The Painted Hills, Oregon Oct 11, 2023

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:

The festival of colours
Nov 1, 2024Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil
Apr 25, 2024Adélie penguins
Let the Great Backyard Bird Count begin!
Apr 18, 2025International Day for Monuments and Sites
Sep 9, 2023Ayutthaya Historical Park, Thailand
Mar 2, 2024Modica, Sicily, Italy
Who’s the wisest of them all?
Mar 12, 2024Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA
Sep 10, 2025Hay bales in North Yorkshire, England
May 10, 2024Misool, Raja Ampat Islands, Indonesia
Dec 11, 2024International Mountain Day
Aug 29, 2023Turkey tail mushroom
An anglers paradise
Like sands through the hourglass
Birthplace of the Renaissance
Jan 28, 2025Short-eared owl
Mar 29, 2025Superbloom in Carrizo Plain National Monument, California, United States
One on land, a million in space
When just a pinch of salt won’t do
Jan 27, 2024Northern hawk owl
An ugly duckling no more
Sep 4, 2024Dusky eagle-owls, Pakistan
Mar 29, 2024South Stack Lighthouse, Holyhead, Wales, UK
Sep 25, 2024Giant sequoias, Sequoia National Park, California, USA
Aug 30, 2025International Whale Shark Day
Dec 26, 2025Boxing Day
Dec 25, 2023Christmas Day
An island made from a vow
Stairway to where?