Tourism Fernie is thrilled to be spearheading an exciting new initiative that will bring the prehistoric history of Fernie, Sparwood, and Cranbrook to life like never before. Paleo Trails BC is a regional project that combines education, storytelling, and tourism to showcase the remarkable fossil discoveries found in our part of the Kootenays.
Partnering with Dinosaur Valley Studios and TrueArc Media, we’re producing a 10–15 minute film that will highlight the incredible journey of fossils in the Elk Valley and beyond.
The film will feature stunning animated sequences: imagine seeing Earth from space as it looked 150 million years ago, then zooming in to ancient seas teeming with ammonites and Ichthyosaurs. You’ll see how massive geological shifts over millions of years transformed these marine creatures into fossils, eventually revealing them in the dramatic rock formations we see today.
Watch a short feature video to get a taste of what the film will include.
But the project goes beyond the video! Educational tours for locals and visitors to learn about our unique paleontological history. A self-drive tour, guided by the video itself, will explore fossil points of interest across Fernie, Sparwood, and Cranbrook, with an additional interpretive picnic area at Elko.
This is a new tourism product for the Elk Valley and the Kootenays — designed to be educational, family-friendly, and deeply rooted in our natural history. We’re proud to be collaborating with Tourism Cranbrook who have provided funding support, and our neighbours in Sparwood, to tell a shared story that stretches across the region.
Fernie’s story will be brought to life through its famous Ammonite fossil* and the Ichthyosaur discovered west of town, both symbols of a prehistoric ocean that once covered this land.
Be sure to stop by the Visitor Information Centre (VIC), where you can see replicas of both the Fernie Ammonite - Titanis Occidentalis - and Ichthyosaur - Fernatator prenticei - on display, and watch an interpretive video. It’s a unique chance to get face-to-face with fossils that tell the story of an ancient sea that once covered our mountains.
Together, we’re helping people learn, discover, and see Fernie and the Elk Valley through a whole new lens — not just as a place of beautiful landscapes, but as part of an ancient, living history millions of years in the making.
*The ammonite fossil (pictured above), located near Fernie is currently inaccessible due to ongoing logging activity.