Exploring Oregon’s Majestic Painted Hills: A Desert Gem

Photos of the rusty Painted Hills in Oregon are often mistaken for vistas from arid Arizona or bone-dry southern Utah. The state of Oregon is celebrated for its vineyards, lush forests, and gushing waterfalls, but it is also home to one of the most picturesque stretches of desert in the United States.

The Painted Hills were created when centuries of ancient volcanic eruptions deposited various minerals that settled into wavy hills punctuated by vibrant bands of color. Hillsides streaked with brilliant yellow, orange, and red lines are reminiscent of some of the colors that are visible in photos taken by exploratory robots on Mars.

The Painted Hills are the most popular portion of Oregon’s John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. The John Day Fossil Beds span over 13,000 acres and feature 3 units: the Sheep Rock Unit, the Clarno Unit, and the Painted Hills Unit, which contain a plethora of plant and animal fossils. The Painted Hills Unit is home to a magnificent collection of leaf fossils that are over 39 million years old.

The Painted Hills Unit features 5 low impact hiking trails that lead to colorful hills that are striped with laterite, lignite, and shale deposits. Visitors who explore the Painted Hills during the late spring are sometimes greeted by technicolor wildflower blooms. The Painted Hills Overlook offers a stunning panoramic view of a vibrant, arid landscape that will make you feel as though you have traveled through space and touched down on a distant planet.

Painted Hills visitors are encouraged to take the Don’t Hurt the Dirt pledge, which is a simple promise to stay on marked trails and not disturb the area’s delicate ecosystem. Chances are you’ll be so enchanted by the beauty of the scenery that your natural inclination will be to preserve the land.

Address:
37375 Bear Creek Road
Mitchell, Oregon, 97750
United States