Burgess Shale, Paleontological site in Yoho National Park, Canada
Located in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, this deposit contains marine fossils preserved in fine-grained mudstone from the Middle Cambrian period, dating back 508 million years.
Charles Walcott discovered the site in 1909 and collected over 65,000 fossil specimens during extensive excavations conducted between 1910 and 1924.
The Royal Ontario Museum maintains comprehensive collections and research facilities dedicated to studying and displaying specimens from this formation.
Visitors can access the site through guided hikes departing from the Yoho National Park Visitor Centre, with tours available to Walcott Quarry and Mount Stephen.
The fossils reveal complete anatomical details of early marine animals, including preserved soft tissues, internal organs, and previously unknown species from the Cambrian period.
Location: Columbia-Shuswap Regional District
Made from material: shale
GPS coordinates: 51.43330,-116.46700
Latest update: May 28, 2025 18:13
British Columbia stretches from the Pacific coast to the Rocky Mountains, offering geological diversity and varied ecosystems. The region includes geothermal springs such as Liard River Hot Springs and Keyhole Hot Springs, ancient coastal forests at Cathedral Grove and Carmanah Walbran, and tide pools at Botanical Beach. The territory contains volcanic formations at Spotted Lake, fjords like Princess Louisa Inlet, and waterfalls including Takakkaw Falls and Hunlen Falls. Provincial parks such as Cape Scott, Mount Edziza, and Valhalla protect extensive wilderness areas. The natural features range from cave systems like Cody Caves to fossil beds at Burgess Shale, which preserve Cambrian marine life. First Nations cultural sites, including the Haida Heritage Centre and Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Heritage Park, provide insight into Indigenous history and land stewardship. Coastal stretches like Sombrio Beach and Combers Beach, along with marine protected areas such as Desolation Sound, offer access to Pacific waters. The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden in Vancouver represents historic Chinese landscape design. Visitors find hiking trails through old-growth forests, suspension bridges over gorges, and remote mountain lakes across this geographically diverse province.
Banff National Park
70.4 km
Moraine Lake
23.1 km
Jasper National Park
180.9 km
Takakkaw Falls
7.5 km
Kicking Horse Pass
13 km
Mount Temple
20.3 km
Abbot Pass hut
14.5 km
Crowfoot Glacier
22.5 km
Wapta Icefield
22.4 km
Phyllopod bed
774 m
Elizabeth Parker hut
12.2 km
Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House
14.2 km
Deltaform Mountain
21.3 km
Mount Victoria
12.7 km
Waputik Icefield
14.9 km
Stephen Formation
10.5 km
Twin Falls Tea House
13.2 km
Hector Glacier
22.6 km
Vulture Glacier
22.1 km
Cathedral Formation
6.7 km
Mount Whyte
13.8 km
Mount Field
423 m
Wenkchemna Peak
17.7 km
Angels Staircase Falls
9.6 km
Twin Falls
13.2 km
Yoho National Park
4.5 km
Natural Bridge
7.2 km
Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site
1.3 kmReviews
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