Note : In late March 2021 Alberta Parks removed all "fixed" gear in the lower Canyon which will have a significant impact on reaching this location via the canyon. It used to be a fun adventure, especially on a hot summer day. Without the fixed gear that route will be much more difficult if not impossible from below... The lower canyon can be by-passed for sure (shame!) by a trail that isn't exactly straightforwards but it does get you into the upper canyon above the most technical difficulties. That being said, once at the chockstone, there is that final part...
In the words of j2d2,
"You've done Grotto Canyon, you've done Jura Creek, you've done Cold Cache - now come and explore another cool spot in the Bow Valley corridor.
The trails are in bear country so travel in a group and make noise, carry bear spray and know how to use it. It is also mosquito country....
You can access the small parking spot while travelling east on the Trans Canada Highway. From the parking spot take the short connector trail to the Trans-Canada trail (about 200m) then go west (right). Alternatively, you could reach this point on the Trans Canada Trail from Heart Creek parking (but this adds at least 4km in each direction). Follow the Trans Canada trail until the well used canyon trail splits off at the reference point given below (about another 150m). This junction had flagging in July 2017. If you get to the Poplar trail sign, you have gone too far, if you get to the bike ramp, you have really gone too far. Head up the trail until you get to McGillivray Creek, about another 400m (total 750m from parking).
To access the j2d2 cache, you will have to stay on the high trail to the left, but for this cache, you really should get some pre-cache fun, so go down to the cairn in the creek, and try scrambling up the creek. How far you get will depend on the water level, how prepared you are and your fear factor. We had water shoes and a short length of rope (15m minimum) which we used to help the geokids, but the 6 yr old geodaughter and 8 yr old geoson navigated the whole canyon in both directions with us in July 2017. The water levels were quite low at the time, but there were a few pools to cross on ledges or logs. Ropes, cables and / or chains were in place at key spots. There were even a couple of ladders. In order reach the cache, navigate the canyon to the chockstone, continue up the canyon under the chockstone and then a little further before finding a small trail on the right side of the canyon (west bank) then follow the trail up to the rocks then out on to the top of the chockstone. Use caution here, not recommended for children. The cache (a 35mm film container) is in the far wall....bring your own writing implement.
The canyon seemed to have two main parts, lower and upper. The lower part of the canyon is more challenging but it is LOTS of FUN. The route is generally obvious, most of the time following the water, OR there are aids to avoid a waterfall or two. A helmet is recommended and some people might like a harness to safeguard their passage. The upper part of the canyon is a little easier but should still be treated with respect. We noticed a trail join the canyon at a cairn between the lower and upper canyon which likely is accessed from j2d2's cache (also shown on Southern Alberta Trail maps and the interactive map on the cache page).
Please be very careful, it can be very slippery in wet weather or cold weather in the canyon, so after rain give it a chance to dry a little. Avoid at all costs in heavy storms and after heavy snowfall.