Country
Fossil hunting in Canada
Canada holds some of the world's most important fossil sites — the Cambrian Burgess Shale in British Columbia, the Late Cretaceous badlands of Alberta, and the Carboniferous Coal Age cliffs of Nova Scotia. Three of these are UNESCO World Heritage Sites in their own right.
Canadian collecting law is uniformly restrictive at the best sites. Federal protection under the Historic Resources Act (Alberta) and the Special Places Protection Act (Nova Scotia) makes removal of any fossil illegal without a research permit. The model at most marquee localities is in-situ viewing on a guided hike or beach walk.
Plan around the season. Burgess Shale and Dinosaur Provincial Park guided programs run July–September; book in the first weeks of reservations opening (mid-February through late January for different programs) because they sell out. Joggins beach access is tide-dependent and operates roughly May–November.
Top picks: Burgess Shale, BC (Cambrian Lagerstätte, guided only); Dinosaur Provincial Park, AB (Late Cretaceous dinosaurs, guided only); Joggins Fossil Cliffs, NS (Carboniferous Coal Age forests, free beach access).
5 fossil sites
Burgess Shale Fossil Hike Guide
British Columbia, Canada
Trilobites, Anomalocaris, Marrella, Opabinia
Dinosaur Provincial Park Fossil Hunting Guide
Alberta, Canada
Hadrosaurs, Ceratopsians, Tyrannosaurs, Ankylosaurs
Joggins Fossil Cliffs Fossil Hunting Guide
Nova Scotia, Canada
Lycopsid trees, Plant fossils, Tetrapod trackways, Early reptiles
Miguasha National Park Fossil Guide
Quebec, Canada
Sarcopterygian fish, Placoderms, Acanthodians, Early tetrapod ancestors
Rock Glen Conservation Area Fossil Guide
Ontario, Canada
Brachiopods, Horn corals, Crinoids, Phacops trilobites