Image of the Blue Basin trail area

BLUE BASIN
Blue Basin is located three miles north of the visitor center in the Sheep Rock Unit. The vibrant colors in the basin delight the eye and create a memorable experience for those who venture here. The one-mile Island in Time Trail leads into Blue Basin and back and features interpretive exhibits and displays of fossil replicas . For a more rigorous hike, visitors will enjoy the 3-mile Overlook Trail, which climbs several hundred feet and circles the upper rim of Blue Basin, offering stunning views of the basin and valley.

The blue-green claystones began as volcanic ash-falls deposited 28 million years ago by the prolific ancestral Cascades. These volcanoes were precursors to those active today.

Image of a ranger led hike into the Blue Basin

SHEEP ROCK UNIT I Blue Basin I PAINTED HILLS UNIT I Painted Cove I CLARNO UNIT