John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Fossil park in east-central Oregon, United States
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument consists of three separate units in east-central Oregon: Sheep Rock, Painted Hills, and Clarno. Together they cover 13,944 acres (5,643 ha) of semi-desert shrubland, riparian zones, and badlands. The Painted Hills unit is known for claystones colored yellow, gold, black, and red by embedded minerals.
The monument received federal protection in 1975 after fossil discoveries had accumulated over many decades. Scientific study of the area began in 1864 with Thomas Condon's early investigations.
The monument's name honors John Day, a hunter for the Pacific Fur Company who reached the river's mouth in 1812. The Cant Ranch house, now the monument headquarters, displays the region's ranching and settlement history. At Picture Gorge, six panels of rock art of undetermined age and origin remain visible.
You can explore all three areas without paying any entrance fees. Driving between the separate units takes considerable time because of the winding mountain roads connecting them.
The rock layers contain fossils spanning about 40 million years, showing transitions from tropical forests to grasslands. This layering tells a complete story of climate shifts that transformed this part of the continent.
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