Johnston Canyon Lodge & Bungalows

Fantastic place to stay, absolutely out of this world. |The cabin was ideal, 2 bedrooms for family of four provided plenty of space. Well equipped with spacious bathroom, kitchen and dining/living space. |Staff were super friendly and helpful, on site coffees were great. Restaurant was decent, meal we had was nice. |The location at the foot of Johnston Canyon was perfect, great trail with beautiful waterfalls. Ideally placed for exploring a little further afield too. |We’d definitely stay again.

We loved everything about Johnston Canyon Lodge & Bungalows: the vintage yet well-appointed cabins, the location right next to Johnston Canyon with multi-age hikes/waterfalls, the Blackswift Bistro’s delicious food—large portions and beer on tap, and the top-notch staff that run this place. We especially loved the peaceful setting on the original Bow Valley Parkway—half hour proximity to both Banff and Lake Louise. Perfect location for exploring this area without being in the thick of summer tourism. Car absolutely necessary. Sheer bliss to come back to our nice quiet cabin at day’s end, enjoy a good meal at the Bistro and then crawl off to bed. Highly recommend for an authentic Canadian Rockies experience.

What a lovely location this charming resort is in! Our room was huge, and it was very welcoming and well appointed. The staff were very friendly and efficient. The restaurant was serves very good evening meals, and there is a cafe available from early morning. The falls are outstanding, and an easy walk from the venue. Make sure you visit both the upper and lower falls if you have time.

We stayed at The Carriage House, which is nicely located in the woods and gives you the a warm forest feeling. The cabin is spacious for 2 persons. The cabins give enough privacy. The cabin has a fridge, microwave, coffee machine and water cooker. As cutlery, bowls and glasses were missing, the staff was friendly to bring them. We could even borrow wine glasses from the restaurant to enjoy a nice glass of wine at the porch. The location is perfect for hiking at Johnston Canyon and the waterfalls and other locations within 30 min drive. We stayed a week and used this location as starting point to hike at other locations such as; Paint Pot - Marble Canyon and Stanley Glacier/Peak. Banff is about 30 min drive but very touristic. Johnston Canyon has a bistro and gift shop with a coffee shop corner. The bistro menu offers a nice variety of food with decent prices. It is convenient when you don’t want to drive to Banff for dinner. Unfortunately, the gift shop products are all produced in China.

Nice being located right at the beginning of the Johnston Canyon Trail, listening to water flow from your cabin. Staff is very friendly and helpful. Being a pet friendly accommodation is great for our little dog and being able to bring her with us to dine at the restaurant was a big plus. Would definitely stay here again.

Awesome!! From the real wood burning fireplace to the claw-foot bathtub these cabins are “the real thing”. We kept thinking we’d wandered onto a Universal Studios movie set. Family owned since the ‘30’s these 40 or so period correct cabins, are nestled among tall trees. Some overlooking the rushing creek - best enjoyed from your front porch with a glass of wine. Some have kitchens otherwise the onsite restaurant is perfectly fine for all 3 meals. A vintage Esso station serves as the check-in office. A few 1920’s cars are parked around the site for a finishing touch. Located midway between Lake Louise and Banff. This must be experienced once in your life.

We enjoyed everything about our stay. The cabin was comfortable & had everything we needed. The staff was very friendly & helpful with recommendations & info about local conditions & things to do. We definitely recommend staying here, & will come back next time we are in the area.

We had an event of 38 people aged 2 to 85 and rented 11 cabins, as well as dined in the bistro for full service 3 course meal. Service was excellent throughout, flexibility in accommodating our large group and our needs over the weekend was continuous. The cabins were so quaint and views amazing. Thank you to Maria and her team! I would do it all over again in a heartbeat

