Thor’s Well is located right off Highway 101/Oregon Coast Highway just outside of Yachats, Oregon. As for Thor’s Well’s rather dramatic nickname, it’s in honor of the figure in Norse Mythology. Thor, with his big old hammer, is said to have smashed the hole into Oregon’s coastline – an explanation that’s undeniably sexier than a crumbling sea cave.

Found in the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area along the Oregon coast, Thor’s Well looks very different depending on the time of day or, more specifically, the tide. At high tide, water briefly conceals Thor’s Well before appearing to drain through – which is why the novelty formation is sometimes called “the drainpipe of the Pacific”.

During storms or choppy waters, Thor’s Well’s contents foam up and can shoot out of the top in a dramatic spray of sudsy-looking water. This is arguably the best time to photograph Thor’s Well, but it’s also the time at which anyone who gets too close is at the greatest risk of getting sucked in.

According to some researchers, the Well probably started out as a sea cave dug out by the waves, before the roof eventually collapsed and created openings at the bottom and top through which the ocean sprays. The huge hole is likely only around 20 feet (six meters) deep, but it still manages to produce amazing sights. Millions of years of the powerful Pacific have transformed this stretch of Oregon’s coastline into something of a theme park for dramatic ocean activities.

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. The best time to visit Thor’s Well is one hour before the high tide to see it without water and then observe how the formation fills up.

According to Wikipedia