East of Redmond, Oregon, the land gets crazy. Instead of normal looking mountains and hills like the rest of the world the hills in the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument are full of fossils, amazing rock structures, and colors like you wouldn't believe.
It's not a short drive to the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center. It's not a just a visitor center with a fancy name; it's a functioning research center. If you time it right the paleontologists will be actively working in a lab separated from the main lobby by just a pane of glass. Further inside is an information-packed set of displays showing off fossils from all around the country. It was a bit much for the nine year olds among us, but 11 and up loved it. Challenging, but all three kids worked their way through their Junior Ranger books to earn both their Junior Paleontologist badges and their John Day badges.
From the Paleontology Center it takes about an hour to drive back to the Painted Hills Unit. There are a handful of trails throughout the area, but you don't need to go far to see why this area is protected by the National Park Service. Painted Ridge takes your breath away. You can see it from the road, but for best effect follow the short Painted Hills Overlook Trail. You'll feel like you're in the middle of a painting.
You should also drive to the Painted Cove Trail just a few miles further. This is where you'll see the iconic walkway along the base of dark red clay hills. It's just a quarter mile and a perfect way to feel immersed in the colors.
Being crazy adventurers (or a family with at least one crazy adventurer), we also headed up the Carroll Rim Trail. The view of Painted Ridge got better as we climbed higher on the trail. The only downside was that a storm was rolling in. As the sky darkened we snapped a quick selfie and ran (literally ran) down the trail to the truck. We got back just when the rain started.
When you go you should tailor the trip based on the age of your party. Got a lot of kids under 10? Unless they're really into fossils (and not the dinosaur kind) skip the Paleontogy Center. Unfortunately, it won't be very interesting for little kids. Regardless of who's in you group, go to the Painted Hills Unit and walk the Painted Cove Trail and the Painted Hills Overlook Trail. If you want the big picture, head up the Carroll Rim Trail, but maybe skip it if there's a thunderstorm on the way.