We stayed here over this past Thanksgiving weekend, and while we did enjoy our experience, I would say that we were both left wanting. As others have indicated, these truly are no-frills cabins and the Red Cabin we stayed in was definitely on the small side. So small, in fact, that it honestly felt crowded with just two of us, and I'm only 5'2" ! The "double" bed was small for 2 people, even with myself being relatively tiny, and my fiance who is 5'10" hung off the edge of the bed. The mattress itself wasn't comfy, and the pillows were lumpy and hard. On the final morning of our stay, we actually found some blood and what looked like stains on our sheets (not ours), and some dirty socks behind the TV that had been left behind by another guest previously. Water pressure was very much lacking in the shower, and unfortunately, I wouldn't say the bathroom, like the rest of the cabin, was overly clean. Despite these little bumps in the road (or the bed, as it were), we did enjoy our stay, and in particular, loved the gas fireplace in the cabin. The overall ambience was nice, but I would say that was largely due more to the charm of being in a cabin and getting the season's first snow in a gorgeous location as opposed to the resort itself. Overall, the prices are far more approachable than most cabins you'll find in Banff National Park. With that said, if you're looking for an extra comfy retreat and are going to get saddled with the heavy premiums that come with being in a tourism heavy region, I would recommend saving a little more and considering an upscale retreat that provides better luxury for your dollar.

You can't get much closer to nature with this gorgeous setting in the mountains, steps away from the Johnston Canyon waterfalls, the birds chirping and the smell of a crackling fire. Johnston Canyon Resort was such a relaxing experience, I definitely enjoyed myself. You'll find everything you need in your cabin stay, in Cabin #1 we had a 2 bedroom, full kitchen, a gorgeous claw foot tub that made for a very relaxing bath, a fireplace and stunning views from the living room. There is a restaurant that offers a full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu, as well as cocktails, to go items. We went for dinner and had an Old Fashioned and Aperol Spritz to drink. Then we had the Bruschetta and the white wine and garlic Mussels to start. Then I had the New York Sirloin with garlic roasted potatoes and seasonal vegetables, and my friend had the Seafood Linguini which I highly suggest. For dessert we had an apple crumble and a slice of cheesecake, so good. We also popped in for breakfast, we got the Classic breakfast and the Breakfast Sandwich along with a Cappuccino and an Americano. They also have a full shop for those wanting a gift to bring home to loved ones. They even the office which offers a wide range of DVD's for those rainy nights. I borrowed Bridesmaids to giggle the night away next to the fire with some hot cocoa. They also have a tennis court and a BBQ area. The best part is being steps away from Johnston Canyon, what a gorgeous hike to the lower and upper waterfall, I went at 7am to beat the rush and it was so gorgeous and quiet. Next time I'll give myself more time to walk all the way up to the ink pots. The location is just beautiful thought, being surrounded by the mountains is such a relaxing way to spend a vacation. I definitely suggest checking them out if you are traveling around Banff.

I am really glad we stayed in Johnston Canyon! The cabins are perfect, and it is such a good location for exploring Banff National Park. What I loved: - The fire! We got here in the October snows, so the fire made everything better! - The bath! Our cabin had a gorgeous stand alone bath in the center of the bathroom. It's brilliant after a long hike. - You can go for a hike right from the front door! Johnston Canyon is crowded, but lovely. (I wrote more about it on my blog if you're thinking of going: https://www.awalkandalark.com/johnston-canyon-hike/) What I loved less: - We arrived after a 8.5 hour drive, but our room wasn't ready (it was 4:30pm) They asked us to come back in an hour. This meant we had to go and change in the public loos despite having a cabin! - It's great that they have a cafe and a restaurant, but the quality of the food is not particularly amazing.

"Resort" is a bit of a misnomer here (not a surprise given the price point). These are cozy (read: small) no frills wood cabins. While the cabin (including the bathroom) was clean, it was on the older/outdated end (e.g., w/r/t the lighting, outlets, door frames, windows etc.). I was looking forward to the porch and adirondack chairs, but unfortunately due to the number of mosquitoes (understandably completely out of the control of the resort), we weren't able to actually sit on the porch. Our particular porch also happened to face a tennis court - so perhaps not too much lost there. The restaurant (Bridges) has pretty standard fare - although a bit on the pricey end. The upsides - the staff is friendly, helpful and interested in making your stay comfortable. Importantly, the cabins are conveniently located right near the entrance to the Johnston Canyon trail and within Banff National Park itself. Definitely do a half day hike up the trail to see the waterfalls - start early to avoid the crowds - and treat yourself to an ice cream (there's an ice cream stand conveniently located at the end of the trail) afterwards.

Highlight was the restaurant and Olivia's warm service. My wife and I were delighted to chat with her every time we ate at the restaurant on site. I can't say enough good things about her friendly service. The cabins were solid but unable to keep the mosquitos out.

