5 Reasons that the Burgess Shale fossils are a Wonder of the World

We assemble early in the morning, bleary eyed and in awe looking up at Takakkaw falls – one of North America’s tallest waterfalls. I can see my breath in the cold 7 am mountain air.

Whenever I hike through the Rockies I imagine, out of the corner of my eye, aPtyridachtil swooping down from high peaks past me into the valleys below. But imagine that same landscape, before the mountains were built and before the mountains were carved out by glaciers. Imagine the landscape fully submerged in the Cambrian ocean. Still not sure where we are going with this? Well, this is where the 7 am hike starts. Parks Canada gives you the unique opportunity to explore the remains of such a landscape. It’s called the Burgess Shale Fossil Bed Hikes and they take part in Yoho and Kootenay National Parks, both of which are just a short drive from Golden, British Columbia.

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