B.A.R.K. Ranger status: Information available August 2021, no badges.

Hike review: Excellent! We took the dogs to both the Mascall Formation Overlook (short walk) and Blue Basin (easy trail). We’re road trippers and car campers, and this had all the features we love: gentle slopes, beautiful scenery, clean trails, short distances (<2 miles), interpretive signage, and zero other people around.

We also visited the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center to have a look at the many mammalian fossils, and learn about the geologic layers evident in the area.

It was early August of 2021, and we were just embarking on our return journey on a cross-country road trip from Virginia to Washington and back. John Day was a must-see location on Shaun’s list when we were planning (verdict: it is well worth the drive to the relatively remote location). It was our 14th National Parks Service site on the itinerary, with our dogs enjoying camping and hiking from the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The kind Ranger at John Day was the first to share with us about the B.A.R.K. Ranger program, handing us the official brochure that explained about the policies to keep our dogs safe at the park (and the park safe from them!).