“World Class trackways and fossils form the cornerstone of Tumbler Ridge UNESCO Global Geopark”
The Tumbler Ridge UNESCO Global Geopark comprises a portion of the eastern slopes of the Hart Ranges of the northern Rocky Mountains of British Columbia. High glaciated summits characterise the southern boundary, which is partially the divide between waters flowing northeast into the Murray and Wapiti Rivers, and waters flowing southwest into the Parsnip and Fraser Rivers. The highest point is the summit of Bulley Glacier Peak, 2630 m above sea level. The lowest elevation, at the northern boundary where Salt Creek enters the Murray River, is 663 m above sea level. Elevation generally decreases from southwest to northeast. Rivers cut valleys through the northwest-southeast trending front ranges of the mountains, and then flow through the foothills. There are six provincial parks within the Tumbler Ridge UNESCO Global Geopark.
The Tumbler Ridge UNESCO Global Geopark contains a record of sedimentary deposition within the Western Canadian Foreland Basin which has been deformed by past mountain building episodes to form the rugged mountains and foothills of the northern Canadian Rocky Mountains. The stratigraphic section exposed in the UNESCO Global Geopark spans a geologic time range from ca. 600 to 60 million years ago. It is complemented by an abundance of palaeontological resources. Cretaceous dinosaur tracks (many of which are of global significance), a Cretaceous dinosaur bone bed with unusual features, and Triassic fishes and marine reptiles are of particular importance and abundance.
Tumbler Ridge UNESCO Global Geopark has a developed signage program, with scientific information interpreting trails to sites of geological and palaeontological significance, complemented by interpretation of archaeological and more recent human history.
The education anchor site of the Tumbler Ridge UNESCO Global Geopark features guided tours to dinosaur footprint sites and educational camps, complemented by other outdoor programs and school programs. It is made of the Dinosaur Discovery Gallery and adjacent Peace Region Paleontology Research Centre, house an education room, and interpreted palaeontological exhibits, as well as the research and collections components. The walls of the Community Centre in Tumbler Ridge are adorned with over thirty exhibits featuring diverse aspects of the natural and human history of the region.
The Tumbler Ridge UNESCO Global Geopark has two anchor organizations (the Tumbler Ridge Museum Foundation and the Wolverine Nordic and Mountain Society) and has been generously supported by the Peace River Regional District and the District of Tumbler Ridge.
