Explore our Geology & Fossils

Journey to the southernmost tip of the Avalon Peninsula and take a guided tour of Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk across the ancient seafloors to find an entire community of 565-million-year-old fossils.

Gros Morne National Park UNESCO World Heritage Site played a major role in the understanding of plate tectonics. Put on your hiking boots and go on a guided tour to explore a fragment of the Earth’s mantle and the iconic red rocks of the Tablelands.

Labrador is rich in minerals, and it proudly lays claim to rocks that date back billions of years. Within this ancient land resides the Torngat Mountains National Park, where coastal cliffs and glacially carved fjords give us a rare glimpse into Earth’s geological history.

On the upper half of the Bonavista Peninsula is the 280-kilometre-long Discovery UNESCO Global Geopark. This park is home to 27 historic communities and 10 unique sites that offer geological marvels like 560-million-year-old fossils, towering sea stacks, and curved sea arches.

From the small town of Dover, you can see a geological scar left behind by two ancient continents that collided millions of years ago. Head up to the lookout to spot where sections of the world came together to create the island of Newfoundland.

Underground at Signal Hill in St. John’s is the Johnson Geo Centre, where you can explore the volcanoes, earthquakes, and natural forces that shaped our world. When you’re heading back to the surface, take a trip to The Rooms to meet Haootia, one of the first animals ever to have muscle tissue.

Head just outside of St John’s to Manuels River Hibernia Interpretation Centre in Conception Bay South and travel back 650 million years. Discover ancient volcanoes, beaches, and the giant trilobite fossil that made this area famous. Take a guided fossil tour along the hiking trail or take in the enchanting café view that overlooks the river.

Leave one rock and head to another with a short ferry ride to Bell Island. Explore the famous No. 2 mine to find the iron-rich layers that date back more than 450 million years. This tour will take you on a journey back to 1896 to experience what it was like to work underground.

On the Burin Peninsula, you’ll see the exposed cliffs at Fortune Head Ecological Reserve. Within these cliffs are fossilized burrows of animals that existed over 540 million years ago.

As you journey through the Burin Peninsula, you’ll pass by St. Lawrence, which is famous for having some of the world’s largest fluorite deposits. Tour the local Miner’s Museum to learn how it's used to make gorgeous jewelry and specialty items. At the end of the tour, add your own personal touch by polishing a gemstone with assistance from the museum’s staff.