This full-day circuit begins and ends in the neighboring towns of John Day
and Canyon City. From wheat fields to white water, rockhound finds to remnants of Oregon's
pioneer history, it passes remarkable variety and beauty. Along the way, the John Day
Fossil Beds National Monument preserves a unique record of the region's ancient life.
Please remember that fossils on Monument lands may only be collected by scientists with
special authorization.
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Picture Gorge and The John Day Fossil Beds: Follow the John Day River west on
Hwy. 26 through Mount Vernon and Clyde Holiday State Park to Dayville. At Hwy. 19/26, pass
dramatic Picture Gorge, named for the Native American pictographs found on its ancient
walls. From here, the multicolored ash beds of the John Day Fossil Beds rise nearly 2,000
feet. For a close-up look, turn into the Visitors Center at the Sheep Rock Unit, five
miles from Dayville.
The
Blue Basin and Foree Areas: From the Visitors Center, Hwy. 19 follows the John
Day River all the way to Service Creek. Pass Goose Rock Conglomerate, a 110
million-year-old formation. Nearby, Blue Basin has a self-guided half-hour Island in
Time walk. Further north, Cathedral Rock presents a brilliantly colored display and
the Foree Area is an important scientific collection area. Continuing toward the town of
Kimberly, past Kimberly Dike, take time to observe the remains of a lava surge that
occurred about 15 million years ago. North of the highway, camel and pronghorn fossils
have been found in the Haystack formations From here, travel along the river through Spray
to Service Creek, two popular gathering spots for whitewater rafters.
North
to Fossil and the Clamo Unit: At Service Creek you can take a side trip on Hwy.
19 to Fossil, with its historic museums and sites, including an open fossil bed where you
can dig for plant and insect fossils over 30 million years old. Twenty miles west on Hwy.
218, the Clarno Unit of the National Monument features dramatic palisades, with many
preserved fossil plants in the ancient cathedral-shaped mudstone spires. See ongoing
geological research at the Hancock Field Station.
Hwy.
207 to Mitchell: South from Service Creek, drive Hwy. 207 through the Twickenham
Basalt Formation to the old townsite of Richmond and on to Mitchell.
The
Painted Hills: Northwest of Mitchell, the Monument's Painted Hills Unit offers a
close-up look at the eroded hills of multi-million year old colorful volcanic ash. The
best views are at dawn and dusk after a rain, when the moisture brings out the spectacular
hues in the mineral-rich clays. A 3/4 mile hike leads to an outstanding rim view and a
short self-guided walk to Painted Cove offers a close view of the colorful claystones.
Back
to John Day: From the Painted Hills Unit, return to Mitchell via Hwy. 26, and
continue east back to John Day to complete this loop tour through some of the nation's
most outstanding geologic history.
For more information, contact chambers of commerce along the route, obtain National Park Service literature at the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, or call or write the Grant County Chamber of Commerce, 281 W, Main, John Day, OR 97845. 1-800/769-5664. 503/575-0547.
Return to Oregon: Discovering Our Routes!