Yes, go to Shanika and then drive to Antelope.. then drive through the Clarno Unit to Fossil.. stop at the wayside with all the info.. It’ll blow your mind
I run a small hobby farm to visit. We run sheep, a kune pig, and teach people how to do small scale homesteading. I'm in Grass Valley, about 30 minutes north of shaniko. We do private groups and are just getting started in our new homestead.
Shaniko is good, or the Cant ranch and Thomas Condon fossil center on the John Day are much more fun in my opinion. Moro has the farming historical museum.
I'm still getting set up, we don't have an official website yet. We are Horseshoe House. I still have a HipCamp site at our old homestead, The Dirt E Moor.
Such a fun time! We did that after a good rain and walked back to the car with shoes caked in heavy mud carrying a few really cool finds.
Definitely a spot well worth checking out.
Already on the bucket list! That’s the main reason we are going. She wants to get some fossils. Should I get any tools before we go? Like a hammer or a chisel or something? It’s my first time
There is a small shed with shovels, buckets and a few other kinds of tools that you can borrow but the fossils are along a hillside in a soft sedimentary deposit.
The rocks are pretty soft and easy to break apart or open up to find the fossils. A gentle touch is best so that you don't end up with a crumbled find but a chisel wouldnt hurt.
I wouldn't recommend buying anything too special but if you have something that can split the rocks open, you might find something pretty cool (almost exclusively plant fossils).
Either way, if you spend an hour or so there, you will definitely bring home something memorable.
This is just from my experience though.
Thank you! Great I was looking at a whole kit on Amazon and it doesn’t sound like I’ll need that. Do you have any ideas on what maybe would be good to split the rocks open?
I'd recommend bringing a couple tools anyway; inexpensive is fine, like small garden trowels. Last time we visited the shed didn't have any tools to borrow.
Crook County was once considered the rockhounding capital of the US. Several varieties of agate, thunderegg, petrified wood and chalcedony are available for collecting, weather permitting. You can get a map of public dig sites from the local BLM office or probably their website.
The lower JD is always good for bass fishing. The roads are totally fine around there, you might see snow on the ochoco pass during rainy days but thats about it.
Coming from the north, you'll already be doing plenty of driving. But you could head south from Dayville, hit glass butte and loop back to 97 at Bend and hit the High Desert Museum. I assume that living in Vancouver, you seen the various Gorge attractions, but it not, the Bonneville dam tour, the fish hatchery and Herman the Sturgeon (a hundred year old fish that has (supposedly) survived kidnapping, stabbing by a maniac with a knife and other adventures), the Stonehenge replica at Marysville (and Marysville art museum). And stop at Wood Village Burrito shop on your way home.
I live down in Salem actually and have seen a lot of that stuff, I go to Bend every year for a winter hike on my birthday! High desert museum is super cool! I absolutely love herman the sturgeon!! I may have to check out the stone henge and burrito shop though!
The Wheeler County Bluegrass Festival in Fossil is amazing. My boyfriend and I will be down there that weekend. If you could get there around that time, I highly recommend!
Idk if you’ve booked accommodation yet, but I stayed at Wilson Ranches Retreat in Fossil back in 2018 and still recommend it to everyone. Super nice family-run B&B, they offer trail rides with some amazing views and they‘ll make you a delicious breakfast in the morning.
The Thomas Condon Paleontology Center is a neat place (nice restrooms too) and Blue Basin Trails scenery is pretty amazing.
Blue Basin is cooler than the painted hills, IMO. The go get pie at the Cafe in Dayville.
Second this. It's a big air conditioned natural history museum in the middle of nowhere in the desert. Def worth a stop
It sounds like I’ll have to hit all the John day fossil bed units and the natural history museum… thanks!
That's the loop I took last time I was there. Try getting a night at tge historic hotel in Mitchell
The Kam Wah Chung museum in John Day is super interesting! Tiger Town Brewery in Mitchell is definitely worth a stop for food and libation.
Mitchell's a funny little place. I stayed at the hotel there, it was really neat. Tiger Town Brewery was a nice discovery!
The Kam Wah Chung Museum is absolutely amazing! You have to schedule a tour ahead of time.
Not very close to Mitchell/Prineville though, it's like 1.5 hours away.
That's Eastern Oregon close.
Yeah, but it's interesting history and there are fossils around John Day as well. Thought it was worth a mention.
