John Day Painted Hills, USA
David Maki
David Maki dmakiphoto.com
John Day Painted Hills, USA
Reiner Boehme
Reiner Boehme www.reinerboehme.de
John Day Painted Hills, USA
David Maki
David Maki dmakiphoto.com
John Day Painted Hills, USA
Reiner Boehme
Reiner Boehme www.reinerboehme.de
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USA John Day Painted Hills

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This isn't quite the painted hills seen in China BUT they are nonetheless spectacular and well worth photographing.

Photography Tips

Two things stand out: try to come after a rain, which will intensify the colors, and come in the late afternoon where the sun direction will also intensify the colors. Be careful with the polarizer filter as it tends to overdo the colors, which happened to me, so I needed to desaturate in post.

Travel Information

Drive east from Redmond, Oregon along Highway 26 (Ochoco Highway) until just before the town of Mitchell. You will see a sign post heading north for the Painted Hill; follow those into the park. I took this shot from the main road but once in the park there are four different trails you can walk on for different vantage points.
Spot Type Outdoor
Crowd Factor Just a few people
Best Timing Sunset
Sunrise & Sunset 06:46 - 19:25 | current local time: 09:35
Photo Themes Landscape Mountains oregon Painted Hills Red

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Spot Comments (3)

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Murali Narayanan
Murali Narayanan 25.07.2023
I love to shoot in the Painted Hills area when it is cloudy as the colors on the rocks are more saturated/vibrant. Key is to adapt your composition based on the weather.
Murali Narayanan
Murali Narayanan 25.07.2023
Painted Hills is a hidden gem in Central Oregon as it is not in any Oregon tourist route. The location info is not precise. Image 2 was shot from the Overlook Trail. A bit more precise location is 44.649123, -120.266430. Worth updating.
Murali Narayanan
Murali Narayanan 25.07.2023 , edited
Painted Hills is a hidden gem in Central Oregon as it is not in any Oregon tourist route. The location info is not precise. Image 1 was shot from the boardwalk at Painted Cobe Trail. The location is 44.661686, -120.278789. Worth updating.

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Thank you Dario Martinenghi for creating this photo spot in USA and Dan Froese, David Maki, Reiner Boehme, Mia Pflieger for improving it with additional photos or content.
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