joggins fossil cliffs interpretation centre

Walking down the 100+ stairs from the well-appointed modern interpretive centre to the beach takes you back millions of years as the famous Fundy tides have exposed layers and layers of fossil-bearing sediments including impressive fossilized tree trunks. Be sure to check tide charts before you make the drive; you will want to leave ample time to explore the large rocky beach area and return safely to the stairs before the tide comes in.

We enjoyed our trip to Joggins Fossils. Value: It cost money to enter the interpretive centre and get a guided tour, but we felt it was worth it because it enabled us to learn more than if we had just walked down to the cliffs ourselves. The site: it's interesting to see remnants of Joggins' former coal-mining industry are still there. There were portions of an old wharf still sticking out of the water and train tacks still strewn over parts of the beach. You may find some petrified wood or the remains or an ancient creature. Our guide claimed that some of the markings we found on rocks were small feciary excretions, preserved still this day. At some points, you can see the waves hit rocks, which look like and may be coal. Due to the effect of the tide and other environmental conditions, the site changes a bit from one day to the next and may even reveal something previously unseen. Timing: you will want to time your arrival to be when the tide is going out/is out, since otherwise the beach will be submersed in water or it may be unsafe to walk. Clothing: it can be windy and cool on the beach, so you may want a thick sweater and tuque when by the water. Overall, we enjoyed it and would go back if we have the time in the future. Since we've already had a guided tour, we'd probably go on our own next time.

We arrived on a rather dark and dreary day with a strong mist in the air. The Interpretive Center was a welcoming place with helpful staff. The interpretive displays and short video gave an excellent overview of the fossils found and being found on the adjacent cliffs. The key to a successful tour is to arrive at low tide on the Bay of Fundy. That way you can walk on the beach and look at the cliffs and elsewhere for fossils. Don't touch, but do report any that you find.There are many steps down to the beach. While there is a handrail in places, the trek can be difficult for those with balance issues. We lingered too long in the Center and missed a guided tour of the beach. While we did walk on the beach and look for fossils, I know we missed much by not being part of a small group led by an expert.Kids as well as adults will enjoy this stop.

This is a detour off the main highway but directions provided are accurate and it is worth the drive - even though it was pouring rain the staff did a tour for us - the half hour tour is included in the entry fee for the center and it was a great introduction to the cliffs and the fossils that can be seen here. The info center is well designed with a lot of displays. Need to time your visit to low tide to get down to the shore and explore the area. Very impressive UNESCO heritage site!

we drove to the east coast for a birthday trip. This place was the #1 on our list. We got there around lunchtime. There were no cars in the parking lot so we were excited to think we could have the place to ourselves. It was amazing! The guide gave us an extra 30 minutes of a tour along the beach. He pointed out a lot of different kinds of fossils. After that he left us to find them on our own. This was a very special experience that I'll always look back on. We found so many fossils on the beach and in the cliffs. To think that every kilometre walked along the beach is a million years in time is simple thrilling! The museum was small, but the main purpose is to walk along and be an archaeologist for a few hours.

The interpretive center is fairly small, but full of interesting exhibits and worth a visit. There are several guided tours down to the beach area each day, but check the tide schedule to make sure you visit at the right time to catch one of them. Our guide was from the small town surrounding the cliffs and provided a lot of interesting information about the area as she was growing up. She also identified the geologic formations we looked at and the many fossils that have been discovered and cataloged through the years. Definitely worth a visit.

Just out of season we called en spec to find that the Director - Jenna Boon - was willing to take our small group of 4 on a personal tour. Tide was low, weather sunny and beach fully accessible. Such an amazing place and beautifully described by Jenna. So thankful for her time, information and guidance, showing us all sorts of amazing fossils. 15 million years of history in such a short piece of coastline. Well worth the visit. Thank you.

We didn't tour the facility but we went down to the beach. We saw an old mine and some coal that would have been mined there. We had been to Blue Beach where we were told what to look for in a fossil. So we saw some interesting rocks and formations. Worth the stop.

