A Complete Guide to the Painted Hills, OR
While researching our drive to Portland, OR I stumbled upon The Painted Hills and knew we had to visit. These colorful hills are one of three areas in the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Central Oregon. All three geologic locations feature rock formations that age up to 40 million years old.
What are the Painted Hills?
The Painted Hills are a cluster of large hills with colorful stripped patterns. They were formed by volcanic ash eruptions around 35 million years ago. Hills display various shades of greens, yellows and reds reflecting the history of different ecosystems throughout time. According to the various signage the reds indicate warmer wetter climates and the yellows indicate drier cooler climates.
Visiting the Painted Hills
We arrived at the main parking lot of national monument around 10am on a February day and had the whole place to ourselves. It just so happened to be a warmer day for that time of year so we grabbed our hiking boots and did a few of the hikes. All but one of the hikes in under a mile long so they are perfect for young kids or anyone really. The two hikes we went on were the Painted Hills Overlook Trail (0.5 mile) and Painted Cove Trail (0.25 mile). The Painted Cove Trail was our favorite. The boardwalk went right through several of the hills. Seeing the hill’s texture and colors up close was a unique experience.
If you have more time than we did definitely explore the other trails. Carrol Rim Trail is 1.6 miles and gives a view overlooking all the hills. Leaf Hill Trail (0.25 mile) exhibits an area where many fossils have been discovered. Finally Red Scar Knoll Trail (0.25 mile)shows brilliant colors. Tip: Visit in the afternoon before sunset to get the best views/colors. When we visited in the morning the sun was casting harsh light onto the large hills causing a washed-out effect.
Where to Stay
The Painted Hills are undoubtedly out in the middle of nowhere. John Day, OR is a good spot to make your home base while exploring this region of Oregon. Here you can find several hotels, Inns and camping spots. We were passing through and stayed the night at the Best Western Hotel. Free breakfast was included so we couldn’t pass it up.
Best Western Hotel: An affordable place to crash for the night. Free breakfast
Dreamer’s Lodge: Ranked second best hotel in John Day. (2nd to Best Western). Located next to all the main shops and restaurants in the center of town.
Victorian Lane B&B: Cute B&B away from the main hub of John Day. Features a large backyard and beautiful views of the surrounding area.
Fish House Inn & RV Park: Not in John Day, but highly rated RV park close to the monuments.
Clyde Holiday State Recreation Area: Well-kept campground right outside of John Day.
Where to Eat
To be completely transparent, we did not eat in the John Day area. However, if we were to go back we would choose a few of these top rated places to eat.
Squeeze-In Restaurant & Deck: Cozy place to get some breaky before your day’s adventures.
The Outpost: Who doesn’t love a big slice of pizza after a hike?
1188 Brewing Company: You know how much we love breweries. This one specializes in not only beer, but cocktails too.
Snaffle Bit Dinner House: Hearty dinners including steaks, ribs and other yummy plates.
Other Surrounding Activities
There are so many amazing other awesome activities around John Day. Here are a few others to choose from during your visit!
The Sheep Rock and Clarno Units are the other two units making up the national monument. They are magnificent in their own way and hold many geological treasures.
Go hiking in Malheur National Forest. The forest surrounds much of the area by John Day. Some popular hikes include hiking to Strawberry Lake and the Skyline Trail
Watch our visit to the Painted Hills below!
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