Vernonia, OR

All abandoned places are a little eerie. When you see or visit them, it's hard to not imagine a time when they were bustling with activity.

The Oregon American Lumber Company built this mill in 1924 when this area was thick with dense, old-growth forest. The mill soon became one of the biggest and most active in the state. Many men worked here for the 37 years that the mill was operational. Eventually, there were no more trees to be cut, and the mill was abandoned in 1957. Only abandoned buildings remain. Trees have begun to reclaim the land.

The main mill building is a big draw for explorers. You know when you see a door like this one that something very cool is happening inside. Inside the old mill, the walls are covered with art. Street artists come from all over to leave their mark on this space. The art on these walls is always changing, so you'll see different things each time that you come.