Plan Your Visit

Overview of entrance requirements

Free
No entrance pass required

An entrance pass is not required to access John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.

Other National Park Service sites may require an entrance pass or fee. Depending on your trip plans, an interagency pass may save you money.

 

One Park, Three Units

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument consists of three units: Clarno, Painted Hills, and Sheep Rock. These three locations are dispersed through east-central Oregon. Because of the winding roads, visiting all three units is difficult to do in a single day, but is possible with an early start. The amount of time available and your route of travel taken are often the determining factors on which units you're able to visit.

Distances & Drive Time Between Units

Sheep Rock to Painted Hills - 45 miles (1 hour)
Painted Hills Unit to Clarno Unit - 75 miles (1.5 hours)
Clarno Unit to Sheep Rock Unit - 81 miles (2 hours)

 

Plan Your Visit

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    Clarno is the best place for fossils in situ.
    Clarno Unit

    The Clarno Unit has the oldest exposed layers of the park, and the only unit with fossils along the trail. Remember, no collecting fossils.

    Painted Hills Unit consists of fossilized soils from wet forests no longer found in eastern Oregon.
    Painted Hills Unit

    The colorful stripes and gentle ripples of the Painted Hills makes it one of the most popular destinations in the park.

    Eroded claystone reveals the past with blue, tan, pink, and brown rock layers.
    Sheep Rock Unit

    Home to the Thomas Condon Visitor Center and the Cant Ranch Museum, the Sheep Rock Unit also has many trails and scenic views.

    Last updated: May 11, 2023

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    Contact Info

    Mailing Address:

    32651 Highway 19
    Kimberly, OR 97848

    Phone:

    541 987-2333

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