Badlands Fossil Expedition Exclusive Private Tour from Calgary

Calgary, Canada

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8 hours 10 minutes

Mobile ticket

Offered in: English

Horseshoe Canyon

Your journey begins at the magnificent Horseshoe Canyon. This geological masterpiece serves as the perfect introduction to the Badlands, where the exposed strata reveal the dramatic transition from ancient marine environments (the Bearpaw Formation) to the lush, prehistoric landscapes of the Horseshoe Canyon Formation. Its breathtaking scale offers the perfect backdrop to begin your exploration.

Duration: 1 hour

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Join our expert geologist for a deep dive into an exclusive, high-yield site. Eladesor is a hidden treasure trove where you will have the rare opportunity to search for and identify dinosaur bone fragments, oyster fossils, and rare minerals such as buchite, ironstone, translucent calcite, chalcedony, and sparkling quartz. Beyond the fossils, you will explore the powerful legacy of the Pleistocene Ice Age, featuring dramatic glacial folds, till deposits, and massive glacial erratics that dot the landscape.

Duration: 1 hour

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Here, the earth tells a story of survival and change. At Willow Creek, we will examine unique sedimentary structures like "inclined heterolitic stratification," offering a rare look at ancient estuarine currents. Then, in East Coulee, we will uncover the haunting evidence of a prehistoric "Hurricane Katrina like" event. You will see Teredolites burrows deep within coal seams and ancient petrified tree stumps remnants of a forest buried by a cataclysmic flood millions of years ago.

Duration: 1 hour

Royal Tyrrell Museum

Following our field explorations, we conclude the day at the world renowned Royal Tyrrell Museum. This is not just a visit; it is a synthesis of your day’s findings. With a private perspective provided by your field guide, you will walk through the galleries and connect the raw fossils you identified in the field to the magnificent, reconstructed skeletons on display, gaining a comprehensive understanding of Alberta’s paleontological heritage.

Duration: 2 hours