Burnt Ranch Road (Painted Hills)

Burnt Ranch Road (also known as Bridge Creek Road)  leads from the Ochoco Highway in Mitchell to the Painted Hills Overlook (part of the John Day National Monument/Painted Hills division). The road itself is partial monument land, part BLM, so care must be taken with permit applications.

The road itself is a stunning drive surrounded by geological fossil formations on one side, and grasses and farm land on the other. It also winds alongside Bridge Creek.

BLM permit applications require 60 days advance notice through BLM Prineville.

John Day National Monument should be done at least 30 days in advance.

Nearest accommodation and services are in Mitchell (limited/10-15 minutes away), and wider availability in Prineville (1 hour via Hwy 26).

 

 

 

 

Continue Reading

Cole Property (entrance)

Entrance to the Cole property in Sisters.  Long driveway along fenced fields with or without cattle.  Pond on the north side, generally with birdlife (geese, heron or sometimes bald eagle).  Possible deer. Minutes from downtown Sisters.   Entrance leads directly to the stables.

Images taken early August, 5pm.

2.

3.

4.

 

12.

 

13.

14.

 

20.

21.

22.

23.

 

 

(Looking towards street entrance)

 

 

 

 

Continue Reading

Paulina Lake, Newberry Crater

Paulina Lake is stunning, surrounded by towering Ponderosa’s and is located in the center of Newberry Crater National Monument.  This is Federal Land, and therefore may be difficult to receive permits to film within.  If you have enough advance notice (60 days), we can work with you to film here provided your shoot follows certain guidelines.

There is a restaurant and cabins on site, and a large area for parking.

Approximately 20 minutes from accommodation in La Pine, and an hour from Bend.

For a permit to be approved, guidelines must be adhered to:

“A plan was established to provide management direction for the Monument.  In the plan, proposals for new commercial uses such as filming/photography were to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis but each must be in keeping with the purposes of the Monument and legislation to be approved.  As such, typical commercial filming would not meet the definition and would be denied.  However, filming/photography that provides for the conservation, protection, interpretation, and enhancement of the Monument to a general public is acceptable.”

Continue Reading

Smith Rock State Park (Winter)

Scenic views of deep river canyons or rock climbing, Smith Rock State Park is a stunning and unique location. There are several thousand climbs in the park allowing for multiple shoots. With more than a thousand are bolted routes, there is also miles of hiking and mountain biking trails. 

Due to the uniqueness and fragile aspect of the park, park rangers enforce the animal leash law and strongly encourage all park users to stay on trails.  Permits must be applied for 30 days prior to shooting.

During the high season (Spring and Fall) there is only one permit per month issued for productions or events. During Summer and Winter that increases to two per month. 

 

Continue Reading

Prineville Reservoir State Park

The Prineville Reservoir is 15-miles long and over 3,000-acres.   Scenic beauty, camping and water recreation at its finest in the High Desert.   With developed campgrounds and numerous primitive camps along its 43-mile shoreline, recreational opportunities are plentiful.  There are rock formations along the road leading in to the Reservoir, with small pull outs for images to be taken (usually not large enough for production vehicles).  

For fishing shoots there is rainbow trout, small and largemouth bass, catfish, crappie, and crayfish. The trout fishing experience is year-round, with the biggest fish being caught during the winter months either by boat or from the shore.  The bass, catfish and crappie fishing is best between May and October. 

Other recreational activities include waterskiing, wakeboarding, windsurfing, paddle boarding, kayaking, hiking, star gazing and wildlife viewing.

The rock climbing around the lake is stunning and offers beautiful visuals.  

Continue Reading