John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is located in central Oregon and consists of 3 units: the Sheep Rock unit, the Painted Hills unit, and the Clarno Unit. The park was created to preserve fossils of ancient plants and animals as well as the landscape where those fossils were found.
All three units are interesting but I particularly enjoyed the Painted Hills. Here are a few tips on how to visit John Day National Monument.
How to Best Visit John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
Painted Hills Unit
There are several short but scenic hikes in the Painted Hills Unit of John Day National Monument. The Painted Cove Trail is one of those. It is only a quarter of a mile long and takes you around colorful hills. It’s interesting to see hues of brown, violet, green, and red right next to each other.
Another pleasant hike that shouldn’t be missed is the Painted Hills Overlook Trail. You will need to climb a bit but the views are lovely.
The final hike we did in this unit was the Leaf Hill trail. While this trail does not feature colorful rocks, it is nice to walk through the trees. This area has been extensively studied by paleontologists and a lot of fossilized remains of plants have been discovered here.
