Historic Cant Ranch Museum
Visitor Center · Oregon ·
Managed by the National Park Service
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument (National Monument) · Open Access
- 2,222 ft
- Elevation
Enjoy the exhibits on the ground floor of the Historic Cant Ranch Museum located in the Sheep Rock Unit. It features artifacts from some of the Native Americans who inhabited the region and stories from homesteaders describing early ranch life. Learn about James and Elizabeth Cant's experience immigrating to John Day Basin from Scotland in the early 1900s, raising a family, and living off the land until their deaths in the early 1970s.
Getting there
From the HWY 26/HWY 19 junction, drive two miles north on HWY 19 and the museum and parking lot are located on the right-hand side (East side) of the road.
44.55514, -119.64475 · 44°33'18.5"N 119°38'41.1"W
Typical weather
Typically 91°F in Jul, down to 43°F in Dec.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 45 | 50 | 56 | 62 | 71 | 80 | 91 | 90 | 81 | 66 | 51 | 43 |
| Low °F | 29 | 29 | 34 | 37 | 44 | 50 | 55 | 54 | 48 | 40 | 32 | 28 |
| Precip in | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
1991–2020 averages from the nearest NOAA station, 0.1 mi away — not measured at the facility itself, and elevation can make a real difference over that distance.
Map
More photos
Member photos
Common questions about Historic Cant Ranch Museum
- Can you reserve a site at Historic Cant Ranch Museum?
- No. Historic Cant Ranch Museum is not reservable through Recreation.gov, so sites are first-come, first-served or booked elsewhere.
Camping near Historic Cant Ranch Museum
- Tamarack Cabin 22 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Thomas Condon Visitor Center 0.2 mi · Facility
- Black Canyon Wilderness 14.3 mi · Facility
- Lone Pine Campground 15.4 mi · Facility
- Cottonwood Campground 15.5 mi · Campground
- Big Bend Campground (John Day River) 15.7 mi · Facility
- Barnhouse Campground 15.8 mi · Campground
- Cottonwood Pit Campground 17.1 mi · Campground
- Ochoco NF-Ochoco East - Paulina Area 17.2 mi · Facility
- Shady Grove Picnic Area 18.1 mi · Facility
- Billy Fields Campground 22.1 mi · Campground
- Wolf Creek Industrial Campground 22.8 mi · Campground
Contact
- Email joda_interpretation@nps.gov
- Info Recreation.gov
Recreation.gov last updated this record on 2026-02-25.
Facility information and photographs from Recreation.gov (RIDB). SpotOpened is not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.
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