Eastern Oregon: Places to Explore
- Overview
- Places to Explore
- Sights
- Restaurants
- Hotels
- Shopping
- Travel Tips
- Features
- Fodor's Choice
- Deals
John Day
More than $26 million in gold was mined in the John Day area. The town was founded shortly after gold was discovered there in 1862. Yet John Day is better known to contemporaries for the plentiful outdoor recreation it offers and for the nearby John Day Fossil Beds. The town is also a central location for trips to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and the towns of Burns, Frenchglen, and Diamond to the south.
As you drive west through the dry, shimmering heat of the John Day Valley on U.S. 26, it may be hard to imagine this area as a humid subtropical forest filled with lumbering 50-ton brontosauruses and 50-foot-long crocodiles. But so it was, and the eroded hills and sharp, barren-looking ridges contain the richest concentration of prehistoric plant and animal fossils in the world.
John Day at a Glance
Elsewhere in Eastern Oregon
See Also
Free Fodor's Newsletter
Subscribe today for weekly travel inspiration, tips, and special offers.
Fodor's Trip Planning Ideas
- Weekend Getaways: Fodor's Recommends the Best Weekend Escapes in the US
- Great American Vacation: Find Your Next U.S. Trip with Fodor's
- 80 Degrees: Fodor's Helps You Find Your Best Beach Vacation Spots
- Go List: Fodor's Top 25 Places to Go in 2013
- Hotel Awards 2012: Fodor's 100 Top Hotels
- Best of Europe: Fodor's Picks the Best Places to Visit in Europe
Travel Deals in Eastern Oregon
- Pendleton Savings! Book at Knights Inn Pendleton Fr $49+/Nt Expedia
- $56.00 & up : 3-star hotels in Pendleton Hotwire
- Pendleton Savings! Book at Oxford Suites Pendleton Fr $121+/Nt — $121 Expedia
- Book the Econo Lodge Pendleton 3 Nts in May Fr $61+/Nt — $61 Expedia
- Travelodge Pendleton OR on Sale: Book 3 Nts in May Fr $74+/Nt — $74 Expedia
