Sightseeing
Local GemMitchell
FreeSmall Eastern Oregon town nine miles from the Painted Hills unit of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.
Photo: MrX, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureFree
Painted Hills
Painted Hills is an outdoor activity in Mitchell, OR, part of the Central Oregon guide. Cost: free.
37375 Bear Creek Rd · Mitchell, OR
Why you should go…
The Painted Hills are one of three units of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, about 10 miles northwest of Mitchell. Bands of red, tan, orange and black run across the hills and record a sequence of past climate change. Five short trails range from the quarter-mile Painted Cove Trail to the 1.6-mile Carroll Rim Trail. The National Park Service says the colors show most vividly in late afternoon light, and you must stay on the trails.
- #national monument
- #painted hills
- #hiking trails
- #geology
- #scenic overlook
What's around here?
The closest stops to Painted Hills, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.
8.0 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
- Sport & OutdoorOutdoor Adventure
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
FreeWalk short trails past colorful striped claystone hills and see fossils of ancient mammals and plants at the visitor center.
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Deschutes River Adventures
$50+Guided and self-guided whitewater rafting trips on the Deschutes River near Maupin, Oregon.
54 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours
- ToursOutdoor Adventure
River Drifters
$50+Guided whitewater rafting trips on the Deschutes, Rogue and Owyhee rivers out of Maupin, Oregon.
54 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours
