176 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Oregon - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Oregon

Yachats, Oregon

Thor's Well

On the Oregon coast there is a natural hole that seems to be draining the sea.

Portland, Oregon

The Witch's Castle

These old stone ruins in the Oregon wilderness were once bathrooms and are steeped in legends of murder.

Corbett, Oregon

Multnomah Falls

A roaring, awe-inspiring double cascade of icy water flows through woodland Oregon like something out of a Tolkien novel.

Crater Lake, Oregon

Crater Lake

The deepest lake in the United States, and once the site of epic destruction that lives on in legends.

Portland, Oregon

Portland's Shanghai Tunnels

The seamy, underground secrets of Portland's criminal past.

Portland, Oregon

The Freakybuttrue Peculiarium

An emporium for the weird, creepy, rare, and just plain gross.

Portland, Oregon

The Grotto

A beautiful 62-acre Catholic shrine and botanical garden.

McKenzie Bridge, Oregon

Proxy Falls

This frequently-photographed waterfall takes only a short hike to visit.

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Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Voodoo Doughnut and Wedding Chapel

The magic's in the hole!

Portland, Oregon

Casa Diablo Vegan Strip Club

Is this the most Portland place ever?

Portland, Oregon

Ota Tofu

The oldest tofu shop in the United States is a firm favorite with locals.

Tillamook, Oregon

Tillamook Creamery

This unassuming cheese empire in rural Oregon churns out more than 150,000 pounds of cheese each day.

See all 15 places to eat in Oregon See all 15 places to eat in Oregon

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

A Feminist Road Trip Across the U.S.

Over the past month, Atlas Obscura has been exploring the stories of women who changed the world, from wildlife biologists and mountain climbers to Civil War spies and tattoo artists. To celebrate these daring women who struck out on their own, we’ve put together a cross-country road trip. Over 12 stops and more than 3,000 miles, this route will give you a front-row seat to women’s history in America.

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Recent Oregon Activity

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Stories About Oregon

Harvested fire morels against charred bits of wood.

The Mysterious Mushroom That Only Grows in Burn Scars

To find fire morels, forage after wildfires.

by Elaina Zachos

Residents of Albany, Oregon, have been hand carving the carousel's fanciful animals for 20 years.

The Carousel That Saved a Town

How building a children's attraction rebuilt the community of Albany, Oregon.

by Rebecca Deurlein

The Humongous Fungus is most visible when it produces the edible and tasty honey mushroom, but the season is brief and doesn’t happen every year.

What the World's Largest Organism Reveals About Fires and Forest Health

In Oregon, the Humongous Fungus plays a complex role in an ecosystem reshaped by humans.

Loggers from Maxville in an undated photo in the Oregon forest.

Meet the Woman Preserving the History of Oregon's Black Loggers

A chance discovery about her father's past led Gwen Trice to dig deep into the story of Maxville and the families who called it home.

by Michelle Harris

February 17, 2022

Chasing Oregon’s Watery Wonders

Grab a life jacket and a wetsuit! Jessica Mendoza and her family gear up for an outdoor adventure and explore the wet and wondrous sights of Central Oregon’s majestic wilderness.

Sponsored by Land Rover

Hells Canyon National Recreational Area, which runs mostly along the border of Idaho and Oregon, encompasses more than 650,000 acres.

Come Hell or High Water, Mail Arrives Weekly in This Remote Canyon

Jill and Jim Koch have been delivering mail by boat to Hells Canyon for decades, following a century-old route.

by Michelle Harris

November 24, 2021

Among the most successful reptiles in North America, garter snakes thrive from the tropics to the edge of the Arctic.

What Can 26,000 Snakes Teach Us About Climate Change?

Oregon State University's massive collection is helping researchers learn how animals adapt to changing environments.

by Jack Tamisiea

Bombay Beach, California, 2018.

Seeing America Through Its Roadside Signs

A photographer captured the handmade, the unusual, the downright puzzling.

by Pearse Anderson

January 7, 2021

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