EMERALD LAKE and BURGESS SHALE, YOHO NATIONAL PARK, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

From Banff drive 56 km west on the Trans-Canada Highway to the junction with the Icefield Parkway (Hwy. 93), continue straight on the Trans-Canada Highway 23 km into Yoho National Park or 4 km East of Field, then turn right at the sign for Emerald Lake, follow the access road for 10 km until you reach the lake.

Emerald Lake is a beautiful green lake. The Emerald Lake Circuit is a short but interesting lakeside hike with views of the beautiful mountains, the lake, Emerald Glacier and a variety of birds and vegetation. The Circuit is 5,2 km long and can be done in about 2 hours.

The Burgess Shale occurs within the Stephen Formation in Burgess Pass on the southwest side of the saddle between Mount Wapta and Mount Field. A 100 m high near-vertical cliff of limestone occurred at the edge of the shelf. These rocks are known as the Cathedral Formation, and probably represent the escarpment of a large submarine slump. There are two quarries on Mt. Field/Mt. Wapta: the lower Walcott Quarry and the upper Raymond Quarry. The Burgess Shale is one of the most important fossil sites in the world. Fossils were discovered in 1909, high on the western slope of Mt. Field, by the paleontologist Charles Walcott. Now this site is widely believed to contain the world's finest Cambrian-aged (540 million year-old) fossils. The diverse soft-bodied marine animals (more than 120 species) preserved in the shales represent a complete ecosystem that existed after the first explosion of multicellular life on earth. The Burgess Shale was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984. There are two hikes to the  fossil sites: the hike to the Mt. Stephen Fossil Beds is a moderate 6-hour return trip. The hike to Walcott's Quarry is a moderately difficult hike of 20 km. To view the Burgess Shale, take a guided tour, led by a Park staff member or a licensed guide.