JOHN DAY FOSSIL BED NATIONAL MONUMENT
JOHN DAY FOSSIL BED NATIONAL MONUMENT
EVENT TYPE: Camping, sightseeing
DISTANCE: varies
ELEVATION: varies
DIFFICULTY: easy
MAPS:
GPS: Painted Hills Unit 44°39’00” N 120°16’01” W
DISTANCE: varies
ELEVATION: varies
DIFFICULTY: easy
MAPS:
GPS: Painted Hills Unit 44°39’00” N 120°16’01” W
DESCRIPTION:
JIHN DAY FOSSIL BED NATIONAL MONUMENT
For the purpose of this write up, the above GPS coordinates are of the Painted Hills Unit. There are several more to visit. See OPTIONS
When you travel thru north centeral Oregon, you will notice that the upper northern area was effected by the Glacier Lake Missoula catastrophic floods of some 12,000+ years ago.
The Painted Hills Unit is like nowhere else in the Pacific Northwest. As you drive into the unit, it looks like you are driving into a topographical map.
The layers you will see are incredible. Then throughout the area, drips of specific chemical elements run down the faces. Drive up to the parking area below the trail and observation overlook. It’s a short walk to some of the most unusual and out of this worlds views.
Once while on a skis trip to Mt Bachelor, I told a friend that flew down to the area, to fly over Painted Hills on the way home. He and his passenger were blown away. From the air, it looks like you are looking down on a topographical relief map.
The monument management, asked people to never walk off the established trails. From the overlook, you can see foot prints from nearly a hundred years ago. Today, they look just like yesterdays. For that reason, they ask that you respect the unusual terrain, and only look at it, and never walk on it.
You will see by the images below.
For the purpose of this write up, the above GPS coordinates are of the Painted Hills Unit. There are several more to visit. See OPTIONS
When you travel thru north centeral Oregon, you will notice that the upper northern area was effected by the Glacier Lake Missoula catastrophic floods of some 12,000+ years ago.
The Painted Hills Unit is like nowhere else in the Pacific Northwest. As you drive into the unit, it looks like you are driving into a topographical map.
The layers you will see are incredible. Then throughout the area, drips of specific chemical elements run down the faces. Drive up to the parking area below the trail and observation overlook. It’s a short walk to some of the most unusual and out of this worlds views.
Once while on a skis trip to Mt Bachelor, I told a friend that flew down to the area, to fly over Painted Hills on the way home. He and his passenger were blown away. From the air, it looks like you are looking down on a topographical relief map.
The monument management, asked people to never walk off the established trails. From the overlook, you can see foot prints from nearly a hundred years ago. Today, they look just like yesterdays. For that reason, they ask that you respect the unusual terrain, and only look at it, and never walk on it.
You will see by the images below.
OPTION #1:
CLARNO UNIT
Another unit to visit is the Clarno Unit. The Clarno Unit is located 18 miles west of the town of Fossil, Oregon. The Palisades are the most prominent
landform and are volcanic lahars, or mudflows, that formed 54-40 million years ago in a lush semi-tropical rainforest environment. Tiny four-toed horses, huge rhino-like brontotheres, crocodilians, and meat-eating creodonts that once roamed ancient jungles are now found in the rocks of the Clarno Unit, as well as an incredibly diverse range of plant life. Leaves, fruits, nuts, seeds, and petrified wood from 173 species of trees, vines, shrubs, and other plants have been found here thus far.Glimpses of fossilized plants can be seen along the cliff walls.
Another unit to visit is the Clarno Unit. The Clarno Unit is located 18 miles west of the town of Fossil, Oregon. The Palisades are the most prominent
landform and are volcanic lahars, or mudflows, that formed 54-40 million years ago in a lush semi-tropical rainforest environment. Tiny four-toed horses, huge rhino-like brontotheres, crocodilians, and meat-eating creodonts that once roamed ancient jungles are now found in the rocks of the Clarno Unit, as well as an incredibly diverse range of plant life. Leaves, fruits, nuts, seeds, and petrified wood from 173 species of trees, vines, shrubs, and other plants have been found here thus far.Glimpses of fossilized plants can be seen along the cliff walls.
OPTION #2:
SHEEP ROCK UNIT
The Sheep Rock Unit is located on Highway 19, between the towns of Kimberly and Dayville, Oregon. Prominant, non-fossil bearing rocks date back as far as 95 million years old. Fossils of plants and animals are found in a number of geological layers dating from 33-7 million years ago.
The Sheep Rock Unit is the hub of monument operations, with both the headquarters of the monument (the Cant Ranch home) and the main visitor center located near the namesake peak.
The Blue Basin
Also in this unit is the
The Sheep Rock unit contains an amalgam of colorful strata and complex geology. From Cretaceous conglomerates to the flood basalts, the geologic features in this portion of the monument are a spectacle to behold. The predominant exposures of green rock seen on Sheep Rock are a multitude of reworked layers of volcanic ash. The rich green color of the claystone was caused by chemical weathering of a mineral called celadonite. This happened millions of years ago as water moved through the alkaline ash beds under high pressure.
