The John Day is the longest free-flowing river without dams in Oregon. It’s also one of the longest in the United States. Elevations range from 265 feet at the confluence with the Columbia River to over 9,000 feet at the headwaters in the Strawberry Mountain Range. In 1988, Congress designated 148 miles of the main John Day as well as 101 miles of the north and south forks as National Wild and Scenic Rivers. The John Day offers diverse geology with columnar basalt monoliths, towering buttes and the eroded red & green soils of ancient fossil-rich ecosystems. The John Day watershed supports one of the largest remaining populations of wild Chinook salmon and steelhead in the Columbia Basin, and is known for its excellent bass fishing. A wide variety of bird life may be found here, as well. Recreation opportunities include hunting, fishing, sightseeing, horseback riding, hiking, snowmobiling, skiing, camping, and whitewater rafting.