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Back Side of Painted Hills Camping

Hosted by Bonnie · Mitchell, Oregon
13 guests max
97%
·
91 reviews
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Amazing views
Hipcampers say this spot has amazing views.
Bonnie is a Star Host
Star Hosts are highly rated, responsive, and committed to providing incredible experiences.
This 320 acre plot of land on which you can hike anywhere has been in our family since 1993. Large, graveled spot for tents or two vehicles with excellent view for miles and miles and night star gazing. Primitive outhouse. Juniper forest with sage brush... basically high desert vegetation. We only allow one reservation per night. You can arrange vehicles or tents to not be in view or block any view from house way above. 320 acres to hike and roam. Mitchell is 10 miles away with well stocked grocery and feed store, restaurants, small brewery, and tire shop. We give directions fairly quickly. Road is wide, but steep at top. 4 wheel drive is recommended. Very close to the Painted Hills Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National monument, Ochoco National Forest is seven miles. John Day River for swimming, rafting about 20 minutes. If you can book, it means you can drive on up with out contacting us.  As you drive in if at night, you will see a light on the outhouse.This graveled spot with outhouse for tents or two vehicles with excellent view for miles and miles and night star gazing. This site is not for large RVs. Small units such as Scamps or Pick up campers are fine. Juniper forest with sage brush... basically high desert vegetation. We only allow one reservation per night, although there is lodging (reserved) at the log home almost out of sight up above you. 320 acres to hike and roam. Mitchell is 10 miles away with well stocked grocery and feed store, restaurants, small brewery and tire shop. We give directions immediately and are on ranch for emergencies, questions, etc. Dirt Road is wide, but steep at top. 4 wheel drive is recommended. Very Close to the Painted Hills Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National monument, Ochoco National Forest is seven miles. John Day River for swimming, rafting about 20 minutes. If you can book, it means you can drive on up with out contacting us. Booking should give you address. Stay to the right after leaving hwy 26 and go through green gate. Up one mile, stop at cattle guard, ease forward. Ranch house is straight ahead on up hill; but you want to look to the right. Take that drive way to camp site. As you drive in if at night, you will see a light on the outhouse at the site itself also. To star gaze, cover light with a blue rag inside composting toilet. Pat, Camp Manager, usually has cleanup up the toilet area and leaves potted water with a pump. Larry and Scooby, homeowners goats will try to greet you, but they stay in a side pasture.

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Back Side of Painted Hills Camping

97%
(110)
RV/tent site · Sleeps 13 · Vehicles under 17 ft
This graveled spot with outhouse for tents or two vehicles with excellent view for miles and miles and night star gazing. This site is not for large RVs. Small units such as Scamps or Pick up campers are fine. Juniper forest with sage brush... basically high desert vegetation. We only allow one reservation per night, although there is lodging (reserved) at the log home almost out of sight up above you. 320 acres to hike and roam. Mitchell is 10 miles away with well stocked grocery and feed store, restaurants, small brewery and tire shop. We give directions immediately and are on ranch for emergencies, questions, etc. Dirt Road is wide, but steep at top. 4 wheel drive is recommended. Very Close to the Painted Hills Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National monument, Ochoco National Forest is seven miles. John Day River for swimming, rafting about 20 minutes. If you can book, it means you can drive on up with out contacting us. Booking should give you address. Stay to the right after leaving hwy 26 and go through green gate. Up one mile, stop at cattle guard, ease forward. Ranch house is straight ahead on up hill; but you want to look to the right. Take that drive way to camp site. As you drive in if at night, you will see a light on the outhouse at the site itself also. To star gaze, cover light with a blue rag inside composting toilet. Pat, Camp Manager, usually has cleanup up the toilet area and leaves potted water with a pump. Larry and Scooby, homeowners goats will try to greet you, but they stay in a side pasture.
No campfires
Toilet
No potable water
Pets allowed
No electrical hookup
No water hookup
from
$21
/ night
for NaN guests

