Fossil Beds - Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park
Smithers, BC V0J 2N0
The Fossil Beds contain plants, animals and insects that inhabited this area over 50 million years ago.
Directions: From Smithers, follow Route 16 east across the Bulkley River bridge. Immediately, turn left onto Old Babine Lake Road. Look for blue signs directing you to "Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park". Stay on Old Babine Lake Road until you come to the Telkwa HighRoad. Turn left on Telkwa Highroad and drive a few kilometers until you see a sign "Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park". Turn right and drive a few more km to the parking lot adjacent Driftwood Creek and a small footbridge. Walk across the footbridge and then walk a further 300 meters to a viewing platform.
Description: The fossils found in Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park provide a dramatic image of this area as it was 50 million year ago. The Driftwood Canyon area had a subtropical to tropical climate and was made up of fresh-water swamps and lakes. These fossils were created as the organisms were trapped within the sediment layers. Sediments of sandstone and shale were created during slow deposition of fine mud in the lake bed. It is these layers of shale that are now exposed and available for viewing. Visitors may handle and view fossils
but are asked not to take them away.
Fossils are visible in the shale of this embankment.
Viewing platform approximately 300 meters from the parking lot.
