Arch Trail Introduction
in Oregon · centroid 74 mi from Bend
The Clarno Unit is an underrated yet incredibly important unit of the Monument, since it preserves one of the lushest and most diverse chapters in Oregon’s ancient history. The Clarno Palisades may not be as visually stimulating as the Painted Hills or Sheep Rock, but Clarno is the only unit in the monument where real fossils are easily viewable along the trail in their original resting place! As you continue towards the base of the Palisades, look out for any leaf or vine imprints on the boulders along the trail.
We strongly encourage you to trace these fossil imprints with your fingers, or even sketch them in a journal to reflect on your visit to the Clarno Unit long after you leave.
- States
- Oregon
- Trail type
- National Monument trail
- Centroid nearest city
- Bend, OR · 74 mi · ~2.1 hr drive
- Centroid coords
- 44.9116°, -120.4156°
About John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
This trail is inside John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, a national monument managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.
Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/arch-trail-introduction.htm
Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/joda/index.htm
Plan your hike
Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.
Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.
When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.
If you've hiked Arch Trail Introduction and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.
Stay nearby
Sources
Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.