Painted Hills is named after the colorful hills that make up this interesting geological formation. Painted Hills is part of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. The reds, oranges, and yellows are all from different geological eras (in a different part of the Monument, there are greens and blues). While the colors are rather spectacular, the real importance of the area is the paleontology (as you might have guessed from the name). Hard to believe, but bones of camels and rhinoceroses have been found here, along with many other species.