During our visit, we arrived an hour before high tide and the water would burst out sporadically. There's something big lurking beneath the surface of this tiny Oregon park. We didn’t dare get close to the well at this point and stayed nearby on a high ridge. After you walk down the stairs, you can walk out onto the rocky coast to get a closer look.If you can’t seem to see it from the trail, ask the people around you. Legends of treasure and spirits flow from this this fairy tale-like oasis. The huge hole is likely only around 20 feet (six meters) deep, but it still manages to produce amazing sights. Thors Well, located on the Central Oregon Coast, is the most dramatic, awe-inspiring seascape to photograph on the entire West Coast. To learn more or withdraw consent, please visit our Park on the West side of Highway 101 to see it below. Thor’s Well is a large natural hole located in a rock bed along Cape Perpetua in the Siuslaw National Forest, in the United State’s Oregon, next to the Pacific Ocean. Aerial view of Thor's Well. Oregon has been a beautiful state to explore. We timed our visit to high tide, however a local told us that it was a fairly mild… The strange and unusual places Atlas Obscura readers wanted to visit most in 2018. All opinions are always our own. Trek through the jungle on a boat and a swinging bridge and you'll be rewarded with these refreshing, if pungent, mineral pools. In mid-August there was probably 15-20 people at any given time down by Thor's Well watching and taking photographs. If you look out towards the ocean as you descend, you’ll see Thor’s Well near the edge. During these sudden torrents, unsuspecting visitors to the site run the risk of being swept right into the maelstrom. Jacob stood near the edge of the well to shoot and the water would come to his calfs before draining back into the well.The shots that we wanted actually happened at high tide when the water was consistently overflowing.
This is a big statement for anyone who has photographed the incredible sea stacks of Washington, Big Sur in California, or the countless world-class coastal features that Oregon is home to. Don't worry, it's a few times a month and not spammy.The Painted Hills John Day Fossil Beds National Monument { Photo Diary }
With permission from the good rangers at Cape Perpetua Also known as the drainpipe of the Pacific, the well is actually a hole in the rock that only appears to drain water from the ocean. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book, Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day.No purchase necessary. One theory is that it was initially a sea cave until the roof collapsed, leaving a hole on the surface level. Once the clouds rolled in, I brought my ISO as low as possible and aperture as high as possible (meaning the opening is as narrow as possible).Your settings will vary depending on the circumstances, but to give you a good starting point my settings for the below photo: – 2.5 sec, f/22, ISO 50Thor’s Well has a reputation for being extremely dangerous, but it’s not any more dangerous than the surrounding jagged coast. It’s also marked on Google Maps so that can help orient you.Low tide is the safest time to go to get up close to it and see how it works. Regardless of the risks, photographers and nature lovers continue to flock to the stunning fountain to see the aggressive waters that live up to their godly namesake’s stormy personality. We’ve loved calling it home this past year. The site is most spectacular at high tide, or during storms when water washes violently over the rocks and funnels into the hole. This will give you time to orient yourself and find the best place to be. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month.Atlas Obscura and our trusted partners use technology such as cookies on our website to personalise ads, support social media features, and analyse our traffic. The water won’t fill over the top as often during this time.If you’re a photographer, you most likely want to get the dramatic look of the water coming in and out so you will want to visit during high tide. Thank you for supporting Local Adventurer.Best Places to Eat in Victoria BC – Victoria Food TourJoin over 400,000 readers! Read Thor’s Well is a hole carved out of the basalt shoreline in the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area. Erosion and time have created a naturally-formed water park. Each day the tide level will be slightly different as well so you can judge when the best time to shoot will be.For those of you who want to just watch the drama, come close to high tide and you can see it from the viewpoints!If you forget an ND filter like I did, you might be able to pull it off with some cloud cover if you’re lucky. (Not for the faint of heart, however!) For Sale: Biggie's Crown, and Other Icons of Hip-Hop HistorySearching for Home and Connection Through Typewritten PoetryThe Female Shark Spotter Protecting Réunion Island’s Surfers, a gaping, seemingly bottomless sinkhole swallows the unbroken stream of seawater around it. Some of the most incredible, beautiful, and strange places in the Atlas.
Just be sure you are aware of your surroundings the entire time you are there.Jacob was close to the well and never felt like he was in danger of being sucked in, but if you’re clumsy and prone to tripping like me, I would steer clear.Esther and Jacob are the founders of Local Adventurer, which is one of the top 5 travel blogs in the US.
This does not affect our opinions and we only feature products that we already own or genuinely would recommend regardless of an affiliate relationship.