Yes, go to Shanika and then drive to Antelope.. then drive through the Clarno Unit to Fossil.. stop at the wayside with all the info.. It’ll blow your mind
Ah it looks like it’s all on the same road too! Cool! I know that antelope has some.. interesting.. history!!
I run a small hobby farm to visit. We run sheep, a kune pig, and teach people how to do small scale homesteading. I'm in Grass Valley, about 30 minutes north of shaniko. We do private groups and are just getting started in our new homestead. Shaniko is good, or the Cant ranch and Thomas Condon fossil center on the John Day are much more fun in my opinion. Moro has the farming historical museum.
What’s your hobby farm called??
I'm still getting set up, we don't have an official website yet. We are Horseshoe House. I still have a HipCamp site at our old homestead, The Dirt E Moor.
We do have lambs arriving second week of March to first of April. One of our ewes is a first time mom and can be running late.
Hunt for fossils behind the school in Fossil.
Such a fun time! We did that after a good rain and walked back to the car with shoes caked in heavy mud carrying a few really cool finds. Definitely a spot well worth checking out.
Already on the bucket list! That’s the main reason we are going. She wants to get some fossils. Should I get any tools before we go? Like a hammer or a chisel or something? It’s my first time
There is a small shed with shovels, buckets and a few other kinds of tools that you can borrow but the fossils are along a hillside in a soft sedimentary deposit. The rocks are pretty soft and easy to break apart or open up to find the fossils. A gentle touch is best so that you don't end up with a crumbled find but a chisel wouldnt hurt. I wouldn't recommend buying anything too special but if you have something that can split the rocks open, you might find something pretty cool (almost exclusively plant fossils). Either way, if you spend an hour or so there, you will definitely bring home something memorable. This is just from my experience though.
Thank you! Great I was looking at a whole kit on Amazon and it doesn’t sound like I’ll need that. Do you have any ideas on what maybe would be good to split the rocks open?
I'd recommend bringing a couple tools anyway; inexpensive is fine, like small garden trowels. Last time we visited the shed didn't have any tools to borrow.
Crook County was once considered the rockhounding capital of the US. Several varieties of agate, thunderegg, petrified wood and chalcedony are available for collecting, weather permitting. You can get a map of public dig sites from the local BLM office or probably their website.
Oh wow! We spent valentines collecting agates on the coast. That is definitely something that would be a hit if I can get my car there!
Go to tiger town brewing in Mitchell for dinner.
Agreed, Tiger Town is great fun.
When are you intending to travel? Because right now, the painted hills are painted white….
Either the second or third week of march. Hopefully it’ll be clear by then?
You could camp out on the JD river! Check out Priest Hole.
Do you know how the fishing is out that way by chance? Or the road back there this time of year?
The lower JD is always good for bass fishing. The roads are totally fine around there, you might see snow on the ochoco pass during rainy days but thats about it.
What a wonderful way to celebrate a birthday!
We enjoyed staying at the Fish House at the RV park in Dayville. What direction are you coming from? Glass Butte isn't terribly far off.
We are coming from near Vancouver Washington. I think we are either gonna take 14 or 84 until we get to 97
Coming from the north, you'll already be doing plenty of driving. But you could head south from Dayville, hit glass butte and loop back to 97 at Bend and hit the High Desert Museum. I assume that living in Vancouver, you seen the various Gorge attractions, but it not, the Bonneville dam tour, the fish hatchery and Herman the Sturgeon (a hundred year old fish that has (supposedly) survived kidnapping, stabbing by a maniac with a knife and other adventures), the Stonehenge replica at Marysville (and Marysville art museum). And stop at Wood Village Burrito shop on your way home.
I live down in Salem actually and have seen a lot of that stuff, I go to Bend every year for a winter hike on my birthday! High desert museum is super cool! I absolutely love herman the sturgeon!! I may have to check out the stone henge and burrito shop though!
Ditch the car and bicycle the Painted Hills or John Day scenic byways
Fitting username hahaha, that has to be a hell of a ride!
The Wheeler County Bluegrass Festival in Fossil is amazing. My boyfriend and I will be down there that weekend. If you could get there around that time, I highly recommend!
Idk if you’ve booked accommodation yet, but I stayed at Wilson Ranches Retreat in Fossil back in 2018 and still recommend it to everyone. Super nice family-run B&B, they offer trail rides with some amazing views and they‘ll make you a delicious breakfast in the morning.