Ink Pots

Ink Pots are a group of shallow, cold mineral springs in an open meadow beyond Johnston Canyon. The familiar walk continues past Lower and Upper Falls, climbs through forest, then opens onto pools ringed by mountain slopes. This is a proper hike, not a quick roadside stop; save the extra distance for a day when you want both the canyon and a longer walk.

From Johnston Canyon, the usual out-and-back is about 11.4 km with roughly 330 m of climbing. The falls section is popular and parking can fill, so an early start makes the day easier. Bring water for the longer route, and check current trail access before setting out because the open approach can change.

The pools are shallow and cold, with water bubbling up from deep below. Fine mineral silt shifts across their bottoms and helps give them their blue-green color. The color varies from pool to pool, so take a moment to look closely rather than expecting one big, uniformly bright spring. Benches in the meadow make a handy place to pause.

The small springs sit in a broad meadow with evergreen slopes and peaks around them. For a photo, keep a pool in the foreground and leave some meadow and mountain skyline in the frame; that shows where the springs sit instead of reducing them to a patch of blue water.