Stanley Glacier

Yoho National Park has long claimed all the Burgess Shale fame. That changed in 2012, when new fossil beds were discovered in Kootenay National Park near Marble Canyon. You cannot access this latest find, yet, but nearby Stanley Glacier offers a worthy consolation in the meantime.

Unlike the Walcott Quarry and Mount Stephen Trilobite Beds hikes, the Stanley Glacier hike is fully open to the public. Parks Canada does offer guided hikes if you so desire, but you can also make the hike on your own, no strings attached. This makes the hike much less complicated for planning.

It’s also less onerous. The 10 km return trip is considered moderate difficulty by Parks Canada with a more manageable 365 m of elevation gain. The majority of the trail is well-maintained, packed dirt with switchbacks. Only the final kilometre does it get rough with the final 200 m being talus. And depending on how keen you are to explore, the trail summit offers plenty of similar loose rock to scramble over in search of fossils.

We did this hike while camping at Marble Canyon. We did find some trilobite fossils and there will be previously discovered shards laying around to look at. But, admittedly, there isn’t the quantity or quality here that you get at Mount Stephen, for example. You may find this reality disappointing if you start the hike expecting to encounter a treasure trove of trilobites. Note, the Marble Canyon is also worth a hike and is far easier/shorter than this one.

That said, the hike is absolutely worth your while. The views become evermore impressive along the way, culminating with truly spectacular panoramas of Kootenay National Park. Small waterfalls and towering walls of rock provide a wonderful backdrop for a packed lunch. It’s a perfect day trip hike for anyone camping in Kootenay National Park. Marble Canyon Campground makes for a great homebase and is conveniently located just down the road from the trailhead.