The Painted Hills, Oregon Oct 11, 2023

The Painted Hills, Oregon

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, located in Oregon, is a geological treasure. It is renowned for its exceptional fossil deposits, specifically the mesmerising Painted Hills, which is one of the three units in the park. Layers of vividly coloured clay-rich soils make for a captivating landscape. These hills contain a record of changing climates and ecosystems that span millions of years. Here, visitors can explore a museum that displays fossils of plants and animals that thrived long ago. One can get a glimpse of fossils of opossums, oreodonts, sabre-toothed tigers and turtles by visiting the Clarno unit of the monument. These remnants serve as a reminder of the dynamic and fascinating history our planet holds.

© Ben Herndon/Tandem Stills + Motion

palette

Today in History

Magnified moss
Oct 11, 2024Wood duck, Quebec, Canada
Oct 11, 2025World Migratory Bird Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Trusty water-shifters
Nov 12, 2025Colosseum, Rome, Italy
Sep 16, 2024Wallabies at sunrise, Australia
Blurring the lines with wearable art
Jan 1, 2025Happy New Year!
Apr 25, 2025World Penguin Day
A day for giving
True masters of the jungle
Jul 11, 2024World Population Day
Oct 23, 2024Madame Sherri Forest, New Hampshire, United States
Mar 22, 2026World Water Day
Mar 16, 2024Giant panda eating bamboo
Oct 17, 2024Kochia, Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
Nov 6, 2024Shi Shi Beach, Olympic National Park, Washington, United States
Feb 21, 2026Red fox, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, United States
Jun 6, 2024Les Braves monument, Omaha Beach, Normandy, France
Nature’s blue wonder
A cuddling pair of Taiwan yuhina
Desert daggers?
Jan 18, 2026White Sands National Park, New Mexico, United States
Sep 10, 2023Grandparents Day
Aug 17, 2024Alfanzina lighthouse, Algarve, Portugal
Aug 23, 2025St. Barbaras Cathedral, Kutná Hora, Czechia
Feb 12, 2024Volcán Alcedo giant tortoises
Jun 9, 2024Bardenas Reales Biosphere Reserve and Natural Park, Navarra, Spain
Kings of the north
Jul 19, 2025Luna moth in New Braunfels, Texas, United States
Jul 4, 2025Orosei, Sardinia, Italy
Mar 11, 2025Broken Beach in Nusa Penida, Bali, Indonesia
Look up, incoming…