Hike Alberta
Cascade PondsJohnson Lake 500 m N
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Water Tower

Near Anthracite · Banff National Park

Easy · Out and back · Official trail

Johnson Lake beside the trail
Johnson Lake beside the trail. Photo by Norton Ip from Hong Kong, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Trail score 72 out of 100, from popularity, scenery and trail quality

Cascade PondsJohnson Lake 1 km Open the map

About this trail

Water Tower is a 7.9 km out and back trail near Anthracite in Banff National Park. It runs 4.0 km each way. The route gains 172 m in total and tops out at 1,453 m. Hike Alberta rates it easy, and Parks Canada rates it easy. Allow about 2 hours 30 minutes of moving time. It passes three mapped trail junctions. Along the way you pass Cascade Ponds and Johnson Lake. Also used for walking, trail running and mountain biking.

Length
7.9km
4.0 km each way
Elevation gain
172m
Estimated time
2h30min
Moving time
Route
Out and back
Highest point
1,453m
Lowest point
1,394m

Elevation profile

1,394 m to 1,453 m
1,4521,394 0 km4.0 km

Highest point 1,453 m, lowest 1,394 m, 172 m of climbing in total. Steepest sustained grade about 14% over 100 m.

Predicted coverage: 100% of route

0% LTE · 100% 5G

Longest modelled gap
0.0 km
Model
2024 · Natural Resources Canada

Predicted coverage is not guaranteed. It varies by carrier, terrain, weather, device and network load, and it does not guarantee emergency service.

Along the way

  1. 0.0 kmCascade PondsLake
  2. 3.9 kmJohnson LakeLake

Good for

  • Hiking, Walking, Trail running, Mountain biking, Horseback riding
  • Dog friendly (on leash)
  • Lake

Rankings

Trailhead

The trail starts at 51.2130° N, 115.5306° W.

Driving directions

Banff National Park admission

National park admission required

Buy day or annual pass

Pass details

Visitors spending time in a national park need valid daily admission or a Parks Canada Discovery Pass. Admission is separate from camping, reservations, parking and other service fees.

Information checked October 21, 2026.

Official details

Before you go

Carry an offline map and plan for no service in backcountry areas. Trails close for wildlife, fire, weather and construction. Check the official sources:

Nearby trails

All 588 trails in Banff National Park

Parks Canada trail data, Open Government Licence Canada
Elevation © Mapterhorn from NRCan HRDEM (Open Government Licence Canada) and Copernicus GLO 30