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All the United States Oregon Mitchell Painted Hills

Painted Hills

Oregon's unexpected high desert, displaying layers of time in a colorful show.

Mitchell, Oregon

Added By
kgignatyev
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  Curious Crow / Atlas Obscura User
Panoramic   Curious Crow / Atlas Obscura User
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Painted Hills, Oregon   Minisaurus / Atlas Obscura User
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Painted Hills   clinver / Atlas Obscura User
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About

An unusual partnering of a brutal high-desert climate and a gentler lowland environment creates the setting for one of the most scenic landscapes in Oregon.

Prepare yourself to be blown away and feel like you have been transported to another planet. Otherworldly wonder and mysterious beauty await you.  

What was once an ancient floodplain is now a colorful, multi-layered landscape that reveals details of past geological eras and mirrors the textbook drawings of scored hillsides. Bands of black, grey, and red flow across mounds of land that look even more striking when wet with rains. The 3,132 acres are part of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. With an abundance of early rhino, horse, and camel fossils, it’s a treasure trove for paleontologists, an inspiration to artists in search of a natural subject, and a wonder for naturalists seeking an unusual display of beauty.

Related Tags

Natural Wonders Martian Landscapes Geological Oddities Ecosystems Geology Nature

Know Before You Go

Turn north to Burnt Ranch Road from Route 26 in Oregon, and it is impossible to miss the Painted Hills.  Be warned if you are visiting and it rains this place becomes messy with sticky slippery clay.  

Community Contributors

Added By

kgignatyev

Edited By

Curious Crow, Minisaurus, clinver

  • Curious Crow
  • Minisaurus
  • clinver

Published

May 8, 2013

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Sources
  • https://www.nps.gov/joda/planyourvisit/ptd-hills-unit.htm
  • http://www.oregonphotos.com/Painted-Hills-1.html
Painted Hills
37375 Bear Creek Road
Mitchell, Oregon, 97750
United States
44.648838, -120.259545
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Mitchell Shoe Tree

Mitchell, Oregon

miles away

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miles away

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mitchell

Mitchell

Oregon

Places 2

Nearby Places

Mitchell Shoe Tree

Mitchell, Oregon

miles away

Steins Pillar

Prineville, Oregon

miles away

Rajneesh Invasion Plaque

Antelope, Oregon

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mitchell

Mitchell

Oregon

Places 2

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