Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site is a hidden gem along Newfoundland's Southern Shore, where ancient fossils dating back 580 to 541 million years ago offer a peek into the dawn of complex life on Earth.
The tour is a guided hike, 6 km in and out to the fossil site. The hike is through a wilderness reserve, and I enjoyed the walk as much as the fossil site itself. The land you’ll walk through is an artic hyper oceanic barren landscape, so it feels different than anything else you’ll see on the Irish loop.
The actual fossil site is a massive slate of rock which, surprisingly, they let you walk on. You just need to remove your footwear beforehand.

There are fossils of over 700 organisms on the rocks that date back to 620 million years ago, so it’s pretty impressive.  The fossils are remnants of the oldest known creatures on earth from the Ediacaran Period.

You can book a tour by emailing MistakenPointTour@gov.nl.ca or by phone at (709) 438-1011.