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Caucasus - Geghard Monastery, Armenia
Armenia • 15 days, 14 nights
Caucasus Road Trip: Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia
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Taktsang Lhakhang, also known as the “Tiger’s Nest”.
Bhutan • 11 days, 10 nights
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Southern portion of the Prasat Nakhon Luang
Prasat Nakhon Luang
Lenin’s Head, Tsinandali
The Tunnels of Tabor
What hidden tales lie buried beneath?
Pirate Grave, Portland
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The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
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The Codex Gigas (the Devil’s Bible) open to the portrait of the devil.
Codex Gigas: Who Drew the Devil in This Massive Medieval Bible?
about 13 hours ago
USDA and Washington State agriculture officials tagged this Asian giant hornet. Sept. 10, 2021.
What Ever Happened to the Murder Hornets?
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The exterior of the Hall of Records.
Atlas Obscura Mailbag: Urban Exploration, Illegal Carvings, and Repeat Vacations
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Biosphere 2 campus (2016)
Biosphere 2: How Volunteers Survived for 2 Years in an Airtight Habitat
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All the United States Oregon

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Oregon

212 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Oregon

Updated July 11, 2025

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Cities

Top Cities
Portland
Goonie Trails
Astoria
A kestrel falcon nursed back to health by the Cascades Raptor Center.
Eugene
Octopus Tree of Oregon
Tillamook
Seaside
Cave Junction
All Cities
  1. Ashland
  2. Astoria
  3. Baker City
  4. Bend
  5. Cannon Beach
  6. Cave Junction
  7. Corbett
  8. Corvallis
  9. Crater Lake
  10. Eugene
  11. Florence
  12. Fort Rock
  13. Government Camp
  14. Klamath Falls
  15. La Pine
  16. Mc Kenzie Bridge
  17. Mc Minnville
  18. Mitchell
  19. Oregon City
  20. Pendleton
  21. Portland
  22. Redmond
  23. Rockaway Beach
  24. Salem
  25. Seaside
  26. Silver Lake
  27. Sisters
  28. The Dalles
  29. Tillamook
  30. Valley Falls
  31. Yachats
Attractions
Food & Drink
Map
Leaderboards
Stories
Lists

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

11 Out-of-This-World Places You Can Reach in Your Car

Sponsored by GMC Terrain

The best road trips are those that seem to take you to new worlds: surreal-looking beaches, wondrous parks, and roadside oddities that make you do a double take. For instance, in Wisconsin, a local plumber has rigged a natural aquifer into a series of ice sculptures; in Utah, erosion has created a series of rock formations that look like something between an army of goblins and a series of abstract landscapes; and in New Mexico, rippling white sands stretch out to the horizon as far as the eye can see. The best part? You can reach these—and eight more—places by car (with the occasional walk from the parking lot). So pack some snacks, pull up this itinerary, and hit the road.

View Itinerary
The painted hills create a natural colorscape in Oregon’s desert.

Unusual Attractions in Oregon

April 2022

Portland, Oregon

The Witch's Castle

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

Yachats, Oregon

Thor's Well

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

Corbett, Oregon

Multnomah Falls

A roaring, awe-inspiring double cascade of icy water flows through woodland Oregon like something out of a Tolkien novel.
Boots taken from victims to prevent them running away. Copyright Michael P. Jones/Cascade Geographic Society 2010.

Portland, Oregon

Portland's Shanghai Tunnels

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

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

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.
Proxy Falls (technically, Lower Proxy Falls)

McKenzie Bridge, Oregon

Proxy Falls

This frequently-photographed waterfall takes only a short hike to visit.
See All 212 Things To Do in Oregon

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Oregon

Voodoo Doughnuts

Portland, Oregon

Voodoo Doughnut and Wedding Chapel

The magic's in the hole!
Exterior of Casa Diablo

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.
Pix-O-matic

Portland, Oregon

Pix-O-Matic

On East Burnside, a 24-hour vending machine distributes world-class pastries.
See all 16 Places to Eat in Oregon
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

