We visited all three units over a three day road trip. They were all worth seeing, but our favorite was by far the Painted Hills Unit. Definitely allow time to do some of the hikes at each of the sites and allow for plenty of driving time between them. We were stopping to take pictures all along the way. There are lots of signs so finding places wasn't a problem, however I highly recommend getting a map of the area before heading out as cell service was spotty in many places.
Stopped for dinner after visiting the Painted Hills Unit. Great burgers and homemade blackberry pie. The owner was kind enough to serve us even though they had already closed when we came in. Would definitely stop here again.
This was by far the highlight of our trip. We arrived a couple of hours before sunset, which turned out to be perfect timing. We had a chance to do several of the shorter hikes before heading to the overlook and the Carroll Rim Trail just as the sun was setting. The whole landscape is incredible. Pictures really can't capture how amazing it was. Definitely worth it!
Two short trails with many signs explaining the rock formations and fossils. Definitely worth seeing. Note that the map on this site shows Clarno Unit several miles east of where it is actually located (which is 20 miles west of Fossil as it states in the description). We picked up a map at City Hall in Condon that was really helpful in finding our way around. We didn't have cell service after we left Condon.
Great little campground. Be sure to get directions for shortcuts in and out from the camp host. When we first arrived, we followed directions from our reservation email and they took us on a much longer (although paved) route. We found out later there was a gravel road that would have been 30 miles shorter.
Clean restaurant, friendly staff, affordable. Food was decent.