[4] It passes under U.S. Route 30 near the unincorporated community of John Day[4] (not to be confused with the city of the same name in Grant County).

The John Day River has only one named tributary, Jack Creek, which enters from the left.

[2] Lewis and Clark, who camped near here in 1805, referred to the river as Kekemarke, their version of a Native American name.

[10] The John Day River is open to boats, kayaks, and fishing.

The initiative includes a conservation plan to protect the Sitka spruce wetlands that are regarded as rare worldwide.