So now we are finally at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.
Let me start by saying that this place is, once again, absolutely gorgeous. One thing to keep in mind: unlike most parks, this one is broken into pieces. It’s not one big piece of land with clear boundaries. Rather, It’s got a few territories, “units,” in the area. We went to all three. We visited the “Sheep Rock Unit” when we first got there right before that huge hail storm I mentioned in the pious post. The next morning, we went to the “Painted Hills Unit” and then the “Clarno Unit.”
They are all special in their own way. Sheep Rock is stunning in and of itself; the Painted Hills offer great views and colors; and Clarno is the only place in the park where you can see “wild” fossils. Neat stuff!
