Painted Hills

What was once an ancient floodplain is now a colorful, multi-layered landscape that reveals details of past geological eras and mirrors the textbook drawings of scored hillsides. Bands of black, grey, and red flow across mounds of land that look even more striking when wet with rains. The 3,132 acres are part of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. With an abundance of early rhino, horse, and camel fossils, it’s a treasure trove for paleontologists, an inspiration to artists in search of a natural subject, and a wonder for naturalists seeking an unusual display of beauty.

Turn north to Burnt Ranch Road from Route 26 in Oregon, and it is impossible to miss the Painted Hills.

Content originally created for Atlas Obscura.