In every Pacific Northwest calendar I’ve ever purchased, there’s been an image of the Painted Hills. On Instagram and Pinterest, images circulate of a woman traversing a boardwalk, surrounded by otherworldly crimson hills on all sides.

I’ve been inspired by the photography, waiting for a window to visit during the shoulder season, since most advice warns against visiting during the hot, dry days of summer. Four days before the summer equinox, I seized the opportunity granted by a cold front.

Approaching the Painted Hills Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument (of which there are three units) was a thrilling experience. My partner and I passed a scarlet-colored hill before entering the main site and parking at the lot between the Painted Hills Overlook Trail and the Carroll Rim Trail. The two out-and-back trails are the longest of the four hikes at the national monument, at 1 mile and 1.5 miles respectively.

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The Painted Hills Overlook Trail is easily accessible, with only 78 feet in elevation. For a little additional effort, there’s the Carroll Rim Trail (on the other side of Bear Creek Road from the parking lot) with 374 feet of elevation gain and panoramic views.

Both trails offer sweeping views of the fossil beds below, which are striped with layers of tan, orange and black. The variation in color is due to elements such as aluminum, silicon, iron, magnesium, sodium, calcium and titanium, according to Best Dog Hikes Oregon by FalconGuides.

All the photos I’d seen had made the color-splashed fossil beds appear towering and all-encompassing. But in person, I couldn’t help but notice they felt smaller than expected.

From the top of the rim trail, the iconic fossil beds that show up again and again on calendars, blog posts and travel guides, are limited to a smaller section than is evident in the photos, which aggrandizes the effect.

It’s easy to do. Every up-close shot I took of the Painted Hills was impressive. I didn’t even have to try.

But I began to notice what I was capturing within the frame was more awe-inspiring than what my own eyes were taking in before me. There’s something about these natural features that makes them exceedingly photogenic.

The two trails on the west side of the park are short jaunts — Painted Cove Trail and Leaf Hill Trail, each a quarter-mile loop. The former is where those dramatic shots on the boardwalk surrounded by red hills have been shot.

It’s a fun experience, walking along the boardwalk while feeling totally surrounded by the ruby hills on all sides. It feels akin to momentarily transporting to the moon.

But what the photos and videos don’t reveal is that particular experience only lasts a few seconds.

And it’s a very small part of what the Painted Hills have to offer.

What: Painted Hills Unit — John Day Fossil Beds National Monument

When: Open dawn to dusk year-round, but hot and dry during the summer

Where: GPS: N44 39.25’ / W120 15.11’

Cost: Free

Contact: nps.gov/joda/planyourvisit/index.htm