Howdy ho! Get ready to drive rugged sceneries that wouldn’t old western movies. You might not expect it, but you can actually grasp that Wild Wild West feeling pretty close to Portland – in the eastern corner of Oregon. The empty lands are already visible while hiking up Mt. Hood. So if you’re in Oregon and want to see totally different, saddle up for the Painted Hills region!
If you want to, you can really drive for hours through sagebrush plains that are only being interrupted by smooth hillsides and little rivers. Few people are out there too, which makes the area a perfect destination for some backcountry exploring, especially if you’re in dire need of a bit of solitude.
But beware, because smack in the middle of this wide-open region suddenly terra-cotta hued colours pop up in the desert. The Painted Hills carry their name for a reason and it’s amazing to think that nature created all of this throughout the ages. Moreover, the hills look different every hour, as colours change their tones throughout the day. Go in the early morning or late afternoon for the best saturated tones.
The Painted Hills area is easily accessed by car – some 5 miles from highway 26 – and there are a number of hikes you can do in here; varying from a few hundred yards to several miles. If you’re in a lazy mood, no worries: lots of the formations can be seen from the road :).
One side note. The Painted Hills are gorgeous, don’t get me wrong, but in case you’ve already seen many rainbow rocks throughout your life – in Utah, Arizona or Chile and Bolivia for example -, and are a bit spoiled because of that you might well know that these rocks probably won’t exceed your expectations. Still, as one of these spoiled rainbow mountain persons, I still thought it was worth the detour :), if only for the tranquil vibe.
If you have the time, also make sure to check out nearby The John Day Fossil Interpretive Center. Of all the National Parks and Monuments I’ve visited in the States, I really thought this visitor center had the most interesting exhibition of all. They have a LOT of fossils in here, plus they tried to recreate the atmosphere of how the area must have been like millions of years ago. On top of that you can see how the scientist and palaeontologists work on the fossils in here (Ross, is that you?!), since the walls of the lab are made from glass. At the time of our visit one of the palaeontologists was trying to get a giant skull out of stone and it was truly fascinating to see how she did that bit by bit! It makes you rethink your life choice (if only if I’d studied Palaeontology..)
Take more or less 2 hours to see and hike all the trails. Although most of the paths are fairly easy, I would definitely recommend closed and sturdy shoes. Why? Well, check out the last trail… (aaah!)
- Painted Hills Overlook Trail
This is the first overlook you’ll encounter and if you’re not in the mood for hiking, you can see most of the sculptured red and yellow layers of ash in the area just right in front of you. How convenient!
The short trail will provide you some extra vistas on this surreal and multi-coloured spectacle. ↑
- Carroll Rim Trail
This is the trail that provides the best 360-degrees views in the area. It’s a 0.8 mile / 1.3 km hike up and though that isn’t too far, it’s a steep hike for sure!
Also, the clay underneath can be very sticky when it has rained, so it can be slippery no matter the shoes you wear.
- Painted Cove Trail
This trail leads along a bright reddish hill. It’s a short one, but very much worth the hike up, if only for the views as you can see below! ↓
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Red Hill Trail
Can you see what’s lurking through the grass? ↓
Yes, eeks! It’s a rattle snake. And luckily it was a rather fat one too. My hubby accidentally almost stepped on it, he launched himself shortly afterwards into the sky while hearing the ‘rattling’.
You might just encounter one too, but don’t be scared, in general snakes avoid humans. Just watch where you’re going, wear closed shoes and don’t leave the trail! ↓
Here’s where you can find the trails, enjoy the hike!
