These 6 Oregon towns are straight out of a fairy tale

Once upon a time, an esteemed group of

mapmakers

wandered

Oregon

far and wide to find towns plucked straight from a

fairy tale

.

The wizards of

WorldAtlas

did not find dragons, leprechauns or mystical castles.

Instead, the geography website found a delightful catalog of softer storybook cliches. Towns with magical attractions, connections to nature, assemblages of oddities and uncanny displays of architecture.

Behold, the curated list of Oregon’s

6 fairy-tale small towns

and the enchanting qualities that make them so.

Yachats

Hidden treasure awaits those that visit the coastal town of

Yachats

. Tucked away within the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area is the panoramic view of Thor’s Well. The natural phenomenon, also known as the drainpipe of the Pacific, is a collapsed cave that swallows the sea before spewing it back as a saltwater fountain.

WorldAtlas also gives Yachats folklore status for its famously quirky Fourth of July la-de-da Parade, a whimsical gathering of townsfolks garbed as pirates, jellyfish and flower children.

Joseph

Joseph

is known as the Little Switzerland of Oregon. Nestled at the base of the Wallowa Mountains, its snow-kissed peaks mirror the storybook beauty of the distant alpine land.

WorldAtlas showcases the sacred Iwetemlaykin heritage site, ancestral homeland of the Nez Perce Tribe and the gravesite of Old Chief Joseph, a mortared stone pillar that symbolizes cultural strength.

Jacksonville

It doesn’t take Pinocchio’s nose to catch the fragrant lure of lavender in

Jacksonville

. Sweet to the nose and fantastic to the eyes, the lavender farms of Jacksonville “offer rows of pink, blue, and white that stretch out like brushstrokes across the land”, noted WorldAtlas in their quest for story-book cities.

Jacksonville also earned enchantment points for attracting minstrels from faraway lands. The annual Britt Festival, a concert series held in an outdoor amphitheater, rests atop a Jacksonville hill surrounded by spectacular scenery.

Cottage Grove

Cottage Grove

is famed far and wide as the Covered Bridge Capital of the West. Six historic covered bridges, each with a heart and soul of its own, stand like sentinels within the city.

Cottage Grove “wears its history in timber and trusses” notes WorldAtlas, “It feels like a town where stories linger in the woodgrain”.

Sisters

Residing within the city of

Sisters

is the hall of wonder known as The Fantastic Museum. This collection of curiosities includes signed objects from notable heroes of the past, thrones of former presidents, and the preserved remains of a nine-foot-tall Viking once displayed by Barnum & Bailey.

Surely, the presence of a giant automatically makes a city mythical in nature.

Brownsville

Brownsville

is home to the mesmerizing

Living Rock Studios

. Part museum, part chapel, part dream, this off path wonder was created by local artist Howard B. Taylor. 800 tons of rocks, minerals, and petrified wood were used to construct the meticulous mosaics and magnificent carvings on display.

About The Author