Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Oregon Silver Lake Crack in the Ground

Crack in the Ground

A volcanic fissure over two miles long and up to 70 feet deep.

Silver Lake, Oregon

Added By
Jo
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Crack in the Ground   Bureau of Land Management Oregon / CC BY-SA 2.0
Crack in the Ground   DKRKaynor / CC BY-SA 4.0
Crack in the Ground   DKRKaynor / CC BY-SA 4.0
Crack in the ground #2   dwhitten9699 / Atlas Obscura User
Crack in the Ground   dwhitten9699 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The eruptions from the Four Craters Lava Field—four pyroclastic cone volcanoes formed during the Pleistocene or early Holocene—created a sinking of the older heavier rock, forming a shallow depression about 3 kilometers wide extending southward into an old lake basin.

"Crack-in-the-Ground" is a volcanic fissure over two miles long and up to 70 feet deep, that marks the western edge of this small, volcano-tectonic depression.

The crack is the result of a tension fracture—a rock fracture at right angles to the direction of the most tension—the result of lava flows coming over the edge of a concealed fault zone.

It is located in the southwest corner of Four Craters Lava Field in the Deschutes National Forest. Hikers can walk the length of the main crack and explore its tributaries.

Related Tags

Volcanoes Geology Geological Oddities Natural Wonders Nature

Community Contributors

Added By

canuck

Edited By

vjm212, Michelle Cassidy, dwhitten9699, jamesluntzel74

  • vjm212
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • dwhitten9699
  • jamesluntzel74

Published

June 3, 2010

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Crack in the Ground
Silver Lake, Oregon, 97638
United States
43.32508, -120.6652
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Derrick Cave

Fort Rock, Oregon

miles away

Oregon Co-Champion Juniper

Fort Rock, Oregon

miles away

Fort Rock

Fort Rock, Oregon

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Silver Lake

Silver Lake

Oregon

Places 2

Nearby Places

Derrick Cave

Fort Rock, Oregon

miles away

Oregon Co-Champion Juniper

Fort Rock, Oregon

miles away

Fort Rock

Fort Rock, Oregon

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Silver Lake

Silver Lake

Oregon

Places 2

Related Places

  • Winona, Missouri

    Rocky Falls

    A 40-foot waterfall flows into this unique natural swimming hole.

  • Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

    Keahole Point Blowhole

    This unusual lava tube spouts seawater during high surf.

  • Painted Dunes from the top of the adjacent cinder cone.

    Old Station, California

    Painted Dunes

    Sunset-colored dunes of volcanic ash make taking a poor photo impossible.

  • The balancing rocks.

    Culver, Oregon

    Metolius Balancing Rocks

    Formerly secret, precariously perched boulders.

  • Balls Pyramid

    Australia

    Ball's Pyramid

    This dramatic sea spire is home to the world's rarest insect and is part of the lost continent of Zealandia.

  • Mauna Kea Observatory

    Hilo, Hawaii

    Mauna Kea

    Earth's tallest volcano is sacred to Native Hawaiians, and home to a dozen world-class observatories.

  • Looking down into the lava lake

    Antarctica

    Mount Erebus

    Fire meets ice at the southernmost volcano on Earth.

  • Thrihnukagigur Volcano

    Iceland

    Thrihnukagigur Volcano

    Climb right into the heart of this colorful Iceland volcano.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.