Hot Lake Hotel
Located in La Grande, Oregon is Hot Lake Hotel, which has been utilized since before the times of the Oregon Trail. There is a lot of mystery surrounding this hotel — when it was first built in 1864, it was constructed to face the bluff instead of the beautiful lake. Throughout the years, it was used as a hospital, insane asylum, pilot’s school, nurse training center, restaurant, nursing home, and more. Now, the resort is in use as a bed and breakfast, featuring a spa, restaurant, museum, and art gallery. Prior to this, the hotel was abandoned for years, and many visitors reported sighting of mysterious figures, sounds of footsteps, and many other spooky incidents. Visit hotlakepsrings.com if you feel brave enough to stay in this haunted hotel.
Gravity Hill, Klamath Falls
Most Oregonians know about the Oregon Vortex in Gold Hill, but did you know there is another odd natural occurence in Klamath Falls called “Gravity Hill”? Many have come to see for themselves and try to solve the mystery. Essentially, when you park your car at the bottom of gravity hill and put your car in neutral, you will start to notice your car slowly get pulled back up the hill! Some say these are evil spirits pushing you out of their space, others say it is good spirits trying to protect you, while still others say that there is something wrong with your car. As for me, I choose to believe in the magic, but go find out for yourselves what is going on at Gravity Hill.
Lafayette Cemetery
Located in the rural town of Lafayette, Oregon is the Lafayette cemetery. The cemetery is home to a woman who lived in the 1800s. As the story goes this woman was hung for practicing witchcraft and is said to have cursed the town before she died. She said the town would burn to the ground 3 times, and since that curse was made Lafayette has burned down twice. People claimed to have seen her still haunting the area where she was hung, and the graveyard where she was buried. Legend says she even screams at visitors and laughs while chasing people out of the cemetery. Locals don’t dare go near this place, as it was eventually closed for good due to a large number of reports of malevolent attacks.
Neskowin Ghost Forest
Within the Neskowin Beach State Recreation Site, one will find a ghostly sight of a hundred ancient decaying stumps rising out of the water. For centuries, the forest was buried beneath the sand, making appearances only often enough to become a local legend. However in the winter of 1997, the coast was repeatedly hit by powerful storms that eroded away the sands and revealed the eerie wonder buried beneath. These trees have been carbon dated to be about 2,000 years old and were estimated to have been around 150 to 200 feet tall. Today, the petrified relics share the beach with small tide pools and various marine life. The best time to see the Neskowin Ghost Forest is during the water’s lowest tide in winter.
The Octopus Tree
The Octopus Tree, also known as the Candelabra Tree, the Monstrosity Tree, and the Council Tree, is a Sitka Spruce Tree located at the Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint in Tillamook. Its surprising amount of trunks makes it a popular stop on many coast trips. Believed to be almost 300 years old, the Octopus Tree has a large base that split off into a number of smaller trunks, rather than having one central trunk. There are plenty of hypotheses as to why it took the shape it did, such as extreme weather interference, or training from Native Americans for a variety of purposes. The tree can be a very spooky sight, especially when the fog rolls in heavy, obscuring some of the trees trunks. Whether fog or shine, the tree is still breathtaking to behold.
Oregon Obscura 