Over 500 Million Years Ago...
Burgess Shale Location
Nestled high in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, the Burgess Shale is a record of one of the earliest marine ecosystems, giving a tantalizing glimpse of life as it was over 500 million years ago.
The Burgess Shale is located in Yoho National Park, near the town of Field, BC. Field is less than an hour drive from Banff, AB. The sites that we guide to are located on two mountains that are adjacent to the town of Field. They are: The Walcott Quarry located on Mount Field, and the Mount Stephen Trilobite Fossil Bed. Other sites exist in the area but are much harder to access.
The morning meeting location for our hikes is the Yoho National Park Visitor Centre.
“The lands and waters of Yoho National Park fall within the traditional territories of K’tunaxa and Secwepemc nations.” K’tunaxa is pronounced “TOO-nah-ha”, Secwepemc “Seck-WEP-um”.
UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Burgess Shale is part of the UNESCO Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site. Originally, the Burgess Shale was its own World Heritage site, recognized by UNESCO as ‘…one of the most significant fossil areas in the world.” But in 1984 UNESCO decided to expand the site to include a vast area of the Canadian Rockies. For more information on the World Heritage site, read our blog article or visit UNESCO.
Explore a place of wonder, beauty and incredible science
Few places have contributed as much to our understanding of the origins of animals on the planet. The Burgess Shale is one of the rare locations in the world where both hard body parts and soft tissues have been fossilized. This rare and exquisite preservation has granted scientists the unusual opportunity to view an organism in its entirety with remarkable clarity providing a window to the distant past and an insight on how these amazing creatures lived. Using advanced imaging techniques scientists have shown that nervous systems, hearts, livers, and eggs have all been preserved, providing a deeper understanding of the evolution of early life.
Discover the Burgess Shale for yourself
Join one of our hikes for an unforgettable day half a billion years in the making.
Looking for more information on the Burgess Shale?
Visit our Gallery page to see photos of the fossils, hiking trails, and the fossil sites.
Please visit our FAQs page for information regarding the differences between the two fossil sites, accommodations in the area, local weather, and so much more.
For more information – and amazing images and videos – regarding the organisms and their significance, we recommend visiting The Royal Ontario Museum’s (ROM) Burgess Shale website. Alternatively, please have a look at our Blog.
Our hikes are guided by scientists.