I can almost see the dark ash-laden sky from recent volcanic
eruptions and the thin layer of volcanic cinders lying on the
ground. An occasional shaking of an earthquake sounds like
distant thunder. It would be millions of years until humans
would set foot in the area but much is known from the rich
fossil record left behind. There are few places on earth where
the geological and paleontological (fossil) history is so well
preserved. Established by Congress in 1975, the monument is
divided into three separate units and covers 14,000 acres. The
Sheep Rock Unit, which contains the visitor center, is about
nine miles west of Dayville. The Clarno Unit is 18 miles west of
the town of Fossil and the Painted Hills Unit is 10 miles west
of Mitchell. The fossil beds contain one of the longest and most
continuous records of evolutionary change in the world, with
fossils dating back to 45 million years ago. The Clarno Unit has
some of the oldest fossils in the park. There are three trails
in this unit, each about a quar