The area was warm and humid when floodplain deposits were laid down. Some of the colored layers are formed from vegetation that grew along the floodplain. There are fossil remains of early camels, rhinoceroses, and horses in the Painted Hills area, as well as the John Day Fossil Beds
Colorful
12
Jan 15
Road Trip–Painted Hills 3
Over millennia, layers of ash were covered by water and became the bottom of a lake bed. Over time, climate changeĀ dried the lake, the lake bed was lifted by geologic motion and wind and rain were the agents of erosion. Oxidized minerals in the ancient ash were transformed into the colorful claystone.