Johnston Canyon, Marble Canyon & Banff Gondola: One Day in Banff Day 4

Another day in Banff began with another change of plans—and this one turned into one of our best decisions of the trip.

Our original plan called for Marble Canyon in the morning and the Banff Gondola that evening. The night before, however, Leslie and I reconsidered what my walking limitations might allow. After completing the 3.2-mile Emerald Lake loop—with half of it over difficult footing—the 1.5-mile round trip to Johnston Canyon’s Lower Falls suddenly seemed reasonable.

We decided to add Johnston Canyon, continue to Marble Canyon, and then return to the hotel for a long afternoon break before heading up Sulphur Mountain. It was ambitious, but the walks could be divided into manageable segments, and we could decide later how much of the mountaintop boardwalk I was able to manage.

This drive also gave us another opportunity to see Castle Mountain. We passed it several times during our Banff stay, viewing it from different directions and under changing light. In the Canadian Rockies, fog, clouds and shifting daylight can completely obscure—or transform—a mountain view. If Castle Mountain is hidden the first time you pass, do not assume you have missed your only opportunity. The same road and mountain can look completely different the next time.

An Early Start at Johnston Canyon

We arrived at the Johnston Canyon parking area at 7:45 a.m., and the lot was already beginning to fill. Fortunately, we found a good space and were quickly on the trail.

The walk to Lower Falls follows Johnston Creek through the forest, with elevated walkways attached to the canyon walls in several places. The path was in excellent condition, elevation changes were easily navigable, and the waterway accompanied us throughout much of the walk. For someone carefully measuring how much walking he could manage, it was a beautiful and reassuring start to the day.

We reached Lower Falls but decided not to enter the short rock tunnel that leads to the closest viewing platform. A line had formed, and when I asked someone coming out whether the surface inside was wet and slippery, the answer was yes. That was all I needed to hear. We still had excellent views of the falls without adding an unnecessary fall risk.

By 8:45 a.m. we were back at the Canyon Café, where we took a 45-minute cappuccino break surrounded—as usual in Banff—by mountains in every direction. The area was getting noticeably busier when we left, reinforcing how valuable the early start had been.

Johnston Canyon had not been part of our original Day 4 plan, but we had no regrets. Waterfalls were high on my personal list for this trip, and adding Lower Falls proved to be exactly the right pivot.

Seven Bridges Across Marble Canyon

From Johnston Canyon, we continued through Castle Junction to Marble Canyon in Kootenay National Park—another Canadian national park we could now cross off our list. We arrived before 10:00 a.m. and found parking easily.

Despite its name, Marble Canyon is not made of marble. A Parks Canada interpretive sign explains that its walls are limestone and dolomite that can resemble marble when wet. Flowing water, sediment, freezing and erosion have gradually sculpted the narrow passages, swirls and potholes visible from the bridges.

Marble Canyon had almost no crowds during our visit. For me, it offered better views and a more interesting walk than the lower section of Johnston Canyon. That comparison is not entirely equal—many visitors continue to Johnston Canyon’s Upper Falls, which are said to be spectacular—but given my goal of keeping the day’s walking manageable, Marble Canyon was the clear highlight of our morning.

We returned to Banff under partly cloudy blue skies, with remarkable mountain views throughout the drive and even a couple of deer near the road. We reached the Moxy shortly before noon, having successfully completed both canyon walks without pushing too far.

Pancakes, Cappuccino, and an Afternoon Reset

Lunch was easy. Sudden Sally is a short walk across Banff Avenue from the Moxy and is visible from the hotel entrance. It had been on my list since our pre-trip research, and its large outdoor patio made it an obvious choice. Dining outside whenever the weather cooperates is a priority on every trip we take. We find it more enjoyable because there is usually less noise and often a better view.

I ordered the C$19 buttermilk pancake stack with wild blueberries, Canadian maple syrup, citrus butter, and hemp seeds. These may have been the best pancakes I have ever eaten. The blueberries were fresh and sweet, and Canadian maple syrup was the perfect finishing touch.

The only mistake was ordering the sausage. This sausage was nothing like the Tennessee-style kind my great-grandmother used to make, nor did it resemble the breakfast sausage we typically have at home. My less charitable description at the time was that it might have started as roadkill.

Sudden Sally also has an appealing bakery counter and good coffee. I ordered another cappuccino, while Leslie enjoyed a mimosa, and we made a mental note that this might be a convenient place to pick up pastries before our Icefields Parkway drive.

We spent the afternoon back at the hotel reviewing plans for the next few days and relaxing. A half hour in the hot tub felt wonderful after the morning walks, and we had it entirely to ourselves. Afternoons can be an excellent time to enjoy a Banff hotel’s amenities while other guests are away on tours. The Moxy also provides complimentary welcome drinks. Between the bartenders and front-desk staff, we ended up receiving eight drink tokens during our stay.

Taking the Free Roam Bus to the Banff Gondola

One advantage of staying in Banff was the ease of using local transit. Our hotel provided complimentary Roam Transit passes for the duration of our stay, and the Route 1 stop was on the corner near the A&W beside the Moxy. We paid US$15 per day to park our car in the garage beneath the hotel. Street parking was available behind the property, but we chose the convenience of parking on-site.

Rather than drive and worry about parking, we checked the schedule and took the bus to the Banff Gondola. Our upload time was 4:30 p.m., and we had reserved the final gondola down because we did not know how long we would remain at the summit or whether we would eat there. The bus arrived exactly on time and delivered us directly to the gondola.

Because schedules change, readers should confirm current times on Roam Transit’s Route 1 page.

There was an extensive line, although our prepaid tickets allowed us to bypass part of it. We boarded about 15 minutes after our scheduled time.