Reviews

97% Recommend110 ratings · 91 reviews
Recommends
· October 2025
16 ft car ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
Great views! Lots of room to explore, caught it right before the snow came in late October! Thank you Bonnie!
E
Ellie B.
2 reviews
Recommends
· October 2025
Private desert views and stargazing
Tent · With pets ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
Loved this private spot perched high with views of the desert hills. It helped to have a more rugged vehicle to handle the steep rough road. Sunrise was gorgeous and the stargazing at night was incredible. We saw shooting stars across the Milky Way! We could occasionally see and hear the tenants at the house further up the hill (only when they were outside on the deck), but they were far enough away that it never felt intrusive. Otherwise, camp was super quiet and it felt like we had the WHOLE place to ourselves. Loved the trails on the property. The only bummer was that there were a lot of pokies that kept getting stuck in our dogs' paws which kept us from exploring more. So if you bring dogs, you may want to put booties on them. Loved the proximity to Painted Hills. This site is a total high desert gem and we will definitely be back!
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Leila G.
3 reviews
Recommends
· September 2025
Central Oregon high country
15 ft travel trailer · With pets ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
Quiet, beautiful! Light trucks (SUV’s) with small trailers can easily negotiate the road in We did not meet Bonnie.
K
Karl W.
4 reviews
Recommends
· September 2025
Beautiful!
16 ft car ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
Campsite was beautiful, clean bathroom. The stars were unreal. I was the only one there and it was amazing
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Rebecca D.
2 reviews
Recommends
· September 2025
Tent ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
Great private site with a beautiful view and amazing spot for stargazing in the dark sky. The trees provided nice shade in the heat. The charcoal grill was very little but worked well for two people. The bathroom and site were clean and well maintained.
J
Jill V.
4 months on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2025
Camping with the stars!
Tent · With kids ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
Beautiful location! We loved the sunset and stars, it was quiet and beautiful. My husband was worried about the steepness of the mile-long loose gravel road, but our SUV made it up fine. We brought one of those large blue water jugs and only needed about half of it for the four of us, and it was an easy drive to visit the Painted Hills the following morning. Would love to go back.
K
Katherine R.
2 reviews
Recommends
· August 2025
16 ft pop-up camper ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
The quiet and solitude not to mention views of neighboring landscapes are not to be missed. But... try to miss the access road if it's a rare sustained downpour which is what we faced and made it to camp ok in 4WD with some consternation. Mainly we hoped the heavy rain didn't wash out the exit road. As soon as it dried next morning though all was good. Just saying. FYI since we didn't have levelers for our popup truck camper there's a really nice level spot just at the entrance to the picnic/BBQ flat landing spot.Super chill place for quiet,stars,views and a nice hike up the hill.
L
Lea T.
3 reviews
Recommends
· August 2025
13 ft travel trailer · With pets ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
Amazing location with a breathtaking view. Wish we could have stayed longer!
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Sam W.
10 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2025
What a view!
17 ft Class C · With kids ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
Amazing view from up high in the hills! It was a bit challenging to navigate when we arrived after dark, but we made it. We definitely appreciated the solar shower and water setup. Also enjoyed saying hello to the goats. Thank you!
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Jacqui S.
3 reviews
Recommends
· July 2025
A truly stellar HipCamp!
16 ft campervan ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
Bonnie's spot was wonderful! There's a wonderful sense of solitude, a clean bathroom, a great view over the surrounding hills, and a spectacular, practically pristine night sky (I say this as an amateur astronomer who's spent years looking for unpolluted skies). It's also uniquely situated as one of the very few HipCamp spots near the beautiful Geologic playground of John Day Fossil Beds. We definitely plan to return.
P
Paolo N.
6 reviews
Recommends
· July 2025
Perfect spot!
Tent ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
The view from our site was incredible and it was so quiet! Highly recommend! (Short drive to the Painted Hills and Mitchell’s great pub Tiger something.)
S
Susan T.
6 months on Hipcamp
Recommends
· July 2025
Beautiful!
Tent · Group trip ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
This was a beautiful place right by the painted hills! It was nice and private. Bonnie was very accommodating. The road was honestly not that bad. We made it up easily in a Ford Transit. It’s bumpy and steep but if you’re used to driving on roads like that you’ll be fine.
A
Aleksandra K.
6 months on Hipcamp
Recommends
· June 2025
Tent · With pets ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
Loved it here! A really sweet spot and easy to find :)
B
Breana S.
8 months on Hipcamp
Recommends
· June 2025
Beautiful View
Tent ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
Great stay only a short drive from the painted hills. The pit toilet was well maintained and the site felt private despite the house above on the hill. We loved the view and are determined to come again! Thanks!
C
Carsen T.
1 year on Hipcamp
Recommends
· June 2025
16 ft car ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
