Hikers enjoy the Blue Basin Island in Time trail’s end at the Sheep Rock Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.

Exploring the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, visitors will discover a wealth of spectacular views with scenic drives, hikes and picnics, as well as a treasure trove of fossils at a paleontology center.

The Thomas Condon Paleontology and Visitor Center is a great jump-off point to start a journey through the National Monument.

Located approximately 8 miles northwest of Dayville, the center is a state-of-the-art facility showcasing over 500 fossil specimens that have been found in the three sections of the Monument — Sheep Rock Unit, Painted Hills Unit and Clarno Unit — which cover a total 14,000 acres of land.

The center, in the Sheep Rock Unit, is not only a spot for visitors young and old to discover unearthed treasures — from up to 55 million years ago — but also a place where paleontologists actively work. Scientists can be seen through a large glass window working on projects such as removing rock from around fossils. Admission is free.

Upon entering the exhibit area of the 11,000-square-foot building, guests will hear what the animals of that ancient era may have sounded like as they weave through the displays, viewing fossilized mammals, leaves, nuts and seeds. Large murals depict the animals and landscape, and information boards educate visitors about the fossil bed history and findings.

Children will enjoy the Junior Ranger room, where there are coloring pages, a bean bag, books to read and a microscope. Kids can also answer questions in a booklet to earn a Junior Ranger badge.

In another room, an 18-minute movie called “A Place of Discovery” gives an overview of what the local landscape was like millions of years ago — a subtropical environment supporting a host of interesting mammals.

Creatures such as three-toed horses, mouse-deer and sheep-sized oreodonts were stalked by carnivores, such as nimravids, sabertooth cat-like animals, and entelodonts, omnivores which look like giant pigs. Fossils from these animals were found at the 29-million-year-old blue-green Turtle Cove beds, which is the most productive fossil-bearing layer found in the three units of the Monument.

Hours of operation for spring, March through May, are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. From Memorial Day (May 27) through Labor Day (Sept. 2), hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Fall hours, September through October, are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and in winter, from November through February, the center is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

For more information about the John Day Fossil Beds, visit nps.gov/joda or call 541-987-2333. To reach the center from Dayville, travel approximately 7 miles west on Highway 26 to Highway 19 and travel north 2 miles to the center.

Sheep Rock Unit

A drive on Highway 19 in the Sheep Rock Unit is filled with spectacular views of various rock formations, including Sheep Rock, Goose Rock and Cathedral Rock. Hikes at Blue Basin Trailhead, about 2.5 miles north of the center, include the Island in Time, a 1.3-mile hike, graveled with a few bridges and benches along the way to the beautiful blue-green claystone scene at the trail’s end; and the Blue Basin Overlook, a 3.25-mile loop, a moderate to strenuous hike with a 600-feet elevation gain and loss (it may be impassable in places when wet). Be sure to bring drinking water. The Foree Trails, about 5 miles north of the center, includes short hikes (less than a half a mile). Both Blue Basin and Foree areas have bathrooms and picnic areas and are open from sunup to sundown. Another point of interest is Cant Ranch Historic Home and Museum, located across the highway from the center.

Painted Hills Unit

The Painted Hills is named for its colorful gentle slopes, ribboned with red, tan, orange and black. The hues are almost otherworldly on a rainy day. Wildflowers are in bloom in April and May. Entrance to the Unit is west of Mitchell off Highway 26. The road in is graveled. Trails vary from .25 to 1.3 miles in length. RVs and other large vehicles are not recommended past the Painted Hills Overlook, which is the first of the five trails. There are bathrooms and picnic areas available.

Clarno Unit

The Clarno Unit is located west of the town of Fossil. The Geologic Time Trail has parking, picnic tables and bathrooms and three trails can be accessed from this area. The quarter-mile Trail of Fossils includes the beautiful Palisades formation and is the only path in the park where visitors can readily see fossils in the rocks. Clarno Arch Trail has a 200-foot elevation climb and includes a natural arch cut into a cliff and a fossil tree at the trail’s end.

Park Service officials encourage visitors “Don’t Hurt the Dirt” — stay on trails, pack out trash and leave what they find to help others enjoy the same experience. Leave fossils where they are and take pictures to show rangers.