General information about the National Monument
The John Day Fossil Beds NM consists of three non-contiguous units, all located along the John Day River. Of the three units (Sheep Rock Unit, Clamo Unit, Painted Hills Unit), we visited the Painted Hills Unit in June 2015. This is dominated by colorful clay hills formed by emplacement of various minerals.
Number of visitors
Best time to visit: This place is beautiful all year round.
Our visits:
So far 1 visit: June 2015
Entrance fees and opening hours
- Free of charge
- Covered by the Anual Pass*
- Open 24h all year round.
*The Anual Pass is so to speak the "flat rate" for all Parks managed by the National Park Service. The pass costs a one-time fee of $80 and can be purchased at the entrance to each National Park, National Monument, etc. The pass is valid for 13 months.
Painted Hills Overlook Trail
Description: If you drive into the Painted Hill Unit, this is the first vantage point you approach. Here you already have a first overview of most of the colorful hills in this part of the park. From the parking lot, you can walk another about few hundred feet to admire the hills from yet another angle.
Trail length: 0.5mi roundtrip
Altitude difference: –
Time needed: 1/2 hour
Difficulty level: easy - The path is well maintained and very easy to walk. The way climbs very moderately until you reach the viewpoint.
Our rating: This is by far the most beautiful and impressive part of the park in our opinion. The hills are colorfully striped and patterned. Nature has once again performed magic. Very worth seeing. Here is also a very good place for the sunset. In the soft light of the late afternoon, the hills look almost velvety.
Painted Cove Trail
Description: Small trail around a red shining hill. The trail leads a little uphill and therefore you also have beautiful views of the surrounding landscape.
Trail length: 0.25mi roundtrip
Altitude difference: –
Time needed: 1/2 hour
Difficulty level: easy - The trail is partially planked and very easy to walk.
Our rating: Small quite pretty trail. The best thing we liked here was the view of the hills around it. Yes quite nice, if you are already here.
Red Hill Trail
Description: Short trail to a group of colorful hills. Especially the largest hill glows red and offers an almost unreal color splash in the landscape.
Trail length: 0.25mi roundtrip
Altitude difference: –
Time needed: 1/2 hour
Difficulty level: easy - The trail is very well developed and easy to hike
Our rating: The trail, or rather the colorful hills, have pleased us here very well. You can hardly believe that the hills are just so, completely natural. They look almost as if an artist had painted them. We can recommend the trail here to everyone who has come here.