Our gondola companions received VIP treatment, so naturally I asked how they had skipped the line. They explained that they were heading up to babysit for the couple performing at the summit that evening. Because Leslie and I love live music, we immediately had one more mission for our time at the top.

The Sulphur Mountain Boardwalk—368 Steps Each Way

The summit views from the Banff Gondola were far better than those we had seen from Kicking Horse. I would gladly do both again, but if I had to choose only one, Banff would be my clear recommendation.

From the summit complex, the Sulphur Mountain Boardwalk extends approximately 0.7 kilometre each way to Sanson’s Peak and its historic meteorological observatory. It includes approximately 368 stairs in each direction. The boardwalk was challenging for me, but we completed it. I stopped to sit a couple of times, which was hardly a sacrifice when every resting place came with another enormous mountain view.

Conditions could not have been better. The sun was shining, the temperature was around 68°F, and we did not need to bundle up. At one viewpoint, we paused to watch hawks soaring above the mountains. We did not spot other wildlife, but the scenery alone made the walk unforgettable.

Science at the Summit

One of the most fascinating surprises on Sulphur Mountain was discovering its scientific history. A cosmic ray laboratory was constructed near the summit in 1956 as part of Canada’s contribution to the International Geophysical Year of 1957–58. Because of its elevation, it became the most important of Canada’s nine cosmic ray monitoring stations. The station operated until 1978, and although the laboratory building was removed in 1981, its foundation and a commemorative plaque remain. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1982. Learn more from Parks Canada.

The small building visitors see at the end of the boardwalk is the historic meteorological observatory on Sanson’s Peak—not the former Cosmic Ray Station. Keeping those two pieces of summit history separate makes the site even more interesting.

Sunset Festival Music Above Banff

After returning from the boardwalk, we went inside to find the music and a bar. Both were on the upper-level patio, where we managed to claim prime seats. Bar service was quick, and we decided we would eat after returning to the hotel—a decision we would soon regret.

The performing couple was quite good and played songs from our era. We stayed for a full set, enjoyed a few drinks, and even heard my request: Janis Joplin’s “Mercedes Benz.” The audience joined in, turning the rooftop performance into one of those spontaneous travel moments that could never have been fully planned.

Live music was offered nightly as part of the Banff Sunset Festival, and it added tremendous value to our gondola visit. Instead of simply riding up, admiring the views and leaving, we had an entire mountaintop evening.

Our Worst Meal of the Trip

The free Roam bus carried us directly back to the hotel and then came our biggest mistake of the day.

We had seen people ordering food in the Moxy lobby and thought it would be pleasant to eat beside one of the outdoor firepits. The setting was excellent. The food was not.

The Reuben was easily the worst I have ever tasted. The corned beef was tougher than beef jerky, and one bite was enough. I ate the fries and salad and returned the sandwich for credit. The bartender also gave us a couple of additional drink tokens, which softened the disappointment—but only slightly.

This was one meal where convenience worked against us. With so many good restaurants in Banff, we should have eaten at the gondola or stopped somewhere downtown before returning to the hotel.

A Moraine Lake Cancellation Forces Another Pivot

The evening ended with a much more consequential surprise: our Day 6 sunset tour to Moraine Lake had been cancelled because of insufficient sign-ups.

This was a major disruption. We had reserved the tour approximately six months earlier and paid extra for the sunset departure, which included a wildlife-spotting drive on the return. Moraine Lake and Lake Louise are among the most difficult Banff experiences to arrange because personal vehicles are not permitted on Moraine Lake Road. Visitors must use Parks Canada shuttles, approved buses or guided tours, and the most desirable departure times can disappear almost immediately when released.

Fortunately, the operator offered us space on an earlier, shorter Day 6 tour departing from the same pickup point only a block from our hotel. I negotiated a 50% credit to account for the change and then reorganized our Day 6 plans around the new 4:30 p.m. departure.

It was disappointing after planning so far in advance, but it also reinforced one of the realities of travel: even carefully constructed itineraries need room for a pivot. We would still reach Moraine Lake—and I will cover the entire experience, including transportation options and the revised itinerary, in our Day 6 report.

How Rakuten Increased the Value of Our Tour Booking

We originally booked the Moraine Lake tour through Viator when Rakuten was offering 20% back. I have my Rakuten rewards deposited as American Express Membership Rewards points rather than cash. Because I value Membership Rewards points at about two cents each when used strategically for travel, that 20% rebate represented 40% in potential travel value for us.

Rakuten is a free shopping portal and browser extension that alerts you when a participating retailer offers cash back or points. During the past year, our normal purchases generated more than 45,000 Rakuten points. Transferred to American Express, those points became part of the strategy we used to book two Iberia business-class tickets from Chicago to Venice.

Those flights cost 44,000 Avios per person. During a 25% transfer bonus, we needed only about 71,000 American Express points for both tickets—far less than the approximately $5,200 cash price per ticket available at the time.

Cost & Value: Day 4

What We Learned from Day 4

Day 4 began with an added stop, included two canyon walks, gave us time to recover at the hotel, and ended with 368 stairs each way on top of Sulphur Mountain. By dividing the walking into separate segments and building in a substantial afternoon break, we accomplished far more than I initially thought my limitations would allow.

Johnston Canyon was a worthwhile last-minute addition. Marble Canyon became the surprise favorite of the morning. The Banff Gondola delivered our best mountaintop views of the trip, and the Sunset Festival transformed the evening into something special.

Not everything worked. The hotel dinner was terrible, and the Moraine Lake cancellation forced another immediate change. But that is part of honest travel reporting—and sometimes the pivots become as important as the original plan.