Photo Christian Heeb; John Day Fossil Beds National Monument (Eastern Oregon)
A National Monument Tour
Fossil beds, lava flows and scenic stops in Oregon and Idaho
In the Pacific Northwest, Mother Nature has sculpted the landscapes: Volcanic eruptions left jet-black lava flows behind, erosion carved out colorful hillsides, and the confluence of three mountain ranges created ecosystems unlike anywhere else on Earth.
National parks might get most of the headlines, but national monuments are special in their own right. Each is preserved for having at least one (but usually more) significant resource—be it natural, cultural or historic—and most monuments generally see smaller crowds than their more famous counterparts. That means more solitude and plenty of room to roam at these six national monuments throughout Oregon and Idaho.
Photo Courtesy: Nate Von Mol; Painted Hills (Eastern Oregon)
Central & Eastern Oregon
Explore windows into Oregon’s rich geologic past
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon
Three units—the term used to describe distinct areas within this area—comprise the sprawling John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Eastern Oregon. Perhaps the most popular is the Painted Hills, where eroded mounds are covered in vibrant red, khaki and gold layers of clay. Within the Sheep Rock unit, the Blue Basin and Island in Time paths pass seafoam green rocks that date back more than 90 million years. Learn about the area’s past and peer into a working paleontology lab at Sheep Rock’s Thomas Condon Visitor Center. To the north, volcanic mudflows, known as the Palisades, await in the Clarno unit. A number of short, mostly easy hiking trails head to the top sites in each unit.
Newberry National Volcanic Monument, Oregon
Newberry Volcano first erupted roughly 400,000 years ago in Central Oregon, not far from modern-day Bend, and its explosive past is on full display throughout the Newberry National Volcanic Monument.
Start with a deep dive into the volcano’s history at the Lava Lands Visitor Center. Nearby, the Lava River Cave reveals a massive underground lava tube. Higher up, in Newberry Volcano’s forested, bowl-shaped caldera, you’ll find a viewpoint overlooking the two-tiered Paulina Falls, a hiking trail that heads through a lava flow pockmarked with glassy obsidian and several vacations’ worth of outdoor fun.
The monument is typically accessible spring through fall, and reservations may be required for specific activities.
Photo Courtesy: Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument by Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington, CC by 2.0
Southern Oregon
Find wild beauty from deep underground to the top of craggy peaks
Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve, Oregon
Visitors wind through a network of underground passages in the Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve in Southern Oregon’s Siskiyou Mountains. So grand are the subterranean views, poet Joaquin Miller called it the “Marble Halls of Oregon.”
Today, a handful of ranger-led outings navigate their way through the caves’ channels between spring and early fall. The 90-minute Discovery Cave Tour descends to a massive room 220 feet below the surface. A Candlelight Cave Tour traverses the caverns as the area’s first European-Americans did. Young adventurers can explore on the Kids and Family Cave Tour. Those brave enough might slither through narrow, cramped passageways on the Off-Trail Caving Tour.
Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, Oregon
The Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument sits where the Cascade, Klamath and Siskiyou mountain ranges come together near Ashland in Southern Oregon.
The Pacific Crest Trail bisects the monument, making a hike or horseback ride the best way to experience the area’s rich biodiversity and unique landscapes, flora and fauna. Some paths traverse oak groves, forests of old-growth fir and hillsides covered in gnarled juniper. In open meadows, watch for views of Mount Shasta to the south, as well as dozens of butterfly species and colorful wildflowers every spring. Near the monument’s northern edge, spend a weekend camping, boating and fishing at Hyatt Lake—and savor Rogue Valley views below from the Grizzly Peak trail.
Photo Courtesy: Visit Idaho; Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument
Idaho
Touch down in a lunar landscape: explore Idaho’s rocky monuments and millions of years of preserved history
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Idaho
You’ll feel like you’ve left Earth behind at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, where a vast tract of jagged lava flows splays out across Southern Idaho.
Begin at the visitor center before driving the 7-mile Loop Road. The thoroughfare is lined by viewpoints that look out over the black-and-gray lava flows, as well as several trailheads that allow hikers to explore the power of earth up close. A pair of underground lava tubes, carved by molten lava and generally snow-free by late May, offer a cool respite from warm summer afternoons.
Spending the night? The monument’s lone campground sits surrounded by a lava flow and hosts more than 40 tent and RV sites.
Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, Idaho
As the name suggests, fossils are the heart of Idaho’s Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument. Start at the Thousand Springs Visitor Center, where interpretive panels discuss the region’s history and explain how its landscapes changed over millions of years. Here you’ll find the only place to see fossils within the monument; captivating displays include a mastodon skull—tusks and all—and a saber-toothed cat.
Nearby, Bell Rapids Road explores the rocky grasslands along the Snake River. The route passes a sweeping riverside overlook and a popular viewpoint, both of which host trailheads for a path that roughly parallels the Oregon Trail. In fall and winter, birders flock to the Hagerman Valley to spy migrating waterfowl—such as the American white pelican, great blue heron, Canada goose and the spiky-headed belted kingfisher—in the monument’s ponds and on stretches of the Snake River.
Matt Wastradowski is an Oregon-based travel and outdoors writer. He’s covered the outdoors, craft beer, history and more for the likes of Outside, Portland Monthly, and Northwest Travel & Life—and has written three guidebooks for Moon Travel Guides.
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