The Painted Hills Unit is one of three units of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. It provides the visitors with unbelievably beautiful views of multi-colored undulant hills.

Red Scar Knoll Trail 16

Red Scar Knoll Trail – the Beauty of Oregon’s Desert

Location: Painted Hills Unit, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon Round Trip: 0,5 miles Difficulty: Easy Elevation Gain: Minimal GRS Coordinates: N 44 38.137 W 120 17.555 Visitor’s Information Open: all year round No Pass Required Amazingly beautiful Painted Hills Unit of the Oregon’s John Day Fossil Beds National Monument can fairly be called a natural wonder. Its uniqueness, astonishing colors and stunning undulating forms will make you to feel like you are visiting a Fairyland or another planet (hiking the Painted Cove Trail will surely give you the sensation of a spaceman [...]

Painted Cove Trail 12

Unforgettable Experience with the Painted Cove Trail

Location: Painted Hills Unit, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon Round Trip: 0,25 miles Difficulty: Easy Elevation Gain: 40 feet GRS Coordinates: N 44 39.723 W 121 43.278 Visitor’s Information Open: all year round No Pass Required Driving approximately 9 miles northwest from the town of Mitchell, Oregon, will bring you to the most beautiful, in our opinion, part of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument – to Painted Hills Unit. The vibrant colors of its hills, the unreal beauty of its unique picturesque landscape draw the attention of people from [...]

Painted Hills Overlook Trail 14

The Best Views of the Painted Hills Overlook Trail

Location: Painted Hills Unit, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon Round Trip: 0,5 miles Difficulty: Easy Elevation Gain: 100 feet GPS Coordinates: N 44 38.997 W 120 16.005 Visitor’s Information Open: all year round No Pass Required   One more option to enjoy some really scenic views of the Painted Hills and get the most out of this incredible area is hiking the Painted Hills Overlook Trail. It’s much shorter than the Carroll Rim Trail, but the fabulous views it opens for its visitors are highly competitive with those of the Carroll [...]

Leaf Fossil Trail 31

The secret treasure of the Leaf Fossil Trail

Location: Painted Hills Unit, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon Round Trip: 0,25 miles loop Difficulty: Easy GPS Coordinates: N 44 38.57 W 120 17.151 Visitor’s Information Open: all year round No Pass Required   At first glance the Leaf Fossil Trail (which is also known as the Leaf Hill Trail) may seem the least remarkable out of all trails meandering throughout the Painted Hills Unit. You will not find here the sweeping views or incredible panoramas of undulating, variegated hills of the unit. But this trail has something more [...]

Carroll Rim Trail 64

The surreal views of the Carroll Rim Trail

Location: Painted Hills Unit, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon Round Trip: 1,6 miles Difficulty: Moderate Elevation Gain: 400 feet GPS Coordinates: N 44 39.117 W 120 16.042 Visitor’s Information Open: all year round No Pass Required The Painted Hills Unit is one of three parts /units of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. And if the Clarno Unit is one of the most remote and the least visited one, the Painted Hills Unit is the most beautiful part of the National Monument. You don’t need to be scientist interested [...]