by Christy Solo – Editor
Even with gas prices possibly prohibitively high right now, summer is Road Trip Season, so let’s celebrate!
If the moth flying out of your wallet is telling you, “Not this year!” you can still enjoy learning about a few of Oregon’s best Roadside Attractions and make plans for the future!
Oregon is chock full of fun, educational and downright whimsical attractions. We had a difficult time choosing just a few to highlight, so we went for the “variety pack!”
First up is the Enchanted Forest located at 8462 Enchanted Way SE, Turner, OR 97392 (173 miles from our area, 3 hrs. 18 min.)
If you’re looking for a family friendly (VERY family-friendly, we’ll cover that in a bit) outing, the Enchanted Forest should top your Road Trip list.
Family owned and run by the Tofte family since its opening in 1971 the Enchanted Forest won Newsweek’s “Family Owned Park of the Year” award in 2024.
Initially the park opened with Storybook Lane which is, exactly what it sounds like. An interactive stroll in and through some classic characters. Ever wanted to crawl through Alice’s rabbit hole? Here’s your chance.
In the decades since, the park has expanded and now also features several olde tyme attractions such as Tofteville Western Town, Old European Village, Pan for Treasure gold mining and 10 rides from the fanciful carousel (with horses, ostriches, bunnies and a pig!), to the two-up combo Big Timber Log Ride which combines the thrills of a roller coaster and the chills of a log flume ride.
The Enchanted Forest is open seven days a week through Labor Day and the summer season also brings the Comedy Theatre with super silly takes on classic fairy tales. You can also listen to the tunes of Possibly Irish in the Old European Village.
You can take your time and stroll through the Forest or zip through in just over an hour. We recommend taking your time.
Now, back to the “very family-friendly” part. Be advised, the Enchanted Forest has a dress code. And oddly specific dress code. Which as you read through it is overall logical – keeps the family vibe and has sub-rules for safety/liability reasons – but may make you feel like you’re back in high school. Ah, those fond memories of students walking around in inside-out heavy metal band tees admins deemed “inappropriate.”
Anywhoo – Best to visit the Enchanted Forest website and check out the Dress Code before you go (under the Park Info tab), it would be super embarrassing to be turned away because of your flip-flops (safety) or your fave tee with that curse word on it (possibly the old high school “wear it inside out” trick will work, but err to caution).
You can also preorder tickets online, various discounts are available, but basic prices are $31 for adults, $28 for kids and seniors. Ride tickets are purchased separately.
Next up is another journey back in time. Way back in time, as we visit another family owned park: Prehistoric Gardens Adventure Park. They are located along Highway 101 on the Southern Oregon Coast, halfway between Gold Beach and Port Orford (179 miles, 3 hrs. 30 min. from our area).
Prehistoric Gardens was the pet project of the late Earnest Nelson. In 1953 Nelson began sculpting life-sized dinosaurs on his property. He visited the Smithsonian in New York City and performed fossil research to ensure his replicas were as accurate as possible.
In 1955 he opened the park to the public and in the ensuing years he sculpted 21 Dinosaurs in total. Ranging from the flying Pteranodon with a wingspan of 27 feet to the massive Brachiosaurus that towers 46 feet off the ground.
The dinos can be found all along a natural rainforest trail, enhancing the feeling of traveling back in time. The full stroll is just under one-quarter of a mile, so this is an easy, breezy attraction. You’ll want to take your time and immerse yourself in the experience.
Tours are self-guided and alongside each exhibit is a plaque that contains fun facts about the dinosaur. Dinosaur Tracks lead the way as you walk among these massive creatures.
The surrounding rainforest is a temperate rainforest. It thrives in this location because it’s in a valley. This allows the park to get plenty of rain but protects it from the worst coastal winter storms.
In the rainforest arboretum you will learn the history of plant life from prehistoric algae to ancient redwoods.
There is also a gift shop for your dino swag needs and entry tickets.
Park hours vary: Spring and Fall – 10am to 5pm, Summer – 9am to 6pm and call ahead for hours in winter 51-332-4463. Tickets are purchased at the gift shop and are: Adults $16, kids 3-12 $12 (under 3 free) and seniors $15.
Our final roadside attraction (for now!) is more of an outdoor adventure than a playland, and it comes with a couple caveats.
We absolutely had to include it, however because a visit will give you the chance to tell your friends “I drove two and a half hours to see a hole in the ground!” and what’s life without whimsy?
We wouldn’t send you to see just any old hole in the ground, however. We’re going to explore the Hole in the Ground in Lake County (146 miles, 2 hrs. 38 min. from our area).
Fun fact: There are 20 different locations in Oregon with the moniker “hole in the ground.” One capitalizes the “The” – thus they are The Hole in the Ground. Two others went with just “Hole in the Ground.” Most of the 20 are erosional basins and valleys. Only Hole in the Ground, Lake County resulted from a volcanic eruption. Oh, and it’s amazing.
The first caveat is: You can’t visit right now. Currently the Hole in the Ground fire (83 acres 51% contained) is burning near the trailhead. Fire managers ask the public to avoid the use of Forest Service Road 3100-200 to access the Hole in the Ground recreation area. You can check on the containment and restrictions via the Watch Duty Ap. Hopefully 3100-200 will open soon as it’s a small fire mostly contained.
Second caveat: While the hiking at Hole in the Ground is easy (2-mile out-and-back trail circles the rim of the crater, while two additional half-mile trails lead down to the crater floor) you may need to walk a little more to the trailhead parking area as the road in isn’t the best.
Directions from La Pine on Hwy. 97: Turn right onto Hwy. 31, Proceed 25.2 miles, and turn left on FR 3125, a narrow dirt road which may not be signed. Go 0.5 miles, keeping straight, and then bear right at the junction for Outback Station. In 0.2 miles, bear left at a junction. In another 0.3 miles, you’ll come to a Y-junction. Turn left here on FR 3130, a narrow track that’s rough in places, and continue 0.9 miles to a Y-junction. Bear right here to pass under powerlines, and proceed 0.4 miles to a campfire circle on the rim of Hole in the Ground. (The last stretch up from the power lines is especially gullied, so you could park under the powerlines and walk up.)
On to the Hole itself! It’s a volcanic crater. While not perfectly round, it’s about 1 mile across at its widest. The floor is 490 ft. below the rim which rises an average of another 160 ft.
The Hole was formed in the late Pleistocene (13,500 and 18,000 years ago). Back in the way-back day, the Fort Rock basin was a lake and the location where the Hole in the Ground is now was close to the shore. Basaltic magma nearing the surface insta heated ground water into steam and this blew out overlaying rock. As the surrounding substrate slid into the hole created by the steam, the vent was closed. This went on repeatedly and by the time the volcanic activity settled down the crater was created.
Now it’s a nifty place for hiking, nature watching and photography. Hole in the Ground is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. There are no access fees, but there are no amenities either.
The site is open year-round, but you should visit in late summer or fall this year as the bumpy access road is often closed by snow.
From fairy tales to dinosaurs to ginormous holes, Oregon has it all! Now, hit the road!
