Oregon’s Painted Hills

If you find yourself driving in Central Oregon, perhaps between Boise and Bend, and looking for something to do, make sure you hit the Painted Hills. They are one of three parts (referred to as units) of the John Day Fossil National Monument.

You can do the Painted Hills in a half-day and it’s totally worth the detour. We stayed for five days in the area and explored all three units of the park.

We preferred the Painted Hills and went back to them several times so Mr. Misadventures could capture them in a different light. The best time was right after a storm, something you can’t really plan for, we just got lucky!

It’s one of the seven wonders of Oregon. You can see why from the photos. They get their name from the colorful layers that represent various geological eras.

They are also extremely fragile and require protection from careless visitors. Footsteps and tracks scar these beautiful mounds, the effects of which last for years.

These footsteps will take a long time to disappear which ruins it for others.

Oregon’s Painted Hills are beautiful. Definitely worth a visit. If you have time, you should hike the Carroll Rim Trail, it is supposed to give you a fantastic overlook of all the hills. I had a hurt foot so was unable to do the climb.

Because of their size, the best photos are panoramic and Mr. Misadventures took some real beauties which are on his website.

How about you? Have you visited these Painted Hills? How about other Painted Hills in the U.S. (or beyond)?

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