john-day-fossil-beds | OR | Find park

Sheep Rock, with the John Day River in the foreground

The Painted Hills on a stormy winter day.

The Clarno Palisades are remains of ancient volcanic mudslides.

The Thomas Condon Paleontology Center is both a visitor center and research center.

White house surrounded by green with concrete path leading to the front

Cant Ranch house

Physical Address:

32651 Highway 19

Kimberly, OR 97848

Mailing Address:

32651 Highway 19

Kimberly, OR 97848

contact-details

Phone Number: 5419872333 Voice

Email Address: joda_interpretation@nps.gov
Description:

Fees

Entrance Fees

Entrance Passes

Colorful rock formations at John Day Fossil Beds preserve a world class record of plant and animal evolution, changing climate, and past ecosystems that span over 40 million years. Exhibits and a working lab at the Thomas Condon Visitor Center, as well as scenic drives and hikes at all three units, allow visitors to explore the prehistoric past of Oregon and see science in action.

park designation:National Monument

Directions:

John Day Fossil Beds encompasses 14,000 acres in three geographically separated units in Oregon: Sheep Rock Unit, Painted Hills Unit, and Clarno Unit. The Sheep Rock Unit is located between the towns of Dayville and Kimberly. The Painted Hills Unit is located 9 miles northwest of of the town of Mitchell. The Clarno Unit is located on Highway 218 twenty miles west of the town of Fossil.

For detailed directions, please visit this link.

Directions

Operating Hours:

Outdoor Recreation Areas

All outdoor recreation opportunities in the park are open daily, including all overlooks and hiking trails at the park’s three units: Sheep Rock, Painted Hills, and Clarno.

Weather Information:

Weather conditions at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument are highly variable in this semi-arid desert landscape. Summer highs can climb into the 110's. Winters tend to be fairly mild, with occassional snow and ice and lows occasionally dipping into the single digits.