A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Burgess Shale formation – high atop Wapta Mountain and Mount Stephen – is considered one of the world’s most significant fossil finds. Once an ancient seabed, the Burgess Shale is a rich deposit of tiny fossilized animals.
Highly protected, the area is NOT open to the public, although guided hikes of the Burgess Shale Walcott Quarry and Mount Stephen Fossil Beds are available during summer months.