John Day Fossil Beds National Monument · Oregon

Story in Stone Trail

0.3 mi of trail, end to end · about 30 ft of climbing · 2,243 ft–2,273 ft · asphalt surface · trail class Fully Developed · hiking

Picnic areas

Along the way Foree Picnic Area

Story in Stone Trail the Park Service's write-up

15-30 Minutes · dogs allowed

Start Sheep Rock Unit

The mostly level Story in Stone Trail loops through dramatic pillars of blue-green claystone rocks that make up the Turtle Cove formation of John Day Fossil Beds. Before the trail intersection, the walkway is paved for 900 ft (275 m). Please stay on trail, no collecting permitted, and keep your pets leashed.

Accessibility The Story in Stone Trail is a 0.3 mi (0.5 km) loop with no trail obstructions. The trail is paved for 900 ft (275 m) and is gravel after that. Average trail width is 53 inches with a minimum trail width of 34 inches. There are benches along the trail but with little shade. Potential hazards: muddy after rain and snow, rocks

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

About this trail's facts

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do" text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.