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There is an almost lunar quality
to Oregon’s John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. What
humans have seen of the moon, however, does not compare to the
dreamy beauty of the Painted Hills, with their bands of ochre,
rust and mellow gold, or to the broken-fingered spires and pitted
cliffs of Sheep Rock and Claro. There are remains of centuries
of Native American cultures here, and the area’s heavily
eroded volcanic deposits display a extraordinarily complete fossil
record spanning 40 million years of the Cenozoic Era, making this
14,000-acre park invaluable to geologists, archeologists and paleontologists.
The John Day Valley is also a complex Near Desert ecosystem, and
is home to a variety of flora and fauna.
Visitors to the monument have several outdoor adventures to choose
from. There are a number of educational hikes to enjoy, including
a fascinating ¼ mile hike around Leaf Hill, where the remains
of a 30 million year old hardwood forest can be seen. Nature walks
give guests and opportunity to see some of the area’s wildlife,
like the Spotted Skunk, the Dusky Shrew and Big Horned Sheep.
Lucky observers might catch a glimpse of rare beasts, like the
Grey Wolf, Lynx and Whistling Swans. Visitors to the John Day
Fossil Beds National Monument may picnic in the Painted Hills
and camp at the Lone Pine or Big Bend campgrounds. The campgrounds
are on the banks of John Day River, which is nice for placid rafting.
The James Cant Ranch Museum and the Thomas
Condon Paleontology Center are located in the Sheep Rock Unit, and serve
as the Visitors Center. |
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