Prineville, OR

Steins Pillar is one of Oregon’s overlooked geological gems.

The 350-foot-tall pillar is actually a remnant of an ancient volcano. It’s essentially a relic from when the Ochoco Mountains once spewed spurts of lava and filled the air with clouds of ash, dust, and debris.

People have been drawn to the pillar for centuries, and it’s believed to have been used as a sacred place for the Shoshone. The rock was named Steins Pillar after Major Enoch Steen, who visited the area in the mid-19th century. (Steen’s name was frequently misspelled, and the people who named the rock after him used one of its most common misspellings.)