点评:John Day Fossil Beds is an absolutely marvelous place...I highly recommend it! It could easily be a national park! We visited all three units--leaving early in the morning from Bend--and going first to the Painted Hills Unit, followed by the Sheep Rock Unit, and wrapping things up at the Clarno Unit before heading north. I realize that some might be discouraged by the long drives between the units, but I actually found the entire scenic byway to be one of the most awesome things about our visit. Beautiful drives along rivers in the canyons, magnificent and spectacular views from above, and quaint little towns and farms along the way. We did it all very easily in one long day. A few things to keep in mind:
1. The Painted Hills Unit has the most visitors, but it is still pretty isolated. There's a great picnic area and a number of excellent short hikes. We did them all, but I recommend the Painted Hill Overlook Trail.
2. The Sheep Rock Unit has a really nice visitor center with excellent fossil exhibits. I also recommend the two short hikes in the Foree Area.
3. The Clarno Unit is very small and looks quite different from the other two units. However, the Trail of Fossils is absolutely wonderful. A bit steep but not bad. You can actually see fossils along the trail.
翻译:约翰日化石床绝对是一个奇妙的地方……我强烈推荐它!它很容易成为国家公园!我们参观了所有三个单元——一大早就从本德出发——首先去了彩绘山单元,然后是绵羊岩单元,最后在克拉诺单元结束行程,然后向北行驶。我意识到有些人可能会因为单元之间的长途驾驶而气馁,但我发现整个风景优美的小路是我们这次旅行中最棒的事情之一。沿着峡谷中的河流行驶,从上面可以看到壮丽壮观的景色,沿途还有古朴的小镇和农场。我们在漫长的一天里很轻松地完成了这一切。有几件事要记住:
1. 彩绘山单元的游客最多,但它仍然相当偏僻。这里有一个很棒的野餐区和一些很棒的短途徒步旅行。我们玩遍了所有地方,但我推荐彩绘山观景小径。
2. 绵羊岩单元有一个非常好的游客中心,里面有出色的化石展品。我还推荐 Foree 地区的两条短途徒步路线。
3. 克拉诺单元非常小,看起来与其他两个单元截然不同。然而,化石之路绝对很棒。有点陡峭,但还不错。你实际上可以在小径上看到化石。