit of natural light, but watch your step carefully as the floor is missing in the next room.

Now 110 years old, Billy Carver’s two-room hermit cabin is in good condition. Please be respectful when visiting the Johnson Lake hermit cabin to keep it standing for generations to come.

Given the trail is not marked, you may be wondering how to find the Johnson Lake hermit cabin. The easiest way is to download the Johnson Lake hiking map on AllTrails. The location of the hermit cabin is noted as a yellow dot in the forest.

If you don’t have AllTrails, you can use Google Maps. Here is the location of the hermit cabin based on the GPS coordinates in AllTrails.

After visiting the Johnson Lake hermit cabin, come back to the hiking trail to finish the easy walk along the southern shore. At the far end of Johnson Lake, you’ll hike along a raised berm on the eastern edge of Johnson Lake towards another small bridge. If you’re looking for an epic adventure, the trail to the summit of Mount Girouard is on the right, just before the bridge.

As you cross the bridge take a moment to look across the length of this beautiful lake in Banff National Park for incredible views of the majestic Cascade Mountain (2,998 m).

Shortly after crossing the bridge, the Johnson Lake trail reenters the forest and turns west along the northern shore of the Banff lake. Watch for a bench with even more amazing views of Cascade Mountain across Johnson Lake.

Approximately 300 m after leaving the bridge, you’ll reach the trail junction for the two north shore Johnson Lake hiking trails. The inner trail stays close to the shores of Johnson Lake, while the outer trail gives hikers an elevated vantage point for this beautiful Banff lake.

Johnson Lake – North Shore – Lakeshore Trail

Go left at the trail junction to continue hiking along the shores of Johnson Lake.

This leg of the Johnson Lake hiking trail hugs the shoreline along the bottom of a short, but steep hill. Never straying far from the shores of Johnson Lake, this leg of the hiking trail is reasonably flat and easy.

Johnson Lake – North Shore – Upper Trail

Go right at the junction and climb a short, but steep hill to get to the upper (outer) trail on Johnson Lake’s north shore. This is our preferred trail on this side of Johnson Lake as the elevated views of the Banff lake, Mount Rundle and Cascade Mountain are outstanding.

There used to be two of the iconic Parks Canada Red Chairs up here, but our visit to Johnson Lake in April 2021, the chairs were gone… a quick peek on the map of red chairs in Banff shows that Johnson Lake is no longer a location for the Banff red chairs.

Oh well, bring a hiking picnic blanket and take advantage of the views in the open, flat area where the red chairs used to be.

Halfway along the hill, watch for a trail heading downhill on the right. This leg of the Johnson Lake hiking trail meets up with another small, unnamed Banff lake, with some pretty amazing mountain views in the distance.

Eventually the two northern Johnson Lake trails converge near a bridge over a pretty mountain stream. This leg of the hiking trail has many wooden rails which kids can’t resist climbing.

Soon you’ll reach the final trail junction of the Johnson Lake hike: go right to take a shortcut back to the parking lot, or better yet, turn left to return to the lakeshore for a final walk along the beautiful shores of Johnson Lake.

Johnson Lake Trailhead Location

The Johnson Lake trailhead is in the Johnson Lake day use area in the Lake Minnewanka Loop area of Banff National Park. The location of the trailhead is different, depending on which direction you choose to hike Johnson Lake:

Johnson Lake Hike Trailhead – Clockwise Direction

Johnson Lake Hike Trailhead – Counterclockwise Direction

How to Get to Johnson Lake

You have several options to get to Johnson Lake in Banff National Park:

Drive to Johnson Lake, Banff

It’s a 90 minute drive from Calgary to Johnson Lake, or just a 14 minute drive from Banff to Johnson Lake.

The Johnson Lake parking lot is a decent size and offers free parking, but this is one of the most popular places to visit in Banff, so it can fill up fast on weekends and holidays. Arrive early and avoid peak hours if possible.

Take the Bus to Johnson Lake

The Roam Route #6 bus travels from the Banff townsite to the Johnson Lake parking lot. Learn more about the Roam bus in Getting Around Banff Without a Car.

