I love the Painted Hills and have been here often, both on my own and with my family…read more This location is absolutely gorgeous and so far away from any modern city that it makes it an incredible day trip or even an overnight camping destination (at approved campground areas, of course). There are several scenic locations mapped out for small, short hikes, as well as some longer hiking options. One area has a raised bed of wooden planks that allows you to walk over the hills, ensuring that none of the soil is disturbed. The colours on these hills is glorious and the markers read an incredible story about how the earth around the area developed the way that it did. On top of that, the wildlife viewing is absolutely incredible and the silence is stunning, when no one else is around. I've been there in high heat as well as summer squalls and I've always been impressed and awed by the sight. Because of the distance to here from any major urban location, it's pretty likely that anyone you run into here is dedicated to coming to this one place. That makes for a remarkably respectful and appreciative community of people out to experience the same thing you are. This place isn't overrun with screaming tourists and gaggles of busses, overloading the area and throwing garbage everywhere. It's about a two hour drive from Bend to get here and worth every minute of it. Food options are limited in the area. Mitchell, OR is nearby and I have to say; the town is really leaning into being a stop for those visiting the Painted Hills. There's a few places there to check in at, but not a lot of options. The real splendor of coming here is the quiet and isolation that's so hard to find anymore in our crowded area. The rangers who keep this place up to snuff do an incredible job, as well, and deserve a lot of credit for this beautiful location. Definitely a great location in eastern Oregon.

The Painted Hills Unit of the John Day National Monument was indeed a very scenic and beautiful…read moresight seeing stop as we were in the Bend, Oregon area. After seeing Yelp entries I am kind of kicking myself for not proceeding to the Painted Cove area as the walk through there looks amazing. We just stopped at the main Painted Hills and did not proceed further. But what we saw was beautiful. With the three primary colors of yellow, red and black you can see the layers of these colors in the Hills. The texture of the Hills are amazing too. And I suppose depending on the angle of the sun enhances these textures as far as appearance goes. You can see little trails all through these Hills and at first I thought they were hiking trails for people but they are indeed wildlife trails and people are to not go on them. There are signs all over that go into the history here and it is both fascinating and beautiful. We were here mid-morning but I am told the colors really get enhanced at sunrise or sunset.

A serene and beautiful area with a 50 million year well-documented fossil history. There are 3…read moreunits, each over an hour from the others, so you need at least two full days to see them. Beautiful picnic grounds at Painted Hills, amazing visitors center at Sheep Rock.

We visited all 3 units last week, checking out some new sites and revisiting others. The Blue Basin…read moreat the Sheep Rock Unit is simply stunning, a must-see for sure. We also finally made it to the Clarno Unit and took all 3 trails. Just a gorgeous setting, and amazing to get right up to the arch. We love the Fossil Beds, all 3 units are amazing...highly recommend!

Our experience with Smith Rock Trail Rides was amazing. Brian was kind, fun, and attentive--an…read moreabsolutely amazing person to have lead these trail rides. He gave us great directions on how to ride and lead our horse, and stopped many times to take photos of our group. The views were GORGEOUS. Butterflies everywhere. They also have an adorable little puppy that made our time there extra sweet. I will definitely be coming back! Thank you!

This is an absolute must-do if you're thinking about visiting Smith Rock. My husband and I have…read morehiked Smith Rock before, but being able to see it on horseback is just a whole different experience. The trail itself gets you up close to the rock formations of Smith Rock. Let me tell you, the scenery, the canyons, and the gorge that you get to see are spectacular. I really like how this company only does one ride a day and keep the groups small, we had only 5 ppl in our group. It kept things less hectic and I felt safer knowing our guide was able to keep an eye on all of us. Our guide Brian was super helpful and knowledgeable. He made sure you were comfortable on your horse and was very thorough with his instructions on the basics in order to enjoy your ride. He also gets extra points for taking great photos! We got to ride Slim & Sunny. Both horses were really sweet and easy to ride. You could tell Brian and his wife Melanie take great care of their horses. They know them pretty well and match each rider to their horse. No matter your experience level, I think anyone will have a good time and smith rock trial rides makes sure of that :)

