Have you seen the Painted Hills in Oregon?

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thatbaldwinlife

thatbaldwinlife

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portland oregon
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Nathan
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Baldwin
For our first trip report we are sharing on this site, here is the YouTube video of our trip and below is the write up. We really enjoyed this trip and took some pretty good drone footage this time and am getting used to our new camera as well. This area of Oregon is amazing and it is so different then the rainforests of the Cascade range.




Since our last trip to the Painted Hills, we have been anxious to return to the area and explore some more. Previously we were a bit rushed due to the weather and only spent a few hours in the park before we headed back west for the next night. This time we planned on staying in the area for two nights so we could dig a little deeper into this amazing place.
We left from Portland mid morning, taking our time heading over the pass and we stopped for lunch on the side of Highway 26 with a great view of the mountain.



After one last gas stop we headed towards the same campsite we found on our last trip, hoping it would be empty when we arrived. We were fighting the sunset, the need to get video and drone shots with the anxiety of our spot being open. The last few miles were a bit stressful!



As we neared the spot, we could see that there was no one there and we could enjoy a peaceful night alone on the bluff.




As we were setting up camp, we noticed a vehicle pulling into our site and Nancy said it looked like a Sheriff. He pulled up and asked us where we were from and we talked about the area, backroads, Painted Hills, and exploring for about 20 minutes. He mentioned that the road we were going to take north of the Painted Hills was muddy and a truck was actually stuck down there now. Good thing we got some local info on the road conditions!
After he left we made dinner and settled in by our propane fire pit, enjoying some delicious stouts.

 
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thatbaldwinlife

thatbaldwinlife

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portland oregon
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Nathan
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Baldwin
A cold morning came and we were presented with a beautiful clear day ahead of us. There was frost on all surfaces as it got down to the low 30’s overnight. This trip was the first time we used our GoWesty insulated window covers. They rock and we wished we would have got them years ago.






We headed into the Painted Hills early in the day to avoid any crowd that might be there on clear January day. We were excited to explore the area on such a beautiful day.



First stop was the infamous Painted Cove trail. Though not much of a trail (really just a short walk around some red hills), it is a stunning way to start the day.

 
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thatbaldwinlife

thatbaldwinlife

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portland oregon
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Nathan
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Baldwin
Next stop was the Leaf Fossil trail. Another beautiful hike though we did not see any fossils.



From there we drove on a gravel road outside of the park to make a quick taco lunch with Impossible burger “meat”. Yum!
After the amazing lunch, we made the iconic overlook our last stop as the park was staring to fill up and we wanted to head north to explore the area some more.



We headed north on Burnt Ranch road to find a place to sleep for the night. The Sheriff mentioned that Priest Hole was a nice area so we headed there first.



There were already a few people at Priest Hole and it was a bit windy on the river so we kept driving to find something a bit more secluded. After passing the Burnt Ranch, we spotted a dirt road that seemed to lead down to the river. It was a rough and steep road and we figured that would keep most people away from this area.
At the bottom was a small parking space but there was another steep dirt road that lead to a large spot that we could have all to ourselves. Score!


We took our chairs up to the top of the small hill by the van and enjoyed the sunset and a few beverages.


The next morning we packed up and had to get back up this loose rocky hill that we descended last night. The Westy climbed up it like a mountain goat and before we knew it we were back on the main gravel road headed to Highway 26.



We decided to head back to I5 through Highway 22 that was devastated by the wildfires over the summer. It was startling to see how some areas and homes remained untouched while others were leveled. A sobering reminder what nature can do.
All to soon we were back home to unpack the Westy and get ready for our next adventure!
Nate
 
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MeliMK

MeliMK

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Thanks for sharing! I'm in the process of planning a quick trip down there next weekend, so this is timely and oh so helpful.
 
thatbaldwinlife

thatbaldwinlife

Rank II

Enthusiast II

336
portland oregon
First Name
Nathan
Last Name
Baldwin
MeliMK said:
Will do! Your second night camp spot looked sweet (well both did TBH). Think I've narrowed them down on the map pretty well.
Click to expand...
It shows up as Burnt Ranch Campground on google maps. Not really an official campground but someone labeled it. Just past Burnt Ranch
nate
 
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