Unique Outdoor Destinations in Oregon
Unusual Natural Phenomena for Pacific Northwest Visitors
Jun 3, 2009
These unique tourist destinations are all within a day's driving distance from Portland, Oregon and are suitable for friends and family of all ages. However, each spot requires light to moderate hiking capabilities.
The Pacific Northwest, Oregon
Oregon is full of natural beauty. From lakes to mountains to a gorgeous Pacific Ocean coast, Oregon proves it really has a lot to offer both the passing visitor and lifelong resident. However, there is much more to Oregon than a mountain range and the coast. Across the Rockies lay a vast high desert that was once the scene of massive geologic turmoil.
Central and Eastern Oregon tell the story of volcanic eruptions, epic floods, and a host of natural, geologic phenomena that has washed over the state before the first pilgrims even set foot on Plymouth Rock. Lake Creek Rock slides, the Crack in the Ground, and the Vortex of Oregon are three unique outdoor destinations in Oregon that are both fun to visit and ponder over and also serve to tell a piece of the tale of Oregon's tumultuous past.
Lake Creek Rock Slides
About 25 miles west of Junction City, Oregon, along Highway 36 in southern Oregon is Triangle Lake. Nestled in the lush Suislaw Watershed, Triangle Lake offers fishing, swimming and natural beauty. What is unusual about Triangle Lake lay about a half mile south: Lake Creek Falls. Hidden off the main roads is a 100-foot long natural water slide, formed centuries ago by volcanic activity and landslides.
Visitors can slide down the obsidian water slide with little discomfort and are deposited safely in a swimming hole at the end of the formation. The Lake Creek Falls Rock Slide is a unique and fun natural tourist destination in southern Oregon.
Crack-in-the-Ground, Christmas Valley, Oregon
As natives often note, the eastern half of Oregon might as well be its own state. Cross over the mountain pass and immediately the crisp, green forests, and misty, mountainous beauty is replaced by rolling brown hills, cliffs of pillow basalt, and hot, dry weather. But don't be fooled, the arid landscape is rife with interesting places to see. One of those places is the so-called Crack in the Ground.
This natural formation is 2 miles long and goes as low as 70 feet below the ground. Located in the Four Craters Lava Field of central Oregon near Christmas Valley in the Deschutes National Forest, this gigantic volcanic fissure offers a fun hike on a hot day. Going within the Crack, visitors note that it is as much as 10 to 15 degrees cooler than it is above the Crack. Walking along the interior, visitors can observe different rock types, colors and various unusual vegetation. Near the Crack in the Ground is also Hole in the Ground, another fun stop in the Lava Fields.
Directions to Crack in the Ground
The Vortex of Oregon
Lastly is the Vortex of Oregon. Not much is truly understood about this unusual tourist stop in Southern Oregon, except that it is really weird. At the Vortex, visitors experience a variety of visual and perceptual phenonema that just have to be experienced to be believed. Located in Gold Hill, Oregon the Vortex was transformed into a popular tourist stop in 1930 when the "House of Mystery" of built on top of it. Read more about the weird stuff that happens on the Vortex of Oregon.
The Lake Creek Rock Slides, the Crack in the Ground and the Vortex of Oregon are just three of many unique outdoor tourist destinations that Oregon has to offer. Check out more weird stuff in Oregon.
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