Driftwood Canyon
KamloopsTrails normally features outdoor explorations in the Kamloops area, but when we travel and find hikes, we include them into the site.
Driftwood Creek is a spot we have returned to over the years. On the first trip back in the 1970’s, there were some references to a fossil bed on the way to the Babine Mountains so we had to do some searching. There were no signs or established parking signs, but we crossed the creek and found the shale talus slope below the cliffs and hunted for fossils. We found a number of fossil samples – ferns, an insect, leaves, and branches. Returning to the site 35 years later, we found a well-established provincial park.
Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park can be reached by crossing the Bulkley River bridge and then the Old Babine Lake Road, then to the Telkwa High Road. Watch for the signage. A parking lot and interpretative signs are now in place and the fossil beds are found along trails above a viewing platform.
The fossils of this area are about 50 million years old, left from a sub-tropical lake and swamp environment. Layers of mud and silt became shale over time. By pulling apart the shale layers, we can sometimes find fossil remains.
We have enjoyed the fossil beds, but we have also enjoyed the Driftwood Creek Valley and the foothills of the Babine Range. Take the time to drive the route making a few stops along the way, including a fossil hunt.