This was an ok trip but I had mixed feelings about it…read more Pros: The guide was nice (we had Lane), which made the ride more enjoyable. He knew all of our names before we even left the parking lot. The trail was in good shape from recent rain so a beginner would have no trouble participating. Cons: The email confirmation and website mentioned the bike shortage and that riders had to be a minimum of 4 ft tall with a 24 inch inseam but didn't really explain how to measure that, etc. Sure, I know what an inseam in pants is, but turns out an inseam measurement for bike riding is different. Would have been nice to know without having to look it up the night before and then worry my kid wouldn't be tall enough. Lots of standing around. We were on the 10-4 tour and though we arrived at 9:45 no one directed us to have our kids take the bike test to see if they could go and nobody got fitted for bikes until everyone in the booking had arrived. Then, the large 10 am group was split into two smaller groups and if you were in the second group, you had to stand around for 20 minutes killing time to give the first group a head start. Why not just stagger the starts and have a 10 am and a 10:30? From a customer perspective this sort of sucked. This was billed as a Mountain bike ride with waterfalls and slides, but it was more like, walking/hiking to see 3 waterfalls and then a very mellow 3 mile single track ride to finish. It would have been nice to sort people by skill or interest (shorter vs longer rides) as we definitely had some gung ho dudes in our group and some newbies like me. Two of the waterfalls (at least) were accessible via McKay campground, which was a little disappointing. I thought we would be off the beaten path, checking out a little known spot, etc. Overall, our young kids, 8 and 10 enjoyed it and had fun. It was their first time mountain biking. I'd rate the ride and scenery 4 stars but the administration and organization only 2 stars (I'm a fan of efficiency and customer service) , hence my 3 star rating.

Was excited to go. Day of the trip for our group smoke was heavy. Hazardous in fact. His terms and…read moreconditions explain that you must show up no matter what the conditions. From there the group will vote and you must conform to the group decision. We were the only ones who showed up. The owner, Todd, decided after getting various voice messages the day before and the morning of, but he would cancel the event. Great! No pick up the phone and call your customers to make sure they don't waste their time and come all the way out to the top of a mountain only to find your experience was canceled. He claimed to have sent a text in the early morning hours. But I didn't get it until after the fact. Oh well, not great but not terrible. Did waste a lot of our time driving out there on a horrific weather day for smoke. Talked to Todd personally later, and he said "no problem I'll give your money back." Refund it all of it except our deposit, then wouldn't answer the phone or return multiple calls. In my final message I reminded him of his neglect as a business owner and a conscientious honest human. Told him repeatedly he needed to refund my deposit, as there were no terms or discussion of anything other than a full refund. Really annoying to deal with business owners who aren't conscientious. Really detracts from your credibility. So here's the review I promise to leave you if you went another two weeks without returning my calls again. Gave you four chances Todd.

Fantastic views. Easy hike, paved road. Parking is available. Clean restroom. Cute complimentary…read morerock climbing for kids.

I'm shocked that I haven't written a review for this amazing place!…read more Where do I even begin?! Definitely on my top 5 places to hike. It's absolutely gorgeous, amazing, heavenly, stunning, oh my I can go on LOL! We have hiked here every year for the past 5 years. It's a strenuous hike but such a great workout and your reward for making it to the top is truly worth it--absolutely breathtaking. I love it! Make sure you bring water because you will need it. I also recommend arriving early because after 9am, parking can be very challenging. We normally start our hike around 7am. There is a parking fee of $12.50 for non-state residents but if you live in Oregon, then you only pay 10 buckaroos. I highly recommend anyone to visit this amazing place!

