Grant County: Fossils, River Landscapes and History

Grant County brings together geological history and river landscapes with traces of diverse ways of life. John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is located in Grant and Wheeler counties; Grant County also encompasses the headwaters of the John Day River. When planning a stay, you can choose between fossils and museums, designated river sections, and trails in the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness.

Fossils and Historic Sites

The sedimentary rocks of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument preserve a fossil record of plants and animals spanning nearly 50 million years, from about 50 to 5 million years ago. The Clarno Unit has the oldest exposed rock layers in the monument. The Sheep Rock Unit is home to the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center and the 200-acre James Cant Ranch Historic District. This places traces of geological time and a historic district side by side as distinct visitor experiences within the same monument.

The museums in Grant County also introduce different chapters of regional history. The Grant County Historical Museum features exhibits about Indigenous peoples, miners who discovered gold in 1862, pioneers, settlers, and Chinese workers in the goldfields. The Grant County Ranch and Rodeo Museum documents cowboy life through photographs, tools, and literature. The historic DeWitt Museum building once housed the western terminus of the Sumpter Valley Railroad. The railway operated between Baker City and Prairie City from 1909 to 1933.

Kam Wah Chung combined a Chinese medical clinic, general store, community center, and residence. The historic building can only be visited as part of a tour. A scenic bikeway route begins in John Day at the Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site. A scenic bikeway route passes by the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness and the Fossil Beds National Monument.

River Landscapes and Nature

The John Day River offers different perspectives on the landscape. More river miles along it are designated as Wild and Scenic River than along any other river in the United States. Whitewater rafting is one of the recreational activities on the John Day Wild and Scenic River. Mule deer, elk, black bears, peregrine falcons, and bald eagles are found in the John Day Wild and Scenic River corridor.

The South Fork John Day River is also designated as a Wild and Scenic River: the protected section extends for 47 miles. Trout fishing is possible along the river. The gravel South Fork John Day Back Country Byway runs parallel to the South Fork John Day River and offers views of deep canyons, juniper forests, and ponderosa pine forests. The river section, fishing opportunity, and road offer different reasons to explore the area.

Trails and Seasonal Experiences

Two trails in the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness lead to different landscape experiences. The Strawberry Basin Trail passes through alpine forest to lakes, peaks, and waterfalls in the Lakes Basin. The Strawberry Lake Trail loops around Strawberry Lake.

Clyde Holliday State Recreation Site has a picnic area and campground open year-round. A nature trail follows a tree-shaded riverbank to a small pond used for wildlife viewing. The site therefore offers both designated facilities for a break and a short, nature-focused outing, without guaranteeing that wildlife will be seen.

The Grant County Farmers Market is an outdoor summer market. Vendors sell goods they have grown, raised, or made. Since it is a seasonal offering, check the dates before visiting. During your stay, you can distinguish between year-round facilities at Clyde Holliday State Recreation Site and a market experience specifically geared toward summer.

When planning a hotel stay in Grant County, it is worth deciding on the focus of your trip in advance: fossils and regional history, trails in the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness, or river landscapes and activities on the water. The specific destinations offer different starting points for planning, without presupposing a particular route or daily itinerary.

Discover more destinations: John Day, Dayville, Long Creek, Curry, Morrow County, Jackson, Gilliam County, Linn.

Return to the main travel overview: Oregon.