In partnership with GetYourGuide

Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Oregon

A
212
Geology 26
Water 21
Nature 21
Museums 20
Collections 18
Natural Wonders 18
Plants 17
Animals 13
Ecosystems 13
History 12
Travel Oregon 11
Geological Oddities 10
Unique Restaurants & Bars 5
Places To Stay 3

Oregon Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. slgwv
    19
  2. canuck
    12
  3. jamesb
    9
  4. littlebrumble
    7
  5. velellavelella
    3

Places Edited

  1. slgwv
    29
  2. Anna Minster
    18
  3. Rachel
    16
  4. jyackabonis
    16
  5. breaingram
    15

Places Visited

  1. Jeff B
    172
  2. brianmilanek
    121
  3. RandomGuy
    118
  4. Anna Minster
    91
  5. hazel45eyes
    90

Recent Oregon Activity

  • Kcarc

    wants to go to Neskowin Ghost Forest

    about 4 hours ago
  • Kcarc

    wants to go to Octopus Tree of Oregon

    about 4 hours ago
  • Kcarc

    wants to go to Crater Lake

    about 4 hours ago
  • Kcarc

    wants to go to The Grotto

    about 4 hours ago
  • Kcarc

    wants to go to Thor's Well

    about 4 hours ago

Stories About Oregon

Meet the Giant Salmon With a Weaponized Mustache

Spike-toothed salmon grew nearly nine feet long and sported tusk-like teeth.
by Roxanne Hoorn
April 24, 2024
Scio kolaches often come with apricot or sweet poppy-seed fillings.

Saving the Scio Kolache

A local take on a Czech pastry is fading along with the community that birthed it.
by Sarah Lohman
April 12, 2024

Podcast: Kam Wah Chung & Co. Museum

This former general store and medicine shop in Oregon is a perfectly preserved time capsule.
by The Podcast Team
February 8, 2024
Scientists estimate there are some 4,000 bees native to the United States alone—but many of them are struggling to survive in our warming, pesticide-ridden world.

To Save America's Native Bees, the Oregon Bee Project Is Mapping Every Single One

The project aims to make a complete 'bee atlas,' detailing every single local pollinator.
by Kate Raphael
September 22, 2023
A sea lamprey that’s clearly ready for its close-up—and for a new appreciation of its role in its native ecosystems.

Sea Lampreys, Long Reviled, Are Finally Getting Some Respect

Once dismissed as "ugly," this sucker-mouthed fish plays an important role in its native ecosystem.
by Ted Williams
May 15, 2023
The top tier of Shizuo and Frances’s wedding cake, which has miraculously survived since they were married in 1943.

Found: An 80-Year-Old Wedding Cake With a Tragic Past

Frances Nishimura preserved this sweet keepsake for generations.
by Natasha Varner
February 16, 2023
The Large Wave Flume at Oregon’s O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory hosts an experiment in innovative coastal protection.

The Oregon Lab Where Scientists Are Riding the Waves to a Brighter Future

At the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Lab in Corvallis, massive simulators allow researchers to test innovative ideas about sustainable energy, saving coastlines, and more.
by Annalee Newitz
February 3, 2023
A baled Christmas tree is loaded at the Omni Farm in West Jefferson, North Carolina.

What’s the Real Christmas Tree Capital of the World?

At least a half dozen communities in North America have claimed the title. 
by Justin Franz
December 7, 2022

Lists Featuring Oregon

Darlingtonia State Natural Site.
An aerial view of the rose garden.
The H-4 Hercules, aka “Spruce Goose.”
Pete French Round Barn.

7 of Oregon's Most Magical Places

Sponsored by Travel Oregon
7

Including Darlingtonia State Natural Site, International Rose Test Garden, and The Spruce Goose

Tamástslikt Cultural Institute
The Bigfoot Trap
Outside Hippo Hardware in Portland.
Antler chandelier plus interior of restaurant

7 Destinations for a Different Kind of Oregon Trail

Sponsored by Travel Oregon
7

Including Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, The Bigfoot Trap, and Hippo Hardware

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