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Painted Hills, Oregon photos — alive with vibrant red and yellow

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This is a Pinterest pin that showcases a photo gallery of the beautiful bright colors of the Painted Hills in Oregon.

This picture gallery brings to life the extraordinary geological phenomena tucked into a quiet bastion of ranch land at the base of the Ochoco National Forest in Central Oregon. My recent day-trip from Redmond, Oregon provided near-perfect weather conditions that inspired the following collection of Painted Hills Oregon photos.

If you’re interested in more details about how to plan an amazing day-trip here, read my article Painted Hills Oregon — everything you need to know to explore. Featured at the bottom of this photo gallery, I’ve provided a detailed map complete with all the locations of these photos as well as key places in and around the three Units of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.

By the way, if you have a bit more time, the entire driving loop of all three Units of the John Day Fossil Beds makes for a scenic geological experience. Check out my article, John Day Fossil Beds — the best 3-day itinerary, for all the helpful details, including an interactive map and downloadable checklists.

The beautiful flowing hills of the Painted Desert serve up layers of yellow, red, orange, gold and green in a flowing landscape that makes this photo pop.

Red Scar Knoll / Red Hill Trail

At the end of the three-mile gravel road is a giant anthill-looking formation bursting with shades of red — swirls of yellow spiraling into the cone. An easy hike takes us to a viewpoint overlooking a landscape more apt to be on Mars.

The striking red mound at the Red Scar Knoll hiking trail beckons a closer look while the blue sky makes the color really pop. The green grasses in the foreground add additional elements of interest to the photo.
A knarly juniper tree shows off brilliant orange bark that twists into branches holding the delicate lime green needles.
A closeup look at the red soul at the Red Scar Knoll. A few trees pop up on the hill in the horizon under a brilliant blue sky.
A selfie of Matthew Kessi in front of the yellow side of the large anthill-like mound. He's smiling in front of a dormant tree with white branches and the sky above is blue.

Leaf Hill Trail

This more understated loop has a lot of historical significance — 30,000 fossils from over 30 million years ago were discovered here. Although most of them are no longer distributed amongst the white pieces of shale, the scenery inspired an Indiana Jones feeling of geological exploration.

The brown sign at the Leaf Fossil Trail points the way to the dry path surrounded by scraggly juniper bushes and trees. Rolling mounds of green with swirls of yellow rise up in the background.
A closeup view of blue juniper berries reveals fruit that's about ripe but still clinging to the delicate needles.
A midsize juniper bush pops up in front of a rolling mound of yellow mixed with patches of green in the Painted Desert Oregon National Monument. This photo also shows the thick sagebrush with pale green leaves.

Painted Cove Trail

Most Painted Hills Oregon photos include some form of photo taken here — on an iconic boardwalk. The crevices of bright red material offer voluptuous rolling folds of earth that feels like giant hunks of coral, shining beneath the sun.

The coral like soil of the Painted Cove trail at is voluptuous with several different mounds coming together under a bright blue sky. This photo taken at the painted hills in Oregon also shows the intricate red matter that once was ash falling from nearby volcanoes.
This photo taken in the Painted Hills Oregon shows the popular boardwalk that winds through the rolling red soil of the Painted Cove Trail. In the background a blue lake can be seen in front of dry barren rolling hills amongst farmland.
A lone juniper branch with blue berries pops up in front of the earthly red mound of the Painted Cove Trail under a bright blue sky.

Carroll Rim Trail — Painted Hills, Oregon photos

The work climbing up the 400 feet of elevation was worth it for panoramic views of the entire valley. The perspective really helped get a better feel for the scale of this geological wonder amongst farmland, a canyon ridge and the foothills of the Ochoco National Forest.

The flowing patterns of the Painted Ridge, with green, yellow and red make this photo pop out with inspiration. the valley looks very dry while the small grasses and sage plants hold up the slope of the hill in the foreground.
Grasses blow on the highest ridge of the Painted Hills, Carroll Rim Trail. The sky above is bright blue and a few larger juniper plants rise up at the top of the ridge.
This photo, in the collection of Painted Hills Oregon photos showcases the unique formations of soil that show many layers of life in the ancient history of Oregon.

Painted Hills Overlook Trail — inspiring sunset photos

The grand finale of this inspiring afternoon involved the final moments of a beautiful April day from a viewpoint glancing through the striking Painted Hills Ridge. Sunset is a popular time for visitors to roll in on the gravel road, and for good reason. The light hit the reds, yellows and blacks in a way that felt like spirits of millions of years of history dancing through the canyon.

This photo of the Painted Hills Overlook Trail shows a near sunset view of the flowing mounds of soil rich with diverse colors and textures in the distance.
This is one of the highlights in the collection of Painted Hills Oregon photos. The landscape feels like the moon, with bubbling red mounds that meet a valley floor covered in the white chalky substance. The sunset shines on the ridge high above in the distance.
A closeup photo of a ridge at the Painted Hills monument in Oregon. The layers of color are vibrant and cover just about every earthly color from green to orange to yellow to brown to red.
A closeup photo of a ridge at the Painted Hills Oregon. The layers of color are vibrant and cover just about every earthly color from green to orange to yellow to brown to red.

Want to visit the Painted Hills? Check out my article with all the details for a great day-trip itinerary and more.

Map of the Painted Hills, Oregon

The map below covers the entire region of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument — including the Painted Hills. Food and beverage locations, including stores, are shown in red. Blue refers to lodging options. Purple markers highlight museums, shopping or other indoor points of interest. The green markers guide you to trailheads and outdoor things to do.

This is a Pinterest pin that showcases a photo gallery of the beautiful bright colors of the Painted Hills in Oregon.

Filed Under: Central Oregon, Destinations, Mountains, Oregon, Pacific Northwest, Photo Gallery Tagged With: , , ,

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