News Release

John Day Fossil Beds Updated Responses to COVID-19

NPS

News Release Date: March 24, 2020

Contact: Patrick Gamman

Kimberly, Oregon – John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, in response to Executive Order 20-12 issued by the Governor of the State of Oregon, is announcing additional modifications to operations to support federal, state, and local efforts to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).  

In addition to the existing closure of the visitor center, as of March 24, 2020, trails, overlooks, and picnic areas will be closed to the public until further notice. All outdoor areas of the park are closed. The closures will be in the following areas: 

Clarno Unit: Trail of Fossils, Clarno Arch trail, Geologic Time trail, and Clarno picnic areas.
Painted Hills Unit: Painted Hills Overlook trail, Carroll Rim trail, Painted Cover trail, Leaf Hill trail, Red Scar Knoll trail, and Painted Hills picnic area. 
Sheep Rock Unit: Island in Time trail, Blue Basin Overlook trail, Flood of Fire trail, Story in Stone trail, Cant Ranch picnic areas and trails, and Mascall Overlook. 

The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is our number one priority. The National Park Service (NPS) is working with federal, state, and local authorities to closely monitor COVID-19. We will notify the public when we resume full operations and provide updates on our website www.nps.gov/joda and social media channels.  

The NPS encourages people to take advantage of the many digital tools already available to explore John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, including Facebook: @JohnDayFossilBeds and Twitter: @JDFossilBedsNPS.

Updates about NPS operations will be posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus. Please check with individual parks for specific details about park operations.