So here's an obscure one for you. A national monument that I'm pretty sure 95% of you have never heard of. And I really don't know why this park is not more well known than it is, because, as you can see, it's friggin' gorgeous!!
John Day is located in central Oregon, and is actually split into three different units in three different locations: The Clarno Unit, Sheep Rock Unit, and the Painted Hills Unit. I visited the latter two, which are located just over 30 miles apart on highway 26.
Clarno is located further north, and was a bit out of my way, so I decided to skip it. The park's proper name is John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, due to the abundant fossils that have been found in the area, and that is the main draw of the Clarno Unit. So if you're into fossils, definitely go to Clarno! There are also fossils on display at the visitor's center at the Sheep Rock unit, but alas I got there too late in the day, and they were closed. So no fossils in this post, but there's still plenty to see!
Clarno is located further north, and was a bit out of my way, so I decided to skip it. The park's proper name is John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, due to the abundant fossils that have been found in the area, and that is the main draw of the Clarno Unit. So if you're into fossils, definitely go to Clarno! There are also fossils on display at the visitor's center at the Sheep Rock unit, but alas I got there too late in the day, and they were closed. So no fossils in this post, but there's still plenty to see!
A typical central Oregon landscape
My first stop was the Painted Hills Unit. The approach into the park didn't look much different from the land I had been driving through for the previous two hours - hilly scrubland with sparse vegetation. But then you turn a corner and suddenly there's a cluster of bright red and yellow striped hills in front of you.
They're just kind of plopped down right in the midst of all these other normal, drab-colored, hills. Quite... surprising.
Let's get a closer look, shall we?
Let's get a closer look, shall we?
And then sometimes you'll see one colorful hump of a "painted" hill jutting out of a normal-looking hill.
Following the road along to the left, you'll eventually come to an overlook, which will give you an overhead view of the area.
For more great views, take the short Carroll Rim hiking trail, found just across the street from the overlook turnoff.
But Alex, where do the colors come from?
I'm glad you asked. The matter that makes up the hills comes from volcanic ash. You see, about 36 million years ago, the Cascades were a brand new mountain range, and just like your little toddler, they were full of volcanic activity. The ash from these numerous eruptions settled in the lower-lying basin in what is now central Oregon. Many different eruptions from many different volcanoes, coupled with differing climatic conditions, led to many different sorts of volcanic ash, each with its own geochemical composition. Each of these unique combinations of chemical elements present in each different layer of ash that settled over the area led to a different color, and thus the striped hills of John Day National Monument were born.
So, basically, each different color comes from a different type of volcanic ash?
Exactly. And these different types of ash piled on top of one another, creating a striped effect.
Got it. Enough science, show me more pretty pictures.
Okay. I've been saving the best for, er, now.
Continuing along the road, you'll eventually come to the Painted Cove Trail, which is easily the most spectacular area of the park. This trail winds around and between several colored hills, letting you get right up next to them.
I'm glad you asked. The matter that makes up the hills comes from volcanic ash. You see, about 36 million years ago, the Cascades were a brand new mountain range, and just like your little toddler, they were full of volcanic activity. The ash from these numerous eruptions settled in the lower-lying basin in what is now central Oregon. Many different eruptions from many different volcanoes, coupled with differing climatic conditions, led to many different sorts of volcanic ash, each with its own geochemical composition. Each of these unique combinations of chemical elements present in each different layer of ash that settled over the area led to a different color, and thus the striped hills of John Day National Monument were born.
So, basically, each different color comes from a different type of volcanic ash?
Exactly. And these different types of ash piled on top of one another, creating a striped effect.
Got it. Enough science, show me more pretty pictures.
Okay. I've been saving the best for, er, now.
Continuing along the road, you'll eventually come to the Painted Cove Trail, which is easily the most spectacular area of the park. This trail winds around and between several colored hills, letting you get right up next to them.
Next, I was off to the Sheep Rock Unit. This unit is named for the Sheep Rock formation, which can easily be seen from the visitor's center.
Look towards the bottom - we are seeing a new color here: a pale blue-green. This will be the dominant color of our next stop, the Blue Basin. But first, if we look a little to the left of Sheep Rock, we can see a bit of that familiar red color peeking out of the hillside.
Continuing deeper into the Sheep Rock Unit takes me to my last stop at John Day: the Blue Basin. There is a long trail that winds around the outer edge of the basin, and another trail that takes you into the center of it. I chose the trail to the center.
Like the Painted Hills, this too was formed from volcanic ash. If any of you are science nerds, you might suspect that the blue color comes from the presence of copper in them thar hills, but you would be incorrect. A complex assortment of at least 11 other elements forms the blue color. There is no striped effect here because succeeding layers of ash all had a similar chemical makeup.
The beautiful shapes are caused by water erosion, making it kind of like a miniature canyon.
Anyway, enough science. On with the pretty pictures!
Like the Painted Hills, this too was formed from volcanic ash. If any of you are science nerds, you might suspect that the blue color comes from the presence of copper in them thar hills, but you would be incorrect. A complex assortment of at least 11 other elements forms the blue color. There is no striped effect here because succeeding layers of ash all had a similar chemical makeup.
The beautiful shapes are caused by water erosion, making it kind of like a miniature canyon.
Anyway, enough science. On with the pretty pictures!
And, hey, I even met this nice lady on the trail who offered to take my picture! I don't get many photos of myself while traveling alone, because while I've had some practice taking self-photos by holding the camera out at arm's length, I'm still not that good at it.
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