The Painted Hills, Oregon

[steelhead]

We finally made it out to see the Painted Hills in Central Oregon. Photos and commentary are here:
The Painted Hills, Oregon

We will definitely be going back to see the other units within the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.

For now though, we hope you enjoy this trip to the Painted Hills. Thanks!

 

[takesiteasy]

Cool area and nice photos. Thanks for the report.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Nice TR. The Painted Hills are spectacular, and one of my favorite places in Central Oregon.

 

[Happyjax]

Looks like a place I need to visit!

 

[Smokecreek1]

I stumbled on that place while taking a different route from Susanville to John Day/395N to Washington-just went straight at the 26/395 turn-off. Great place to explore with great geological/paleo vistas,visitor site, small towns, rivers, state, BLM and FS CG's: just make sure you fill up your gas tank at every opportunity because some of those towns/places noted on the map are no longer inhabited! Worth a trip anytime!

Smoke

 

[Bigfoot]

We visited the Painted Hills in late January. No snow, pleasant temps and relatively few people. Hiked every trail in that part of the monument.

Note that on August 21, 2017 there will be a total solar eclipse that passes right through the Painted Hills.

Grasses along Overlook Trail

 

[craig333]

Add one more spot to the list. Thanks for the trip report.

 

[Lighthawk]

Thanks for sharing your travelog, Steelhead.
We briefly touched on the John Day River area last summer and began to realize how much there is to explore.
Your photos of the Painted Hills are compelling. Another one for the bucket list! Maybe Aug 2017, eh?

 

[steelhead]

Thanks for the comments.

Smoke is right about the gasoline availability our there. Several of the dots on the map we went through were not really towns any longer. Fortunately there was a gasoline pump in Mitchell, which is the closest town. There are some interesting people in that town too.

Seeing a solar eclipse in the Painted Hills would be an amazing event. Thanks for the tip Bigfoot.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Thanks for the comments.

Smoke is right about the gasoline availability our there. Several of the dots on the map we went through were not really towns any longer. Fortunately there was a gasoline pump in Mitchell, which is the closest town. There are some interesting people in that town too.

Seeing a solar eclipse in the Painted Hills would be an amazing event. Thanks for the tip Bigfoot.

Hugh Reed owns the gas station in Mitchell. Both gas and diesel are available. Hugh's nickname is 'Huge', as he is one of the biggest men I've seen. Immediate to the station is a small city park, with three RV spaces (power and water) for $15 a night. An interesting book about the interesting people is 'Caught in the Crosshairs' by Rick Steber. There was a murder on the Foppiano Ranch in the early 1990's. The ranch was owned by Jim Collins, one of my neighbors here in the Willamette Valley.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

What beautiful photos.
Yes it's hard to capture all that beauty through a camera lens.
A few years back we stopped at the John Day area.
It was a hot afternoon so didn't get much of a walk through,but the hills we saw had some nice color.
Worth a stop again if we travel through that area.
Thanks for sharing your trip.
Frank

 

[ntsqd]

There's a story about that area that my grandad used to tell. Seems that one of those smaller communities out John Day direction had a mom & pop gas a grocery store (not unlike the one in Powell Butte next to the Post Office that we used to frequent before they closed) where the owners lived upstairs. They heard a noise one night caught a guy going thru the till. They secured him and called the State Police. Being February and that the SP was stationed in Prineville they weren't too keen to drive over that pass in the dark during winter. "Dad" told them not worry about it, they'd take care of the guy - no need to come out at all.

Presumably grandad heard that during his time working with the County Judge on whatever it was that he worked on for him.

In all of the summers that I spent up there we never once got over that direction. Drove thru John Day on occasion, but never turned north. Need to fix that.

 

[clikrf8]

Great place for photographers as is the Sheep Rock unit of the John Day N M. Eastern Oregon has so much to offer and the folks you meet are genuine. There is a USFS road that heads south from Dayville. Nice alternative to highway driving. It ends in Hines near Burns.

 

[ntsqd]

Sounds like it *could* be part of the OBDR.

 

[Mic]

Your pictures are great!!! I have camped in the area many times and seems I will never tire of them....I am headed to Morrow county for some ATV riding on Wednesday of this week!!!