We snuck out to these cabins for a mini getaway in October, near the end of their season, and it was just that - a relaxing getaway. It's helpful to note that their season runs from about mid May to early October. The resort offers a variety of cabin types, and situated in a loop sort of setup and fairly close to one another. The hiking trail is located to the east side of the cabins, if you've ever hiked it, you will have likely noticed the cabins and perhaps stopped in at the gift shop and restaurant. We stayed in the 4 person classic bungalow, which is a standalone cabin that features 2 bedrooms, a kitchen area with dining table, living area with wood fireplace and a bathroom with shower and slipper-foot tub. The views were just the cherry on top! We chose to bring our own food and additional cookware (fondue pot!), to make full use of our cabin. The kitchen has a microwave, range (no oven available), and fridge along with an electric coffee pot, minimal utensils/cookware, and some plates and glassware. There is a restaurant if you choose to go that route, they have a minimal menu with the basics, breakfast, burgers and fries, etc. We picked up a burger and chicken fingers to take back to our cabin one night, and it was convenient to be sure. There is also a lounge side, with patio access but we decided against that in favor of using our own deck and chairs attached to our cabin. The fireplace was so nice to have, it really wouldn't be the same without it! Firewood is available on site, and there was a small nook beside the fireplace with internal and external access for storing cabin firewood. We lit a fire the first night we stayed, but found that only half of the chimney flue was functioning so the cabin was a bit smokey. However, a glass of wine and looking out the gorgeous windows at the mountains, or relaxing on the porch was more than enough to keep a smile on our faces. We met some other folks staying in cabins and found that people tend to come back after they've stayed, and I can see why. I think we came at the perfect time of year, the shoulder seasons perhaps being less busy than in peak tourist seasons. We loved it and can't wait to come back, hopefully in the fall again, to enjoy fall colors, majestic mountains, and fondue by the fire place.

Bridges restaurant at Johnston Canyon Resort As we were out sightseeing the beautiful surrounding area, we came across Bridges restaurant, by accident, at the time we were getting hungry for lunch. We didn't know anything about the place but decided to give it a try. Good decision! It doesn't look like all that much from the outside but give it a try. As you come into the building, there is also a store with various items. Nothing fancy about bridges but it is very welcoming. Fairly good size room with a warm fireplace in one corner. Our waitress, Annie from Quebec, was busy but knew how to handle it all. Very friendly and helpful! Service was very good and the food came to us hot, which we like. Not always true in a lot of restaurants. We had a Chicken Almond Salad and a Chicken Sandwich which were both very good! Their Burgers are supposed to be excellent but we didn't try them on this trip. There is lots of hiking in the Johnston Canyon area and the trails are well kept. Bridges is a good place to stop before and after a hike! Our experience, and food, at Bridges was a very good one.

Food at Bridges restaurant was tasty. We had fresh blueberry pancakes and the Canadian breakfast. Servers were friendly. Great place to sit and chill after a hike in Johnston Canyon.

We booked this place without knowing too much about it. It is rustic and charming and nestled in the mountains which is nice. However, we booked a bungalow not knowing it is actually a duplex - just the larger half of the duplex. We ran out of hot water as it seems our duplex mates just showered too. It doesn't seem that the cleaning crew has ever pushed a mop or broom under the furniture or corners. Also, we awoke our first night to an awful sulfur smell that hasn't gone away. We asked the staff to check the gas fireplace heater for safety and the gentlemen was kind and said it was safe. He said it may be a plumbing problem and then got us some febreeze. Needless to say, this killed the relaxation part of the trip we were hoping for. We are still here and I plan to talk to staff again tomorrow. I'm ok with rustic, but this place wasn't exactly cheap. Check trip advisor ratings too. This place could be amazing if management fixed these issues.

