The Monument
Winding down the serpentine Burnt Ranch Road, the Painted Hills unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Central Oregon is a geological gem. The unit is one of three within the monument spread throughout Wheeler and Grant Counties. The Painted Hills are considered one of the Seven Wonders of Oregon and it is easy to see why.
The Painted Hills unit consists of five primary trails to explore within this small geographic area. Each area has unique vantage points and well groomed trails easy enough for the whole family. The Painted Hills Overlook is the most visited area and is easily accessible. The second most popular area is Painted Cove Trail. Simply drive further along Bear Creek Road and watch for a Painted Cove sign indicating a right turn. A short ride North and you’ll arrive at the parking lot.
Other areas of interest within the unit include Leaf Hill Trail and Red Hill Trail at the furthest points along Bear Creek Road. All property beyond the Red Hill Trail parking lot is private ranch land. Both of these trails were short and enjoyable albeit less exquisite than both Painted Cove Trail and the main overlook. The last trail worth a mention is the Carroll Rim trail which takes you high above the Painted Hills for a near birds-eye view of the lands below.
For geology fans, there are three primary soil colors at Painted Hills. These include red, yellow and some spots of grayish black. According to signage at the main overlook, the red soil indicates iron rich paleosol from an era of warm and moist soil which would have been consistently damp with rain and likely ponds and lakes. The yellow and tan soils indicate periods of much drier environments where standing water would not have been present as well as periods with less rain. Finally, the black spots are caused by manganese concentrations, indicators of some sort of plant that fixed manganese in the soil.
Overall, the Painted Hills unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is a small but precious parcel of land. There is no active ranger station at this unit, but a small picnic area does provide an area to relax along with restroom facilities. Signage and fencing is abundant, but it is paramount to stay off of these sensitive hills to allow future generations enjoyment of this great Oregonian treasure. Please stay on the designated trails and leave no trace.
Blue hour at Painted Hills along Bear Creek Road. (400mm f/11)
Where to Stay
The small town of Mitchell, Oregon is the closest place to find accommodations. It lies approximately nine miles southeast of the Painted Hills and the drive is an easy and scenic fifteen minutes. Accommodations are limited and making reservations in advance is highly recommended. Mitchell hosts a small number of places to stay and a small craft brewery, Tiger Town Brewery, and the Painted Hills Pastry shop.
We booked our stay at The Oregon Hotel along the historic Main Street. The owners and staff were very kind and we enjoyed our stay in this historic hotel. Our room on the second floor had furnishings from the African continent and a quaint feel. The majority of the rooms have a shared restroom along the main corridor, but a handful have private facilities.
Approximately ninety minutes before sunset along the main Bear Creek Road leading up to the Overlook Trail. (400mm f/11)
Photography at Painted Hills
As with any landscape photography, the best options will always be blue and golden hour on either side of sunrise and sunset. The time of year you visit will determine how the shadows fall across the ridges and valleys of the hills. This location is also stunning for astro photography.
Many of the best views are from Bear Creek Road on the drive up to the parking lot of the main overlook and trail. Framing options are almost limitless, but the obvious choices will stand out depending on the style of images you want to capture. Carroll Rim provides the best “birds-eye” view of the entire area, but the best detail images will come from road level.
One item to note is that due to the protective nature of the National Monument, the hills are actually quite far from Bear Creek Road. Visitors should absolutely stay on trails and behind all fences protecting this sensitive geological area. How does this effect photography? Long lenses are an absolute must. Even “wide angle” panoramic images will likely need to be heavily cropped if shot under 85mm. If you shoot with a typical 24-70 zoom, the majority of your images will be sky and the majesty of these hills will be lacking.
Personally, all of my favorite images were shot at 400mm. A 70-200 with a teleconverter or 100-400 zoom will work best. The longer the focal length, the more precisely you’ll be able to frame your compositions. A 135mm on a full frame body will be the sweet spot for shorter focal lengths with plenty of sky and foreground still included in frame.
Just inside the Unit entrance and past the picnic area along Bear Creek Road. (135mm f/11)
Other Tips
The two other units of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument include the Sheep Rock unit and Clarno unit. We explored the Sheep Rock Unit, specifically the Blue Basin area just after sunrise. This area has some phenomenal formations and has the faintest of blue tints. My recommendation would be to hike this trail approximately forty five minutes prior to sunrise and enjoy the bluish hues pre-sunrise as they fade very quickly once the sun breaks the ridge line above the canyon. This area would likely be the most visited if it were not for the Painted Hills Unit approximately forty five minutes away.
Another superb drive at the Southern end of the Sheep Rock unit is “Picture Gorge.” This section of Highway 26 beginning just before the junction of 19 and continuing East until just after the junction is absolutely fantastic. Stoping for any reason is highly discouraged along this tight corridor, but the five minute drive along this section of the John Day Highway is an absolute must!
If time allows, be sure to stop in at the renowned Dayville Cafe not much further East along the John Day Highway for a meal. This is a gem in this otherwise remote region and be sure to get a slice of one of their famous pies.
I hope you enjoyed reading this post and please feel free to comment or ask questions below!
Layer image captured at 400mm f/11 approximately ninety minutes before sunset.