Cycling to Johnson Lake

The Lake Minnewanka Loop is a popular cycling route within Banff National Park. It’s an easy 3 km ride along the Rocky Mountain Legacy Trail from the Banff townsite to the Cascade Ponds Connector, which is at the beginning of the Minnewanka Loop.

From the Cascade Ponds it’s a 7 km ride to the Johnson Lake parking lot. Cycling is a great option if you want to see more of Banff National Park while getting some bonus exercise.

Johnson Lake Trail Statistics

How Long is the Johnson Lake Hike?

The Johnson Lake hike is a pretty short Banff hike, clocking in at just over 3 km long.

How Steep is Johnson Lake Trail?

The Johnson Lake hike is remarkably flat with a total elevation gain of only 70 m. If you take the scenic upper trail along the northern side of Johnson Lake, you’ll need to climb one short, steep hill which adds about 20 m to this total.

How Hard is the Johnson Lake Hiking Trail?

The Johnson Lake hike is one of the easiest hikes in Banff. It’s short, flat and easy but it delivers a ton of incredible Banff scenery. With this combination, it’s no surprise the Johnson Lake hike is such a popular Banff hike.

We rate the Johnson Lake Trail as an “easy Banff hike”.

How Long Does It Take to Hike Johnson Lake?

It should take a typical adult roughly 40-60 minutes to hike the Johnson Lake loop trail.

We recently hiked Johnson Lake with our kids (5 & 7) and it took us 1.5 hours.

Johnson Lake Trail Map

It’s nearly impossible to get lost on the Johnson Lake hike. Just find the hiking trail and follow it all the way around the beautiful Banff lake.

We used the AllTrails app while hiking the Johnson Lake Loop Trail. We use AllTrails for all our adventures in the Canadian Rockies and hiking with kids around the world. In addition to helping stay on the trails, we like the ability to track our stats (distance, elevation gain, etc.).

To find the traditional Johnson Lake hiking map on AllTrails, simply click here for the “Johnson Lake trail map”.

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+!

Being so close to Banff and the TransCanada Highway you should have some cell service on this Minnewanka Loop hike but expect it to be spotty. It’s always a good idea to download the trail map onto your phone ahead of time just in case.

Hiking Johnson Lake Trail with Kids

A visit to Johnson Lake is one of the best things to do with kids in Banff; we’ve been hiking Johnson Lake with our kids for years. It’s such a flat and easy trail that it was always a go-to for us when we wanted an easy kid-friendly hike in Banff.

There are so many reasons why we recommend the Johnson Lake trail with kids. The Johnson Lake day use area has a small beach for kids to play in the water. This is a fun treat for kids at the end of the hike. Use it as a reward to encourage kids to keep moving forward on the hike.

The forest around Johnson Lake is really fun for kids to explore. There’s tons of fallen trees to climb on, up and over, flowers to admire, birds and squirrels to find.

The hiking trail gets close enough to Johnson Lake for the kids to throw lots of rocks into the water.

There’s a few bridges for the kids to cross. Kids always love bridges while hiking.

The Johnson Lake hike is short and easy enough for most kids to complete themselves, even if they are little. This is a huge confidence builder for little kids and is a good building block for harder hikes.

Where to Stop for Lunch or a Break

The most obvious answer to this question is to grab one of the many picnic tables in the Johnson Lake day use area. The picnic tables all have nice views of Johnson Lake, while some are also in the forest to give welcome shade on a hot day.

The Johnson Lake hike is short enough that you likely won’t need to stop mid-way for a break. But that doesn’t mean you won’t want to stop and have a snack or picnic lunch while enjoying the scenery of this beautiful lake in Banff.

There is a single picnic table on the Johnson Lake trail just after you cross the bridge on the west side of the lake. It might be worth trying this one if all the picnic tables in the day use area are full.

The forest is full of places to have a snack. There are many fallen trees along the trail, so just find one which looks comfy and have a seat.

The best place for a break on the Johnson Lake trail is up on the hill on the northern side of the Banff lake. There’s a large, flat clearing up there which makes a perfect spot to lay down a hiking picnic blanket and soak in the views.

