I've stopped here a few times over the decades. Handy access right off the highway. Usually not a lot of people here especially on a weekday. Some good photography opportunities and a lot of historical artifacts. There is an interesting information center and historical display up on the hill on the other side of the highway. Worth a stop if you've never been there before. There are hiking trails that go off a ways that I have never gone on but the mile or so round trip from the historic house is interesting enough. They do have staff there and offer tours of the grounds although I have never taken advantage of them. read more

The Sheep Rock Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds was a fabulous day trip! We were with a toddler and a baby (in a BOB stroller), so we did all of the hikes except the longer two in the Blue Basin area. We started off in the Foree area and worked our way south. Also, the hikes got continuously more disappointing in this direction. I do not recommend the River Trail, as there is no view of the river (not maintained?), and I also did not enjoy the Thomas Condon Overlook Trail as it had almost the same view as the Sheep Rock Overlook Trail. I definitely recommend picking up a passport to the National Parks as well as getting your cancellation stamp for all 3 John Day Fossil Bed Units at the Visitor center. Though it isn't marked on the map, there are a couple of picnic tables at the visitor center as well. The Cant house was OK, but don't be too sad if you miss it due to the limited hours. Only the downstairs is open for viewing, and there are only three small rooms of exhibits. I loved the Flood of Fire and Story in Stone hikes! read more

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There is just something about walking through the 29,000,000 years of earth history uncovered along the Island in Time trail that brings out your own inner artist. Maybe that creativity was buried inside of you years earlier, discouraged by parents, teachers, or well-meaning adults who wanted you to do something "productive" with your life rather than doodle and draw, paint and play at mixing and matching colors. Blue Basin erases all those things in about 10 minutes. As you walk through the Basin (one of several areas you can visit in the Sheep Rock unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument), you see how such simple things as water, wind, and sunshine can sculpt things of beauty. Maybe it is the starkness of it all. Maybe it is the way that clear blue skies tend to frame the eroded cliffs and crumbling hillsides. Maybe it is the blue and green clay that collects in wet pools in the gorge that carves out the middle of the basin. Maybe it is imagining what 29,000,000 years must have felt like out here, day after day, season by season, with plants and animals and people passing by but rarely staying for long. Transience. Eternity. Millions of sunrises, moon rises, eclipses, comets, and all the rest. How could this not bring out the artist inside of you? Of course, you could also come here and be inspired to be a scientist. I'm sure that the fossils and displays at the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center will have this effect on lots of children who visit. But if you are no longer a child, I think that you might want to wander here, along the Island in Time trail (1 mile round trip, with lots of metal bridge crossings), and see if a little of that adolescent programming doesn't wear off, revealing the creative artist that was always there but that you had forgotten. Blue Basin. Island in Time. John Day Fossil Beds. These may sound a little strange to you, compared to names like Grand Canyon and Old Faithful. It might not be as transformative an experience as I make it out to be. But ... you never know do you, unless you try! read more

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Great hiking trails! Awesome museum and very kind and helpful Rangers. Hiking here reminded me of hikes in southern California. It is very open and you can see as far as the eye can see on a clear day. The rock structures are gorgeous and make for a very enjoyable hike through the hills. The hikes can get a bit strenuous and I would not recommend them for the elderly, unless you are in tip top shape. We took the kids and it was really on par for us as far as difficulty goes and the kids did just fine! There are quite a few switch backs and a couple areas to sit and relax on some of the trails. The ground is covered with the most beautiful assortment or rocks. The water run-off between the hills was a thick mossy green color from all the minerals that it washed off the surrounding hillsides. My only complaint with Sheep Rock is that this is supposed to be a fossil bed, but once you step outside of the museum there is absolutely nothing that would give you that impression. It would have been nice to have had markers placed on trails where fossils where found, what they were and all that. We thought that going to the fossil beds meant we might see fossils or fossil beds outside...but there were none to see except in the museum. The area is very sparse and there is very little to do outside of visiting the parks. It was a nice trip to do once, but I don't think we'll do it again. read more

Sheep Rock - Blue Basin Overlook Trail - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Dayville, Oregon

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There are three units of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, and this is the only one that's staffed year-round. I went on a sunny day in mid-November hoping to take a hike into the mountains around Sheep Rock, but I didn't know that the trails at this unit close during non-peak seasons. The only way to cross the John Day River to those trails is to pull yourself across by cable, but the cart was chained up to the post. Those mountains were beckoning....surely I'll be back in the late spring or early summer! So, with my hopes for a hike dashed, surely I'd be disappointed, right? But actually, I had a great time at the Sheep Rock unit! The main office for the entire National Monument is in the Cant Ranch House, which was once the center of a sheepherding operation in this splendorous canyon surrounded by these strange and drastic serpentine-scarred mountains, and just a mile north of the astounding Picture Gorge. The main floor of the house has a museum showcasing the history of the area's geology and settlement. The staff there are friendly and eager to answer questions about other attractions in the Monument, including the Painted Hills and Clarno units. There are a couple of short walks in the ranch area west of the river, and both afford outstanding views and include little signs with interpretive info. The Thomas Condon Paleontology Center is a large museum which goes much more indepth into the area's natural history, and it's surely a hit with kids for its fossil exhibits and Junior Ranger program. It's an uncommonly great museum and truly a wonder that the admission charge is zero. read more

The Sheep Rock unit of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is not as visually striking as the Painted Hills, but what it lacks in color, it compensates with history. There's the fascinating Thomas Condon Paleontology museum (talk about going Paleo), and the family-friendly Island in Time hike. Sheep Rock was where many fossils were found, a treasure trove showing Oregon's primeval history. The sky is incredibly clear, and one feels that one is on an Island in Time. read more

I unfortunately discovered the hard way that the Cant Ranch House is closed Fri-Sun in the winter. Drat. Can't Ranch in the Winter, I guess, haha. Anyhow, I wandered the grounds for a bit, but then headed up the road a few miles to the Blue Basin area. Here I did the mile long "Island in Time" hike. Dog owners, take note--dogs are actually allowed on this trail, but ill advised. Why? There are 7 metal bridges with potentially irritating gratings. A sign at the beginning of the trail even advises as such, suggesting that you might have to carry your dog across the gratings. Fine if you have a small dog, not so great if you have a lab. The hike itself is relatively easy with only a slight elevation gain. It leads you into the heart of the blue basin so you'll subsequently be surrounded. The Fossil replicas along the way are a bit cheezy and the plastic bubble that protects them was partially covered inside with condensation. read more

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Be sure to stop at the visitors center-it really nice an gives a good feel for how the region has changed over the last 50 million years. There is a big glass wall so you can watch as they extract newly found fossils. Also ifthe drive down highway 19 through the towns of Fossil and Spray will take you through some of the most spectacular scenery I know of. read more