Travel Oregon

Clarno Unit (John Day Fossil Beds National Monument)

Fossil, Oregon

My Travel Journal

Learn more about the travel journal
  • Region:  Eastern Oregon
  • Admission Cost:  Yes
  • Wheelchair Accessible:  Yes
  • Bus Parking:  No
Clarno Unit (John Day Fossil Beds National Monument)

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is a 14,000 acre (57 km²) park near Kimberly, Oregon. Located within the John Day River Basin, this U.S. National Monument is world-renowned for its well-preserved, remarkably complete record of fossil plants and animals, a record that spans more than 40 of the 65 million years of the Cenozoic Era (also known as the Age of Mammals and Flowering Plants).

The monument is divided into three units: Painted Hills (named for the delicately colored stratifications) northwest of Mitchell, Sheep Rock which is northwest of Dayville, and Clarno Unit (pictured above) which is 20 miles west of Fossil. Blue Basin is a volcanic ash bowl transformed into claystone by eons of erosion, colored pastel blue by minerals.


A Great Attraction For:

  • Children
  • Couples
  • Families
  • History Buffs
  • Outdoor Enthusiasts
  • Scenery
  • Teens/Young Adults

Where:

20 miles west of the town of Fossil on Highway 218
Fossil, Oregon 97830

These maps and directions are for planning purposes only. You may find that construction projects, traffic, or other events may cause road conditions to differ from the map results. For travel options, weather and road conditions, visit www.tripcheck.com, call 511 (in Oregon only), 800.977.6368 or 503.588.2941

Get the inside scoop on Oregon events... subscribe to the Travel Oregon newsletter.
See sample

OREGON. WE LOVE DREAMERS. ™