Parking
Meet in front of the Yoho National Park Visitor Centre on the Trans-Canada Highway in Field. Parking arrangements and capacity were not established in the available information; confirm where to park when booking.
Overview
About Mount Stephen Guided Fossil Hike
Why go
- A guided visit to a restricted fossil site with trilobites preserved in shale.
- Views over Field and the Kicking Horse River valley from high on Mount Stephen.
Heads up
- A very steep 800 m climb and descent; hiking poles are required.
- Access depends on a seasonal guided reservation; it is not a self-guided hike.
Mount Stephen Guided Fossil Hike is an out-and-back from the Yoho National Park Visitor Centre in Field to Mount Stephen’s restricted trilobite beds. Visitors need a scheduled guide to enter the site; this is not a self-guided trail to the mountain summit. The payoff is a close look at fossils preserved in place, with wide views above Field. Treat it as a strenuous day out, not a quick stop.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yoho map
Full mapElevation1,241–1,971 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
5 active Yoho alerts
- ClosureWalcott Quarry and Mount Stephen access restrictedMentions Mount Stephen, referenced in this guideWalcott Quarry and Mount Stephen are closed to visitors except on scheduled guided hikes or with a research permit, to protect these historically and scientifically significant sites.Official details
- ClosureYoho Valley Road closed for avalanche seasonYoho Valley Road is closed to vehicles from mid-October to mid-June because of avalanche risk. - Parks Canada’s current trail report lists no vehicle access to trails in the Yoho Valley.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Yoho Tour Guide
Your drive to Mount Stephen Guided Fossil Hike, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Yoho National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Yoho audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Yoho Visitor Centre: Fossils and a Useful Break0:00 / 0:34
“You're approaching the Yoho Visitor Centre at Field, a useful stop for park advice and a quick look at real Burgess Shale fossils.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yoho Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Field: A Bistro Meal or a Quick Restock
- The Miner Who Built Mountain Steps
- How the Rock Layers Got Tilted
- Natural Bridge: The River Beneath the Rock
- 35 audio storiesacross Yoho’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Mountain Goat, Black Bear, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 54 trails, 58 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Mount Stephen Guided Fossil Hike
A steep climb through the forestFrom Field, the route climbs steadily on steep, rustic forest trail.
From Field, the route climbs steadily on steep, rustic forest trail. There is little easy ground: expect several short breath breaks on the way up, then a sustained, steep descent. The advertised gain is about 800 m, and a guided outing takes roughly seven to seven and a half hours. The path is uneven and can be slippery when wet. Sturdy boots and hiking poles are required; guides may have poles to lend.
What is in the shaleThese beds formed in a shallow sea more than 500 million years ago.
These beds formed in a shallow sea more than 500 million years ago. The Burgess Shale is known for fossils that preserve details of soft parts, including eyes and internal structures that usually disappear. Mount Stephen’s slabs are especially rich in trilobites, alongside fossils of the Cambrian predator Anomalocaris and other marine life. Railway workers reported finding “stone bugs” here in 1886, long before anyone understood how unusual the fossils were.
Look out over FieldAt the fossil beds, look back toward Field and the Kicking Horse River valley, with surrounding…
At the fossil beds, look back toward Field and the Kicking Horse River valley, with surrounding peaks and glaciers beyond. The layered shale makes a distinctive foreground against that broad view. When the guide stops to explain a slab, take a moment to look closely: the appeal here is the small detail in the rock as much as the view from the slope.
Booking and meeting pointMeet in front of the Yoho National Park Visitor Centre in Field; the guided hike returns to the…
Meet in front of the Yoho National Park Visitor Centre in Field; the guided hike returns to the same place. You need a reservation and a valid national park pass. Tours are seasonal, with dates set by the current booking schedule. Pets are not allowed. Bring at least 2 litres of water and rain gear; mountain weather can change quickly. Parking capacity and arrangements were not established, so confirm them when you book.
Is this the hike for you?The distance is inconsistent: the specific hike information lists 8 km return while a broader…
The distance is inconsistent: the specific hike information lists 8 km return while a broader park overview still says 10 km. The mapped route from Field to the beds measures about 3.5 km one way, shorter than half of either total. Use 8 km as the best-supported planning figure and confirm the exact itinerary when booking; the line on the map may not show every walked metre.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Yoho
21 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
55 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
61 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
66 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
26 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
10 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Yoho. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
