Oregon’s Painted Hills

THE HILLS ARE ALIVE, WITH THE SOUND OF COLOR

Red Hill

I was originally going to start this post by referring to Oregon’s little painted desert, for the actual size of the Painted Hills unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is not very large when compared to the closely named National Park in Arizona. Yet, when you take into account the huge size of the clay deposits that make up the beauty of these hills, it’s actual size is in fact astounding. For most of my ride home to Boise, at least for about 200 miles, I continued to run across similar clay formations all of which began long ago as ash deposits from ancient volcanoes.

Near Sheep Hill

Although you see hints of the colors of these hills as you enter the picturesque Picture Gorge just outside of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, it is not until you reach the visitor’s center that you begin to see the true colors of the area. Stop here first to get information on the area and to visit the excellent Thomas Condon Paleontology Center. Although there are no dinosaurs in these extensive fossil beds, you will see evidence of primitive mammals that are both strange and wonderful.  After leaving the visitor center, you turn

Blue Basin

north onto Hwy 19 (left) and in a few miles you come to the Blue Basin area in the Sheep Hill Unit. All of the hills in this area are in several shades of blue and green. The intensity of their colors depends on the time of day and if they are wet or dry. You can hike the slightly strenuous Blue Basin Trail and will be rewarded with a superb view of the surrounding area. There are also fantastic views down into a steep gorge which seems to shimmer with subtle blues and grays several hundred feet below your boots. The trail is dog friendly, but young children will probably tire out before reaching the top of the loop.

The next stop on our tour is back the way you came, past the visitor’s center and then west (right) onto Hwy 26 for about 30 miles to the Painted Hills Unit. The area is well signed, as are all of the trails and points of interest in the national monument, and you will travel on well

Painted Hills

maintained gravel roads throughout the unit. This area contains the postcard views of the monument and all are easily seen from the car or along short walks. Some areas provide boardwalks so that you can get close up to the formations, but please do not walk on them as they easily mar and it takes time for them to self repair.

These hills get their colors from clays that are themselves altered ash deposits from volcanic eruptions that occurred millions of years ago. The different colors come from differing chemical make up of the clays and truly do vary by the hour as the sun and clouds partner to change the hues. Any time of day they are beautiful, but if you can swing a visit at sunrise, they truly “pop”. I was there for both sunrise and sunset and I saw no one all morning. I enjoyed the solitude. The hills themselves

Only a hardy few can make a go of it on the clay surface of the hills.

can appear a bit lonely as most are completely without vegetation. Only a few hardy plants can find purchase in the clays the material self-seals when wet, preventing roots to penetrate and sloughing off surface material. But for those few that do make it, they add a lovely touch of green to the heavy reds and give some areas a bit of a Christmas feel.

Along the edge of the hills various sagebrush desert plants can be found and the area’s rivers provide comforting shade in the riparian areas. If you look around while you hike you can find all kinds of other colors. This is probably more true in spring since summer is likely to be dry, hot and the flowers fleeting. I’ve never been in summer, so if

Hardscrabble Beauties

that’s the only time you can get there, by all means do go, but plan to get out at sunrise and sunset to fully enjoy the colors and save the hot afternoon for the visitors center.

Painted Hills Close Up

I found this area map to be very useful and accurate. The area is rural, but it’s nothing like other parts of Oregon or the West which can feel practically deserted. But beware, there is no fuel available in the town of Mitchell and Oregon is only one of two remaining states that do not allow you to pump your own gas. You may not be able to fuel up at 5:00 in the morning or in the middle of the night unless you are on a major interstate or near a large city (which in this area you are definitely not). Still, with careful planning you will be fine and your only concern may be finding a bathroom. There are not toilets at many of the trailheads, but you will find them at the visitors centers in both the Sheep Hill Unit and the Painted Hills Unit and at Blue Basin. The monument’s web page has information on directions and lodging and the map above shows several camping areas and primitive spots where camping is permitted. I stayed in Priest Hole (a mountain man’s term for a valley) and enjoyed a riverside spot and great sunset views. Some of the roads outside of the monument may require high clearance vehicles and four wheel drive if it is at all wet and may not accommodate RV’s or trailers. You can check with the visitors centers for more information on the area’s amenities.

Bring plenty of snacks and drinks and enjoy some picnics at these scenic spots and don’t forget your camera.  Even when it is completely quiet, you will find that these hills sing and they are waiting for the intrepid traveler to come see and hear them.

Priest Hole along the John Day River

Pillars of Rome

WHEN IN ROME

Oregon’s Pillars of Rome

About 3 miles off of Highway 95 near the community of Rome, Oregon resides the stately rock formations known locally as the Pillars of Rome. I can only assume that the pioneers who first wandered along this area saw in these eroded formations some resemblance of the Roman temples and buildings of yore. These lovely cliffs are up to 100 feet high in some places and the formation is about 5 miles by 2 miles in size. It sits along the old stage coach/highway that runs through Malheur County.

Pillars of Rome

As with most rock formations, especially those that are white and tan in color, the best time to visit for photographing is morning or evening, but anyone traveling this part of Oregon will enjoy this quick detour regardless of the time of day or year. They look to be made of the similar clays that run throughout this part of Oregon, remnants of ancient volcanic ash deposits. They are said to contain a large number of fossils and the cliff face hues change subtlety throughout the day with the tracking of the sun and clouds. If the weather is nice it is easy to walk around and take a closer look. Up close some of the hoodoos remind me of a miniature Petra, the ancient Middle-eastern city known for its rock architecture.

Remnants of the old stage coach route.

To get to the Pillars of Rome turn north onto Rome Road just outside of the community Rome (it is signed “Pillars of Rome” at the highway). Then turn right when you reach the Old North Highway and then left at Kiger Road (there’s another sign for the Pillars) and then drive until you begin seeing the formations. The first formations show up at about 3.2 miles after you leave Hwy 95. The road is well graded and wide. There are no signs nor facilities once you reach the Pillars, so it’s best to hit the restroom at the station in Rome before heading out. On the plus side, you will likely have the place all to yourself and in the silence you do indeed feel as if you are standing among classical ruins.

Pillars of Rome