My family and I had an amazing time exploring the Redmond Caves! We took our family, including our…read more5-year-old niece, and everyone had a blast. The area was very well-maintained with hardly any graffiti, which was a pleasant surprise. We were able to explore four of the six caves, and it was a fantastic adventure. Some of the entrances were a bit tricky, but it made it all the more exciting. Walking completely through one of the caves, entering on one side and exiting on the other, was a definite highlight and a really unique experience! ​A few tips for future visitors: don't rely on your phone's flashlight--you'll need something more powerful to really see the caves. Sturdy shoes are a must for navigating the rocky terrain, and be sure to watch your head! The rocks are very unforgiving, as we learned with a one pretty good bump on the head. We highly recommend this spot for a fun and memorable family outing!

I've been to a decent amount of caves and this was a different experience. Without looking at the…read moremap, it doesn't look like much. The caves were neat, but watch your head in them! Bring your own flashlights and I'd recommend close toed shoes.

Had 8 hunters for 8 this season 6 had shots and 2 never got…read morea shot Of the 6 who shot 2 recovered animals. Mismanaged and there is no help tracking animals. It was 1 guide for me and my 2 boys ....for the money there should be a better plan .....would never go back

Everything goes well at Ruggs Ranch. I have been hunting there for years. You can't beat the…read morepeople, the food or the accommodations. Pool tables, ping pong, shuffle board, board games and darts. The bar is always stocked and you can rest assured that the memories from here will last a lifetime.

Don't bother going here. Staff was in the back smoking pot when I walked in. It is basically a…read morejunk store with a lot of rocks and a few groceries. Pretty grungy inside.

Lovely little grocery/gift shop in Dayville. Carries a little bit of almost everything, including…read morehomemade honeycomb and almond roca, some deli sandwiches, and liquor. I noticed some previous reviewers note staff dressed in period clothes, but I believe that was all pre-COVID. Nevertheless, the staff were friendly and helpful.

It's taken me a few days to process so I can write this review, so here we go. Let me start by…read moresaying, the name of this place lives up to the experience and the service! If you are even remotely thinking of visiting them, you better do it, otherwise you are cheating yourself from one of the most amazing experiences you will ever have! I would like to note that I was in communication with these guys for over 2 weeks trying to get everything organized with our group of what was supposed to be 18, but we lost a friend in a car accident the day before we were going to arrive on July 4th. We collectively decided this would be a wonderful way to honor him and still go. The entire staff was so accommodating and sympathetic to our situation and I feel went above and beyond to make us comfortable in such a strange time. Or instructors were both very nice and very professional. It was the 4th of July, and they organized a cookout with some brats and bbq. I made some side dishes to bring out and we all got to have a nice lunch while we waited on each other to jump. We also brought the dogs with us and they were super doggie friendly. 10/10 would recommend and we will probably be trying to head back before we leave Oregon. Thanks for such a wonderful experience and my awesome video!

Loved my experience here! My son went a few weeks ago, while I was just a bystander. They were so…read moreamazing I wanted to take a turn too. Today I went with my husband, both on tandem jumps and the whole experience was top notch, start to finish. Great people who love what they do and want you to love it too!

My son and I had such a great time at the ranch. We harvested 2 really nice hogs. Excellent quality…read moremeat. Caleb & Shantell are the nicest people. They always made sure all our needs were met. Shantell took me and my son Noah out. Had one of the best times in our lives. We had so much fun. We will be going every year from now on. Thank you for such a fun hunt. See both of you next year. Thank you!!

Well I can't say enough good stuff about Caleb and his outfit! He is the real deal, a solid guy and…read moreknows his hunting! I thought I was great at tracking until I watched him as we chased bison around after they would put the slip on us. The facility makes you feel at home right off the bat. Everything was beyond what I was told prior to showing up. We were introduced to Jake who is one of The guides up there and he as well was an upstanding man. We had a great time with Jake and he is a great guide and an amazing skinner! We are already planning on booking our next trip. I highly recommend them if your looking for a great adventure.