Oregon’s Painted Hills

There’s so much beauty in nature, but there are times you see certain things that make you feel like you’re looking at a work of art. Oregon’s Painted Hills are stunningly beautiful, and the best part is that you can go and pay them a visit to see how much so in person. Don’t forget to bring your camera and a great pair of sneakers. Ready to learn a little more about them before your trip?

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
The Painted Hills, known as one of the Seven Wonders of Oregon, are actually one of three units – in addition to the Sheep Rock Unit and the Clarno Unit – that make up the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Oregon. Back when the dinosaurs were around, the area was underwater, but as you can probably guess from the name, there are many fossils found here that date back to millions of years ago. Sorry, you can’t go digging around for fossils, but you can check some out in the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center. The John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is over 14,000-acres, but the Painted Hills unit itself is 3,132-acres.

The Colors
Can we just talk about how beautiful the Painted Hills are? It looks like Mother Nature just whipped out a paintbrush and started painting. You’ll spot red, black, gold, and yellow colors on the hills but the colors appear differently depending on the time of day and moisture levels. Late afternoon is the best time to go if you really want to get the full experience.

Trails
While you can’t go gallivanting all over the Painted Hills, there are several trails you can use. It’s actually prohibited to walk off the trails while you’re exploring, so make sure to keep that in mind. The five trails are the Painted Cove Trail and Leaf Hill Trail, both of which are each a 1/4-mile loop, the Red Scar Knoll Trail which is 1/4-mile round trip, the Painted Hills Overlook Trail which is 1/2-mile round trip, and the Carroll Rim Trail which is 1.6-miles round trip.

Basic Information
If you want to use your cell phone within the monument, you’re going to have to wait considering there’s no service. The Painted Hills are about 9-miles from the town of Mitchell, and while they have no cell phone service either, it’s there that you can find a working pay phone. Make sure you load your car up on gas before you head over to the area. Also, take note that you can’t pump your own gas in the state. There are no entrance fees to get into the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. If you’re interested in visiting the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center, they’re open seven days a week from 10 am to 5 pm.

Now that you’ve learned a little about the Painted Hills, it’s time to check them out for yourself and experience one of the most lovely spots that nature has to offer. The area provides a great lesson in history and the beauty of nature that you won’t soon forget.