Johnson Lake Hiking Safety Tips

Johnson Lake is very near a “core area for Grizzly Bears” in Banff National Park. Before hiking Johnson Lake, please take the time to educate yourself on Bear Safety in Banff National Park. And please, make lots of noise as you hike to alert the bears of your presence.

Johnson Lake Trail Logistics

On-leash dogs are allowed on the Johnson Lake hike. With lots of spots for your dog to go for a swim, Johnson Lake is a great Banff hike for dogs.

For those who take advantage of the excellent bike ride on the Minnewanka Loop to Johnson Lake, there are two sets of bike racks near the parking lot.

There are washrooms in the Johnson Lake day use parking lot.

There is a rinse station in-between the Johnson Lake parking lot and the picnic area. Use this hose to clean stand-up paddle boards, kayaks, etc. before putting them in Johnson Lake. This step is vital to prevent the spread of invasive diseases.

Note that Banff National Park requires a Self-Certification Permit for any non-motorized watercraft, fishing equipment and aquatic recreational equipment.

There are food storage bins next to the watercraft cleaning hose. If you have any food with you, but wish to leave it behind for your hike around Johnson Lake, the bear-safe food storage bins are the perfect solution.

There are no drinking water facilities at Johnson Lake, so fill your reusable water bottles or hydration packs before you leave home.

Open fires are not permitted at Johnson Lake.

What to Bring for Hiking Johnson Lake

Even though this is an easy Banff hike, you should bring along the basic hiking gear to ensure a safe and successful outing. Before hitting the Johnson Lake Trail, be sure to check out our recommended Banff hiking gear.

Johnson Lake in Fall

Visitors to Banff in fall tend to go crazy over all the best larch hikes in Alberta, such as the Larch Valley trail or the Ptarmigan Ridge trail.

If you want to find a place to avoid the larch tree madness during your visit to Banff in fall, Johnson Lake is a nice option. While Johnson Lake is not one of the best spots in Banff to view fall colors, you’ll be treated to some modest displays.

There are a few stands of golden aspen trees along the shores of Johnson Lake, while you’ll be treated to some beautiful red and yellow leaves on the bushes lining the Johnson Lake hiking trail.

Johnson Lake Hike in Winter

Johnson Lake is one of our favorite places in Banff and we enjoy visiting it all year round. In addition to being a beautiful place to go wild ice skating, you may also enjoy the Johnson Lake hike as a winter hike or snowshoe trail.

Johnson Lake Winter Hike

A beautiful frozen lake in Banff covered by snow-capped Rocky Mountains are what makes the Johnson Lake winter hike special.

The Johnson Lake winter hike is popular enough that the trail is usually hard packed snow (unless you arrive early the morning after a snowfall). With so many pairs of feet trampling the snow down, the Johnson Lake trail can get icy and slippery. The hills along the hiking trail that don’t seem very high in the summer suddenly become slippery and a bit dangerous in the winter.

The best way to enjoy the Johnson Lake winter hike is with some proper foot traction devices. We love our Kahtoola MicroSpikes, but Yaktrax are also a popular alternative.

Johnson Lake Snowshoe Trail

Another great traction device to use on the Johnson Lake trail in winter are snowshoes. To be honest, the Johnson Lake trail will be so well travelled in winter that you won’t need snowshoes to manage any deep snow on the trail, but the crampons underneath snowshoes are very useful for traction on the icy trail.

We have enjoyed snowshoeing Johnson Lake and also as a winter hike. Both are great ways to enjoy Johnson Lake in winter – your choice of winter traction device depends on what gear you have and/or what activity you feel like.

Johnson Lake Avalanche Risk

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

That said, this easy Banff winter hike should have low avalanche risk. Johnson Lake sits safely on the bottom of the very flat Bow Valley which runs between the Town of Banff and Canmore.

The nearest mountains to Johnson Lake are Mount Inglismaldie and Mount Girouard. The bottom slopes of these mountains are separated from Johnson Lake by over 1km of well forested, flat valley floor.

We highly recommend consulting the Banff Avalanche Bulletin published by Avalanche Canada before you go. The Johnson Lake winter hike / snowshoe trail would be classified as “Below Treeline”.

We hope you love the Johnson Lake hike as much as we do!