“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.
Color Palette
Location
📍 Open in Google Maps →Permit Information
Permit Required
Type
NPS Commercial Film Permit
Fee
Varies – NPS location fee + cost recovery
Contact
John Day Fossil Beds NM – Special Use Permits
Contact Permit Office
📞 541-987-2333No walking on the painted hills themselves — trail access only from boardwalks. Monument has three separate units: Painted Hills, Sheep Rock, Clarno.
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