Sightseeing
Local GemMitchell
FreeSmall Eastern Oregon town nine miles from the Painted Hills unit of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.
Photo: Finetooth, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureHistory BuffFree
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
32651 Highway 19 (Thomas Condon Visitor Center, Sheep Rock Unit) · Kimberly, OR
Why you should go…
Three separate units spread across eastern Oregon preserve plant and animal fossils from about 44 to 7 million years ago. The Painted Hills Unit near Mitchell is known for its colorful striped hills, and the Clarno Unit is the only unit with fossils along the trail. The Sheep Rock Unit holds the Thomas Condon Visitor Center and the Cant Ranch Museum. No entrance pass is required, and collecting fossils is never allowed.
- #national monument
- #painted hills
- #fossils
- #hiking
- #scenic overlook
Good to know
General sport & outdoor guidance
Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.
Weather calls the shots
Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.
Shoes, water, sun cover
The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.
Parking and launches fill early
On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.
Daylight shrinks in shoulder season
Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.
What's around here?
The closest stops to John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.