I sit in a meticulously maintained cabin at Johnston Canyon Resort, in front of a warm gas fireplace, writing my Yelp review. The cabin is furnished mission style, and the bed and chairs are comfortable. The porch has two very comfortable chairs and a small table. The bathroom has a surgically clean shower stall, and enough room for two people who love each other very much and treasure closeness :-) The staff here is dedicated to making your stay a happy one. The meal last night in the restaurant was so good that He said he had nothing left to look forward to...the trout was THAT good. The seafood chowder made one slow down and savor, and the minestrone was the best we could remember. There is a 1-1/2 mile trail to the falls that we intend to take after breakfast, which we anticipate will be just as good as last night's dinner. This is a great place, and so quiet this morning that She felt intrusive just opening the door of the Jeep to pack. During the night, we could hear the sounds of the stream through the open screened windows. Yesterday's crowd of tourists ending their Three Day Holiday has gone, and it's just a few of us and the bears. But, the mosquitoes! Dear lord, there are mosquitoes! She got mosquito bites on places that her mother has not seen for 60 years. There were mosquitoes on the porch, mosquitoes in the dining room, mosquitoes on the trails, probably mosquitoes in the Jeep, if She wasn't careful. That is the unfortunate reason that He and She are going to have to leave this little piece of paradise and flee for Banff or Calgary. The resort has no flaws, if you don't mind no tv, no internet, no books to borrow (there's a suggestion for management!), because that is why you come to the mountains....for solitude and nature. However, since She is allergic to mosquitoes, and probably will be remembering them for a week, they are going to fall on the mercy of the ever-efficient staff and beg to be set free to drive on down the mountain to a hopefully mosquito-free city. Update: the staff, as ever, was accomodating, and we made it to Calgary, after the walk to the falls. Note: do NOT skip the walk to the falls. We did it in about 1-1/2 hours, but we move pretty quickly. Awesome views, and the trail is maintained as well as the cabins. Enjoy your stay!

This place is cheap and there's a good reason why. Spend the extra dollars and stay at a different lodge option. The staff will not make your beds if anything is on it...which we were not informed about. They don't take out your trash or let alone clean your room. We had the sign up to tidy up and they flat out ignored. They don't offer late check out so there's nothing to really love about this place. Oh and their restaurant is awful. Over priced for the awful service. Don't eat here and check out other restaurants on Banff Avenue.

Great, high quality cabins near one of the more popular and beautiful attractions in Banff Natl Park. We had a great stay. The cabins are 1930s vintage structures. Like grandma's house. Lots of wood. Craftsman style. Solid, well built, comfortable, and beautiful. Fully updated. Bathrooms are large with the classic claw foot tub. Gas heat for chilly nights. No A/C but it wasn't hot during our stay. Porch with deck chairs and a table for enjoying your coffee outside on a crisp morning or maybe a nice adult beverage as the sun sets. The sofa folds out into a bed. Pretty uncomfortable due to the thin mattress. Some others mentioned mosquitos but we had no issues with bugs during our stay. We did run into a mouse in our cabin one night but he mostly kept out of our way. Tad pricy in high season for what it is but that's typical for the area (inside Banff Natl Park). Not many restaurant or entertainment choices nearby. The associated Bridges restaurant is pricy and only so-so. You may need to go into the city of Banff about 20 min away for such things. Consider to bring food. The cabin has a mini fridge. Staff was friendly and helpful. The popular Johnston Canyon trail is steps away. Gorgeous canyon and creek with many waterfalls. Parts of the walk is along catwalks suspended from the canyon walls. Can get busy at the height of the day. Our kid had a great time playing along Johnston creek, wading, and skipping stones. Everyone in our party was wowed when we walked in. Everyone had a great stay. Recommend. Would stay again.

The hotel maybe fine, but the dining was questionable. Staff did not seem happy and food was just okay.

Overpriced, mediocre service and dirty cabins. Very uncomfortable place to stay. The gift shop and restaurant were pleasant but the food was mediocre. One morning I saw the staff wrapping store bought muffins under a sign that said fresh baked. Location is great, motel is mediocre.

We stopped by the restaurant for dinner and had a fabulous meal! The best pan fried trout ever. Our waiter, Luke, was delightful. Best meal during our 6 day trip!

Terrible management/customer service. I had a chalet booked for a Saturday and Sunday night following our wedding. Drove 4 hours to Banff and got a call at 600 pm, telling me they had to cancel my reservation for that night because they had overbooked. They did not offer to help find other lodging, or offer to compensate in any way. It was a busy Saturday night and I checked with at least 20 other area hotels/resorts and could not find other lodging. It took several hours but we ended up getting a much pricier room for the night in Lake Louise, and spent the following night just up the road at Castle Mountain Chalets where we had a great stay. They canceled my reservation last minute and did not stand behind their mistake at all.