The Painted Hills is one of three units at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, celebrating 50 years Friday and Saturday. (Makenzie Whittle/Bulletin file photo)

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument will celebrate its golden anniversary with two days of special events commemorating 50 years of the sprawling, fossil-rich Eastern Oregon gem on Friday and Saturday, and the public is invited.

The weekend will feature two daylong blocks of special programs, capped by a reunion potluck that will include staff and stakeholders both past and present. The potluck begins at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 21, at the Community Hall in Dayville, and will include a potluck dinner, dessert of cake and ice cream, a history of research presented by the current park lead paleontologist and an opportunity to reminisce and share stories and memories about the park with your John Day Fossil Beds NPS community. Francis Kocis, one of its earliest park rangers, will be on hand to share special remarks.

Founded in 1975, the sprawling 14,000-acre John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is composed of three units: Sheep Rock, Painted Hills and Clarno.

The hub of operations, and the unit closest to Central Oregon, is Sheep Rock, located just under 90 minutes east of Prineville. According to the National Park Service, Sheep Rock boasts non-fossil bearing rocks from as long as 95 million years ago. Fossils of plants and animals here can be found in geological layers dating from 7 to 33 million years ago.

Thomas Condon Visitor Center, located beneath the Sheep Rock peak, opened in 2005. At a sprawling 11,000-square-feet, the center (open from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. Thursday through Monday) is named after the 19th century scientist who did the first scientific collection and study of specimens here, recognizing the significance of the area’s fossil beds.

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The center features over 500 fossil specimens and is intended to serve as both a place of study and fosters public understanding of the region’s paleontological history and resources, according to the National Park Service. The center houses murals, fossil displays, and a fishbowl paleontology laboratory are some of the main features for visitors to enjoy.

The park’s top tips page urges visitors to download their favorite podcasts and enjoy the scenic drive between units, each being an hour or two’s drive from the others. With spotty cell service possible (looking at you, fellow U.S. Cellular customers), the park service also urges people to download maps in advance of visiting, and otherwise enjoy unplugging from the workaday world for a bit. Pro tip: The NPS app can be especially handy when visiting here or other national parks and monuments.

And remember, summer temperatures in the Oregon High Desert can hover past 100, so making sure you have adequate water supplies is critical.

The schedule of the 50th celebration is as follows:

Friday:

10-11:30 a.m.: Join a paleontologist for a special hike in Blue Basin

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: Bring your lunch & enjoy it on the Cant Ranch grounds (Free time to explore on your own)

1-2:30 p.m.: Gallery tour by park paleontologists (Thomas Condon Paleontology and Visitor Center)

2:30-4 p.m.: Practice being a fossil preparator (Thomas Condon Paleontology and Visitor Center)

4-4:45 p.m.: Birds of the John Day Basin talk (Thomas Condon Paleontology and Visitor Center)

Saturday:

8:30–9:30 a.m.: Birdwatching talk/walk at Cant Ranch River Trail10–11:30 a.m.: Join a paleontologist for a special hike in Blue Basin

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: Bring your lunch & enjoy it on the Cant Ranch grounds (Free time to explore on your own)

1–2:30 p.m.: Gallery tour by park paleontologists (Thomas Condon Paleontology and Visitor Center)

2:30–4 p.m.: Practice being a fossil preparator (Thomas Condon Paleontology and Visitor Center)

6-8 p.m.: Reunion potluck at Dayville Community Hall