Redmond, OR to the Painted Hills on a Triumph Bonneville T120

EPIC OREGON MOTORCYCLE RIDE: Redmond to the Painted Hills! | John Day Fossil Beds Monument

Kickstands up in Central Oregon! We're starting our journey in Redmond, a city with a great history carved out of the high desert by pioneers Frank and Josephine Redmond in 1904. It officially incorporated in 1910, thriving as the "Hub of Central Oregon" after the arrival of irrigation and the Oregon Trunk Railway a year later. From this historic hub, we point our bikes east, hitting the fantastic twisties of Highway 126 and then Highway 26 toward the Ochoco National Forest. The roads are a rider's dream—smooth, winding asphalt that takes us from the flat high desert plateau, initially covered in sagebrush and juniper trees, into rolling foothills and eventually the stunning mountain terrain. The landscape shifts dramatically, transitioning from semi-arid ranch land to pristine pine forests as we climb toward the 4,720-foot summit, keeping an eye out for high desert wildlife like deer, coyotes, and various birds of prey. Soon, we'll peel off onto the rural country roads like Bridge Creek Road, where the vibrant green valleys and farmlands give a hint of the geological marvel ahead as we drop into the canyon country of the John Day Fossil Beds.

The final stretch takes us right into the stunning Painted Hills Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. This incredible area, one of the Seven Wonders of Oregon, has been appreciated by people like the Northern Paiute for millennia. The hills themselves are a geological marvel, forming about 35 million years ago from layers of volcanic ash and sediment that drifted east from the Cascade Mountains. The vibrant, distinct colors you see—reds, yellows, blacks, and tans—are not just pretty, they tell an ancient story of climate change. The deep red layers come from tropical, iron-rich laterite soils that formed during warm, humid periods, while the yellowish-tan layers signify cooler, drier eras. The dark streaks are from lignite, which is ancient vegetative matter, all preserved in mudstone and claystone. It’s a literal geological time capsule on full display.

Along this ride we pass through or near: Powell Butte, OR; Prineville, OR

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Chapters
00:00:00 - Start
00:10:56 - Powell Butte, OR
00:21:49 - Prineville, OR
01:17:07 - John Day Fossil Beds National Monument Painted Hills Unite