Driftwood Canyon Park is a BC Parks site 10 kilometres northeast of Smithers, reached by signs on Old Babine Lake Road. BC Parks recognizes Driftwood Canyon as one of the world's most significant fossil beds.
The park was established in 1967 to protect fossil beds on the east side of Driftwood Creek.
Driftwood Canyon is a focused fossil and geology stop for visitors who want a short walk, interpretive signs, and a protected look into deep time. Preserved shale formations contain plant, animal, and insect species that inhabited the area more than 50 million years ago.
The short trail leads from the parking area to the fossil beds, with signs about fossils and local history along the way. There is also a viewing platform over Driftwood Creek. Interpretive information is available at the parking area and along the trail to the base of the cliff.
The park lies within the traditional territory of the Wet'suwet'en people. Part of the park land was donated by Driftwood Canyon resident Gordon Harvey, who had a strong interest in the fossils and acted as a park interpreter in early years.
Plan around the short fossil-bed trail, interpretive signs, the viewing platform over Driftwood Creek, geology learning, fossil history, leashed-pet walks, photography, and year-round visits when access allows.
Bring drinking water because potable water is not available. Do not remove fossils, leave trails, go past the viewing platform, or stand beneath the cliff face. Winter maintenance is limited, and access may be affected by snow.
