Kootenay National Park offers new hike to the Burgess Shale

Kootenay National Park is now hosting hikes to the Burgess Shale,a world famous fossil field with specimens more than500 million years old.

This is the third guided tour offered by Parks Canada, for a fee, to the Burgess Shale.

The latest hike, which starts at the Stanley Glacier trailhead,isa moderately difficult hike12 kilometres round trip,taking about seven hours with an elevation gain of 450 metres.

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The two existing hikes are in Yoho National Park to Walcott Quarry and Mount Stephen.

Michael St. Denis, a spokesman for Park Canada, saidthere are some new finds to show off in KootenayNational Park.

These hikes all require reservations in order to go on them and that's available off of our website. People are in for a fantastic experience with this hike.It's one of the easier of the Burgess Shale hikes so more accessible for people.

The hike goes every Monday and Saturday through the summer, withhiking fees range from $27 to $55.

Alternative to tenting

The Redstreak campground, near Radium, also has ten newOTENTniks, cabin-like tents that come with many amenities. They were built at a cost of $388,000.

They sleep six and they come with Adirondack chairs, fire pit and picnic table. And being in Redstreak they are located very close to Radium Hot Springs and the amenities there, said St. Denis.

Kootenay National Park is located in the Rocky Mountains between Alberta and British Columbia.