The monument is about a four hour drive from Portland. There are three primary sties: Clarno, Sheep Rock and Painted Hills. All of the sites are worth a visit.
Clarno is the site of the fossilized nut beds and mammals. It is adjacent to the Hancock Station (an OMSI educational facility). There are a few short hikes at the Clarno site and the scenery is dominated by basalt palisades.
If you can, joining any of the OMSI programs at Hancock Station will enable you to see much more of the Clarno area than the monument facility will. OMSI offers access to the digging sites.
We enjoyed the hikes and the picnic area. The best part of our visit was speaking with one of the employees of the monument. He was knowledgeable of the area in a way that helped us to make sense of what we were seeing and very passionate about the history or the flora and fauna. In general, any time we speak to some of the older employees at the national parks and monuments, we have a really great experience.
Bring water, food, any park documentation you can find and wear long pants. The terrain is comfortable for rattlesnakes.
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