Oregon place note · History and culture
The Painted Hills colors are a climate record
The bands preserve old climate changes and fossil plants; visitors must stay on the trails.
The place detail is stable. Check the linked place page for current access, hours, or conditions. Last reviewed against the listed sources July 18, 2026.
The red, tan, orange, and black bands at Painted Hills are more than a color show. They preserve a record of past climate change, along with leaf fossils roughly 39 to 30 million years old.
The unit sits about 10 miles northwest of Mitchell. Stay on the trails and leave fossils and other natural items in place, since the ground itself is the exhibit.
See it in Oregon
The Painted Hills Unit of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, about 10 miles northwest of Mitchell.
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Last reviewed against the listed sources: July 18, 2026.
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