Painted Hills Unit – John Day Fossil Beds NM
Mitchell · 32651 Highway 19, Kimberly, OR 97848
Location Details
Type
National Monument
Setting
Exterior
Parking
Yes – small parking areas at each unit
Power
No
Permit
Required
Visual Character
“Layered hills of red, ochre, gold, and black volcanic ash — one of Oregon's most surreal landscapes. Ancient forest layers visible as color bands in rounded hilltops. Eerie, alien, and extraordinary.”
About this location
The Painted Hills Unit of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in central Oregon is one of the most visually surprising landscapes managed by the NPS — and one of the most underused by the film industry. Layers of red laterite, ochre, gold, and black manganese stripe the smoothly rounded hills like a geological painting, with the banding shifting in intensity depending on light and moisture. The formations are ancient — compressed layers of Eocene forest ash from millions of years of volcanic activity. Visitors are restricted to boardwalk paths to protect the fragile surface. The monument has three separate units (Painted Hills, Sheep Rock, Clarno) offering varied geological environments within 40 miles of each other. Commercial filming requires an NPS permit from John Day Fossil Beds at 541-987-2333. Mitchell, Oregon is tiny; Bend (90 miles) is the nearest production hub. An extraordinary high-value visual location almost nobody has heard of.
Where you'll be
Unlock Full Details
Free account · No credit card