Island in Time (1.3 miles round trip) This gravel trail ascends to an amphitheater carved out of the blue-green claystones of the John Day Formation. The volcanic ash, now turned to stone, contains a rich variety of vertebrate fossils. Interpretive signs and fossil replicas are located along the trail.Blue Basin Overlook (3.25 mile loop) This trail brings you to a spectacular vista overlooking the John Day River Valley. It is dusty in places and may be impassable in wet weather. Moderate to strenuous with over 600 ft. elevation gain (and loss.)
The Sheep Rock Unit is located on Highway 19, between the towns of Kimberly and Dayville, Oregon. Prominant, non-fossil bearing rocks date back as far as 95 million years old. Fossils of plants and animals are found in a number of geological layers dating from 33-7 million years ago.
The Sheep Rock Unit is the hub of monument operations, with both the headquarters of the monument (the Cant Ranch home) and the main visitor center located near the namesake peak.
The Blue Basin
Also in this unit is the
The Sheep Rock unit contains an amalgam of colorful strata and complex geology. From Cretaceous conglomerates to the flood basalts, the geologic features in this portion of the monument are a spectacle to behold. The predominant exposures of green rock seen on Sheep Rock are a multitude of reworked layers of volcanic ash. The rich green color of the claystone was caused by chemical weathering of a mineral called celadonite. This happened millions of years ago as water moved through the alkaline ash beds under high pressure.
Island in Time (1.3 miles round trip) This gravel trail ascends to an amphitheater carved out of the blue-green claystones of the John Day Formation. The volcanic ash, now turned to stone, contains a rich variety of vertebrate fossils. Interpretive signs and fossil replicas are located along the trail.Blue Basin Overlook (3.25 mile loop) This trail brings you to a spectacular vista overlooking the John Day River Valley. It is dusty in places and may be impassable in wet weather. Moderate to strenuous with over 600 ft. elevation gain (and loss.)
OPTION #3:
In 2005, the state of the art Thomas Condon Paleontology Center opened to the public. Named after the prominent 19th-century Oregon scientist who first recognized the significance of the fossil beds and did the first scientific collection and study of specimens, the 11,000 square foot center greatly improved the monument's ability to serve both the public and the scientific community. Performing a dual purpose, the Thomas Condon Paleontology and Visitor Center is dedicated to the study and public understanding of the paleontological resources of the John Day region. Colorful murals, fossil displays, and a fishbowl paleontology laboratory are some of the main features for visitors to enjoy.
What can you do at the Center?Before you visit, know the Operating Hours of the center. While you are there, enjoy the 18-minute park orientation film and browse through the Discover Your Northwest Bookstore. Our exhibits display over 500 fossil specimens from the John Day Fossil Beds. Scientifically accurate murals depict the environments in which these plants and animals lived. Speakers in the exhibits provide an audio representation of these extinct species may have sounded like. Viewing windows into the laboratory and collections area allow the public to watch scientists actively studying fossils. (You can also watch our paleo cam on our webcams page.)
Where is it Located?The Center is located in the Sheep Rock Unit of John Day Fossil Beds at 32651 Highway 19, Kimberly, OR 97848. It is approximately 8 miles northwest of the town of Dayville, Oregon and 19 miles south of the town of Kimberly, Oregon. Please visit the photo galleries below to see more pictures from the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center.
What can you do at the Center?Before you visit, know the Operating Hours of the center. While you are there, enjoy the 18-minute park orientation film and browse through the Discover Your Northwest Bookstore. Our exhibits display over 500 fossil specimens from the John Day Fossil Beds. Scientifically accurate murals depict the environments in which these plants and animals lived. Speakers in the exhibits provide an audio representation of these extinct species may have sounded like. Viewing windows into the laboratory and collections area allow the public to watch scientists actively studying fossils. (You can also watch our paleo cam on our webcams page.)
Where is it Located?The Center is located in the Sheep Rock Unit of John Day Fossil Beds at 32651 Highway 19, Kimberly, OR 97848. It is approximately 8 miles northwest of the town of Dayville, Oregon and 19 miles south of the town of Kimberly, Oregon. Please visit the photo galleries below to see more pictures from the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center.
DIRECTIONS:
COOL THINGS CLOSE BY:
HAZARDS:
R & P:
PLAN YOUR TRIP:
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PHOTO GALLERY
AS YOU SCROLL DOWN THRU THE MAPS AND IMAGES, KEEP IN MIND, I ONLY USED A POLARIZING FILTER TO BRING THE COLORS UP.
OVERALL MAP OF THE JOHN DAY FOSSIL BED NATIONAL MONUMENT
THE BLUE BASIN AREA
THOMAS CONDON PALEONTOLOGY & VISTOR CENTER
THE CLARNO UNIT. THESE COLUMNS ARE FOSSILS
THESE COLUMNS ARE SOLID FOSSILS
FOSSIL COLUMNS
THE CLARNO UNIT. THESE ARE SOLID FOSSILS
THE CLARNO UNIT AREA
THE PAINTED HILLS UNIT
PAINTED HILLS UNIT
PAINTED HILLS UNIT
PAINTED HILLS UNIT
THE LEAF HILL TRAIL