The Joggins Interpretative Center is a newer building hugging the cliff along the Bay of Fundy on the Nova Scotia side. It allows visitors to refresh in their cafe, use washrooms, store stuff in lockers, and examine the types of fossils found at this site before heading down the wooden staircase (22 steps coming back up; no shuttle or ramp) to the shale beach below. I really needed a guide to point out the miniature fossils still visible in the cliff, the trunks of giant fossilized horsetails still in situ, and even the thick tree roots that were becoming exposed by the action of higher waters, from recent major storms, washing against the cliffs. These recent exposures were very exciting discoveries for Dana. He explained how these life forms became fossilized and pointed out the various markings on these rocks which are used to identify them as stems, roots, etc. Also, without Dana telling us about the importance of the coal seams and the mines that used to be here we would have walked right by the black seams still visible on the cliffside. When he pointed out the stumps of pillars in the water, he described the harbor that used to be here - a busy coal port with ships tying up at the wharves to load coal. Going back in history again, Dana pointed out that the Mikmaws came regularly to this area to weir fish, collect coal, and make grindstones from the soft sandstone rocks. He pointed out that the word, "joggins" is a Mikmaw word that means "weir fishing". Dana painted picture upon picture of man's use of this area as well as what this area may have looked like millions of years ago when there were only ferns, insects, giant horsetail like plants, snails, crab, and huge/long/thick millipedes that lived in a tropical environment before the dinosaurs. Back in the interpretation center Dana showed us a fossil of such a millipede. The displays and the information boards here added again to my understanding of life in this part of the world millions of years ago. There is a cute film/cartoon about how a water snail, embedded in a horsetail plant on the Joggins cliff, provided 19th century scientists like Darwin with ideas about evolutionary changes. The beach is best visited at low tide in order to walk safely along the fossil embedded cliffs. The beach is strewn with shale type bits of rock of varying sizes. There are markings on many of them, but it was left to my imagination whether or not these were actually fossils. We didn't wonder too far from the base of the stairs as the samples of fossils Dana wanted to show us were right there. This visit took us 1 hour, but I felt rushed in the Interpretation Center as the information boards need time to read. Very worthwhile stop along the Bay of Fundy, especially with a guide like Dana. I think he had a degree or two or three in geological sciences. Visit Joggins website for information about this attraction and the geological processes visible on the cliffs.

We visited with my six year and two year old daughters - I thought it might be a bit beyond the youngest, but they both had a fantastic time. The interpretive centre itself is beautifully designed to fit into the local landscape and operates without leaving much of an environmental footprint. The staff are really lovely - our tour guide (we did a short tour, which ended up being longer than expected) kept apologizing that she wasn't a proper guide, but she did a great job and clearly knew lots about the area and fossils. Don't go expecting to see dinosaur fossils (The Parrsboro Geological Museum, not too far away, is the place for dinos), but it is impossible not to find all sorts of interesting plant and animal fossils amidst the beach rocks - even my two year old found some! The beach itself is fascinating, with the remains of an old mine, and a great place to go for a stroll and imagine what it was like millions of years ago - just make sure you time your visit right with the tides. The museum section of the centre was very well designed, with lots of things for the children to look at and touch - I learned quite a bit. The cafe was a bit over-priced for the amount of food provided, but it was still tasty. Highly recommended.

Great center with helpful and knowledgeable staff. We got there too late for a tour of the beach but went alone and saw fossils and had a great time. the center is informative , well laid out and interesting - and of course totally tactile

This is the area near the famous tides of the Bay of Fundy. It is also a major repository of ancient fossils. Our guide took us to the beach and explained and pointed our the numerous fossils on the sandstone rocks. We then spent time in an excellent museum which was both educational and enriching. Would recommend to anyone in the area. A real world historical area.

Great little museum and setup with access down to the beach where it doesn't take too long to uncover a small fossil or ten if you're willing to turn over a few beach rocks. You need to be there at a decent tide though as the beach (and some of the steps down) disappears close to a high tide and guides won't run tours at the risk of you suddenly getting cut off (the speed of the water level rise is impressive!). We never managed to get a tour (I suspect a large coach tour an hour earlier gobbled up our planned one) but I'd imagine it would have been great value if one had been included in the price of entry.

I've been wanting to come here for years and finally took the exit off the highway to discover Joggins Fossil Cliffs. I took the Wanderer's Experience with guide Dana. It's advertised on the website as a 1/2 hour guided tour but I think we had almost an hour. The cost of $10.50 was worth it. It was fascinating to think we were seeing fossils of things that existed before the dinosaurs! We even bumped into Don Reid, "Keeper of the Cliffs", still out there looking for fossils!

Well worth the drive off the main highway. Although my teens were hoping to see dinosaur fossils, this site pre-dates their presence; only trees, ferns, insects and amphibians were present at the time. Nonetheless we were all intrigued by the fossilized trees that are still within the existing cliffs and continue to be exposed by the tides. One could return to the site on a regular basis and discover something new each time. The guided tour that comes with the entry fee, provided a good basis and intro to the history of the site. Afterwards, we enjoyed inspecting all the rocks on the beach to see if we could uncover other fossils or tracks left by long past reptiles.