Created in 1985 by the Government of Quebec, Miguasha was designated a World Heritage Site in 1999 in recognition of its wealth of fossils, which display a crucial time during the evolution of life on Earth.

[1] The coastal cliffs are Upper Devonian strata of grey sedimentary rock belonging to the Escuminac Formation.

They are composed of alternating layers of sandstone and shale, which are 350–375 million years old.

The area today supports mainly birch, aspen, and fir forests.

Some of the fish, fauna, and spore fossils found at Miguasha are rare and ancient species.