Field Tourist Attractions
|
|
Top Tourist Attractions in Field
During the age of steam when extra locomotives were needed to push or pull trains up or down Big Hill, Field (altitude 1224 m (4017 ft)) was a busy railway town. Nowadays it is the peaceful home of the Yoho National Park Administration (round-the-year information available at the side of the Highway). Fossil-rich Palaeozoic shales and sedimentaries are found on the slopes of Mts Field and Stephen nearby.Field is a good base for exploring Yoho National Park with excellent hiking and outdoor recreational opportunities.
Burgess Shale Fossil Beds
The Burgess Shale fossil beds to the east of Field have proved of supreme importance to paleontology. Fossils more than 530 million years old (Cambrian; esp. trilobites) recovered from these unique, undisturbed beds, have yielded major insights into the development of life on earth.The Burgess Shale Fossil Beds were discovered by Charles Walcott in 1909 and is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The area reveals a time period when this area was near the equator.It is possible to hike into Burgess Shale as part of a guided tour. Check at the Yoho National Park office for information on guided hikes and to inquire about restricted areas.
Hoodoo Creek
A well marked and scenically very attractive trail, Deerlodge Trail follows Hoodoo Creek to the Park's first wardens' cabin, built in 1904.The pyramid-shaped "hoodoos" of hardened sand and clay with a capping of relatively hard rock are real oddities of nature.Ask at Deerlodge or at the Yoho National Park office for details on this hike and the current conditions of the trail.
Emerald Lake
About 2 km (11/4 mi.) south of Field an 8 km (5 mi.) long road (dead-end) crosses the Kicking Horse River to Emerald Lake. A little way along the road is a remarkable natural bridge, beneath which the river squeezes through extremely resistant rock. An information board explains how this geological curiosity was formed. The lovely, shimmering, turquoise-blue Emerald Lake nestles at the foot of the over 3000 m (9800 ft) glacier-capped President Range.Several splendid hikes begin at Emerald Lake, among the most attractive being the Lake Circuit, the climbs to Yoho and Burgess passes, and the Hamilton Lake trail (to a small lake hidden in a hanging valley, a feature typical of the Rocky Mountains). North of Emerald Lake the 2696 m (8848 ft) summit of Michael Peak beckons competent mountaineers, while to the south rises the 2583 m (8477 ft) Mount Burgess.An information board at Ottertail Viewpoint gives details of the rock formations exposed by the Ottertail and Kicking Horse rivers. In the valley below there used to be a sawmill owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway.From this vantage point good views are obtained of Mts Hunter and King. The information board explains the effects of glaciation in high mountains.
Chancellor Peak Campground
On the way to the Chancellor Peak camp site (a few kilometers off the TransCanada Highway), a beautiful view unfolds across the valley of the Kicking Horse River to Mt Vaux (3320 m (10,896 ft)), Chancellor Peak (3280 m (10,765 ft)) and Mt Ennis (3132 m (10,279 ft); large glacier).Whether you are camping at the Chancellor Peak Campground or just passing through the area, the views of Chancellor Peak are worth stopping to take a look.
Leanchoil Marsh
Given a little luck a visit to Leanchoil Marsh will be rewarded with sightings of some of Canada's high mountain fauna (including beaver).Leanchoil Marsh is located in Yoho National Park. It is an important wetland and is a nesting area for birds of prey such as osprey and bald eagles.
Avalanche Nature Trail
Avalanche Nature Trail is a mountain trail near Field that leads to a huge avalanche slide on the 3320 m (10,896 ft) Mt Vaux.
