Categories: Travel

Some of the oldest fossils on Earth are at this national park in B.C.

Photo via @burgess.shale.geoscience / Instagram

Did you know that Yoho National Park has its own village at the centre? Formed in the 1880s, Field is nestled in the Canadian Rockies in B.C., though it’s very accessible to and from Calgary and Banff National Park. That being said, it’s a bucket list destination if natural history is your jam.

Fossils older than the dinosaurs

Preserved for over 500 million years, the park’s famed Burgess Shale Fossils are some of the oldest animal fossils on Earth, and are far older than even the dinosaurs.

The prehistoric fossils offer a glimpse into the strikingly diverse marine ecosystems that once covered the area, famous for how well-preserved they are to this day. They depict a time when a shallow sea once covered the B.C. interior, with details like eyeballs and brains intact.

The Burgess Shale fossils are embedded in the “shale-y” rock beds high in the mountains, so it’s a journey and a half to reach them. But if you’re up for the challenge, a hike to see them is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

How to visit the Burgess Shale fossils

Guided hike bookings via Parks Canada launch on Jan. 20, 2026, taking park visitors to three distinct fossil sites (two of which are restricted UNESCO sites).

This includes the hike to Mount Stephen, a steep 7.5-hour journey to see fossilized trilobites (extinct marine arthropods).

The hike to Stanley Glacier is considered “moderate,” spanning 10 km and taking approximately seven hours to complete. On the journey, hikers learn how newly discovered fossils reveal exciting findings in ancient animals, from third eyes to “jackknife-like claws,” according to Parks Canada.

Walcott Quarry marks one of the most important paleontological sites in the world. According to Parks Canada, this hike takes visitors to soft-bodied fossils that reveal surprising connections between ancient and modern sea life. And not to mention, sweeping views of Emerald Lake from above.

With an elevation gain of 900 metres and a total distance of 24 kilometres, this hike takes 11 hours to complete, commencing at the Takakkaw Falls parking lot. But the experience (and the stories to come out of it) is too good to pass up!

You can also book a scientist-led hike to Walcott Quarry and/or the Mount Stephen Trilobite Beds through The Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation in Field.

The guided hikes to Walcott Quarry run from July 4 to Sept. 15, 2026, while the ones to the Mount Stephen Trilobite Beds operate between May 6 and Sept. 15, 2026. Both are priced at $137 per person.