Beautiful spot to wake up to!! Bonnie gave great directions to find the spot, and it was perfect for my needs. Would stay here again.
K
Krista G.
3 reviews
Recommends
· June 2025
15 ft campervan ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
Beautiful serene and secluded spot, perfect for our eurovan
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Margot D.
7 months on Hipcamp
Recommends
· June 2025
Tent · With pets ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
Lovely quiet place and very clean. Really enjoyed the stars and listening to all the birds at sunrise I would recommend this place to anybody.
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Dana C.
4 reviews
Recommends
· June 2025
Amazing Location
8 ft pop-up camper ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
This place is incredible! I had my tent open all night, and the view of the hills was breathtaking. It’s super quiet and private, which is perfect for relaxation. The road in is a bit bumpy and steep in some places, but I managed to drive my small pickup truck up it without any trouble. I’m sure our Crosstrek would handle it just fine too!
D
David L B.
2 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· June 2025
Tent · With pets ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
We (two adults and one dog) camped in a tent for two nights. The site is fabulous, very quiet and with beautiful views. Come prepared with your own water and TP.
C
Catherine V.
3 reviews
Recommends
· May 2025
Tent · Group trip ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
Great view and easy access to the Painted Hills, would stay again
B
Ben M.
1 year on Hipcamp
Recommends
· May 2025
Tent ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
Beautiful!!! Got greeted by some handsome goats! Instructions for the campsite were very clear and the site was well maintained and equipped with every camping amenity you need
A
Ally E.
2 reviews
Recommends
· May 2025
Tent ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
Very beautiful views with the drive there and the campsite is even more pretty! Great trails and wonderful people in the town of Mitchell! Definitely would come back here again!
B
Bethany H.
5 reviews
Recommends
· October 2024
Tent · With kids ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
We loved staying here. The view was stunning and the howling coyotes at night were really cool! There was plenty of space for our 2 tents. The drive up to the spot was steep at points but manageable in an AWD.
B
Brittany R.
1 year on Hipcamp
Recommends
· October 2024
17 ft pop-up camper ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
As advertised, the road is steep getting there but the campsite, tranquility, and scenery are more than worth it! Amazing starlit night and sunrise to greet us in the morning. Definitely coming back and for more than just a night.
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Peter C.
9 reviews
Recommends
· October 2024
Excellent campsite!
17 ft campervan ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
Nice, quiet place with great scenery that is close to the John Day Fossil Beds. The road in is steep and bumpy, but not terrible. That said, Bonnie's recommendation of 4WD or all wheel drive is prudent and I was glad to have 4WD. The reservation page says that the max vehicle length is only 17'. If you've got a larger vehicle, check with Bonnie and see what she thinks. She answers emails quickly and provides full information. FWIW, my truck is a 1 ton, 4-door, 8' box, with a camper on it and it fit fine.
B
Bruce B.
1 year on Hipcamp
Recommends
· October 2024
Don’t be afraid of the road!
13 ft travel trailer · With pets ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
What a beautiful spot! Lovely views, pretty easily accessible. Some of the reviews made me a bit nervous but found it to be relatively easy to access both to/from with my Volvo XC60 and tear drop trailer. Nice to have a compostable toilet to use! Wil definitely visit again.
M
Mary M.
3 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· September 2024
Wonderful place
Tent ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
Awesome place to stay! Tons of roaming space on the campgrounds if you’re tenting or RVing. The road is really not bad at all. It’s only a mil of gravel and if you drive carefully, you’ll be totally fine! No major potholes or crazy situation. I have a RAV4 all wheel drive which is a wimp in most circumstances and doesn’t have very high clearance. It’s been majorly damaged on hiking trails, but this was a breeze. I came in at 11:45pm and was still met with so much kindness and direction. Would stay here again!
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Mila J.
1 year on Hipcamp
Recommends
· September 2024
12 ft campervan ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
I enjoyed the quiet relaxing environment and exploring the trails.
K
Karl B.
1 year on Hipcamp
Recommends
· September 2024
Beautiful views
Tent ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
Great spot with beautiful views. Would definitely stay here again.
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Charlie B.
12 reviews
Recommends
· September 2024
Tent ·
Back Side of Painted Hills Camping
I felt Bonnie’s place was magical. I live in a very quiet area and this site is even more quiet. It was wonderful to have the privy available. The night sky & full moon were fabulous. The site was clean, direction specific and accurate. I drove in carefully & easily in my RAV4. I highly recommend Bonnie’s place. And it was sweet to be greeted kindly by their teddy bear of a dog this morning on his morning rounds, he simply stopped by said hi and continued on his rounds.
S
Scarlett K.
1 year on Hipcamp

Location

Mitchell, Wheeler, Oregon, United StatesTo respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking
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Hosted by Bonnie L.

Joined in April 2019

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