Parking
Use the Mistaya Canyon parking area off the Icefields Parkway; the trail starts beside the lot. A national park entry pass is required on the Parkway.
Overview
About Mistaya Canyon Trail
Why go
- A dramatic limestone gorge for very little walking.
Heads up
- The short, rocky descent becomes a steep uphill return.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Banff map
Full mapElevation1,476–1,517 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Banff alerts
- ClosureJohnston Canyon Trail and Day Use Area closedJohnston Canyon Trail and Day Use Area are closed to all traffic and travel through December 11, 2026, because construction work requires protecting public and workers’ safety.Official details
- ClosureBaker Lake and Hidden Lake campgrounds closed to campingCamping is prohibited at Baker Lake and Hidden Lake campgrounds through December 1, 2026, because a grizzly bear entered campsites and investigated tents and gear; the closures reduce risk to…Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Banff Tour Guide
Your drive to Mistaya Canyon Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Banff National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Banff audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Mistaya Canyon: A Bridge Above the Gorge0:00 / 0:23
“You're approaching the Mistaya Canyon trailhead, a short walk to a bridge above a winding limestone gorge.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Follow the Stripes to the Face
- Why Lake Louise Gets More Snow
- Why the River Splits
- Howse Pass Viewpoint: Valley and an Old Crossing
- 185 audio storiesacross Banff’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Brown Bear, Gray Wolf, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 162 trails, 90 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“…Loved the commentary as you drove thru. I’m sure the app can do more than I know but the tips were very helpful. I’m gonna use it when we go to Banff next month.”
Trail guide
Hiking Mistaya Canyon Trail
A quick canyon stopThe Mistaya Canyon Trail is about 0.
The Mistaya Canyon Trail is about 0.6 miles round trip from the roadside parking area to and across the footbridge. It is a short out-and-back: the path drops briefly and steeply through trees to a view into a winding limestone gorge, with fast water below. Allow 20 to 30 minutes, including a pause on the bridge; the return climbs the same slope.
Stay on the bridgeThe bridge is the right turnaround for this short walk.
The bridge is the right turnaround for this short walk. Water has carved the limestone walls over thousands of years, and the zigzagging gorge is the reason to stop. Keep to the established path and bridge: Parks Canada says to stay off the rocks, and lower riverside paths are eroded and slippery. From the bridge, include a strip of river below the layered walls if you take a photo; do not scramble down for a different angle.
Summer accessThe trailhead is at the Mistaya Canyon parking area along the Icefields Parkway.
The trailhead is at the Mistaya Canyon parking area along the Icefields Parkway. Parks Canada lists the walk as summer-only, and a national park entry pass is required on the Parkway. Dogs are allowed on summer trails unless a specific restriction applies; keep them leashed and under control. A vault toilet is reported at the lot; no food or potable water service was found at the trailhead.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Banff
123 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
150 sightingsBrown BearMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
44 sightingsGray WolfMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
12 sightingsRiver OtterMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
69 sightingsMooseMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
466 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 9 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Banff. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
