Tucked away in the Manastash Ridge, west of Ellensburg, Washington, lies a curious site known as Mel’s Hole. To the unassuming eye, it appears to be just a simple well—but its story is far more mysterious and unsettling. Over the years, this seemingly bottomless pit has become the center of strange phenomena, urban legends, and conspiracy theories that continue to captivate the imagination. Like the property owners before him, Mel Waters used the hole as a garbage dump, tossing in trash, old appliances, and anything else that needed disposal. But when the pit never filled up, Mel’s curiosity was piqued. The hole seemed endless, and the bizarre occurrences surrounding it only deepened the mystery. From strange radio signals to revived dead animals, Mel’s Hole became an obsession. Let’s delve into the chilling details of Mel’s Hole and see if we can uncover the truth behind this enigmatic pit.
What is Mel’s Hole?
Mel’s Hole is a pit measuring nine feet and nine inches in diameter, surrounded by a stone retaining wall that extends about 15 feet (4.57 m) below the surface. Beyond that, the hole plunges into darkness. For years, Mel and his neighbors had used it as a dumping ground, throwing everything from household trash to broken appliances into its depths. Oddly, no one could remember a time when the hole wasn’t there, and more strangely, no one ever heard objects hitting the bottom.
Driven by curiosity, Mel decided to measure the depth of the pit. Being an avid fisherman, he had plenty of fishing line on hand. He attached a one-pound weight to the line and sent it down. To his astonishment, the line ran out at 4,500 feet (1.37 km)—yet it didn’t hit the bottom. Mel added spool after spool of fishing line, and the pit seemed to have no end. By the time he ran out of line, Mel had lowered nearly 80,000 feet (ca. 24 km)—over 15 miles—into the hole without reaching the bottom.
But it wasn’t just the depth that baffled Mel. His dogs refused to go near the hole, digging in their paws if forced too close. The hole’s vicinity was eerily devoid of wildlife; no insects, no birds, and certainly no other animals. Radios near the pit would pick up strange, often unidentifiable signals. It was clear this was no ordinary hole.
The Revived Dog and Other Paranormal Events
One day, a neighbor mentioned something that would change Mel’s perspective on the hole forever. The neighbor had thrown his recently deceased dog into the pit. A few days later, he saw the same dog running through the woods, still wearing its collar. The dog seemed healthy but didn’t recognize its owner or respond to his calls. Had the dog been brought back from the dead, or was it something else entirely? Was it even the same dog, or a version from another dimension?
As Mel continued to explore the mysteries of the hole, he realized he was in over his head. He needed help. In 1997, he turned to a popular radio show, Coast to Coast AM, hosted by Art Bell, known for delving into strange and paranormal topics. Mel contacted Art and, over a series of interviews, shared the bizarre details of the bottomless pit.
The Government Gets Involved
After Mel’s story aired, the mysterious hole became a global sensation. People were fascinated, and many wanted to explore the site themselves. However, things took a darker turn. The day after his first broadcast with Art Bell, Mel tried to return to his property, only to find the entrance blocked. The U.S. military had cordoned off the area, and armed personnel guarded the site. When Mel asked what was going on, he was told there had been a plane crash, though there were no signs of any crash—no wreckage, no fire, nothing.
When Mel pressed further, a man in civilian clothes warned him that his land might not be his anymore and threatened to accuse him of running a drug lab if he didn’t back off. When Mel threatened to go public with his story, the man coolly told him that no one would believe him. But Mel knew that Art Bell and his audience would.
Strange Signals and Dark Beams
The involvement of the military only fueled more speculation. Locals reported seeing black helicopters around the site and dark beams of light emerging from the pit, which were described as being darker than anything they had ever seen. People began to theorize that the hole was sitting on a ley line—a supposed geographic alignment of paranormal significance—or perhaps even a portal to another dimension. Others speculated that the hole was a tunnel to a hollow Earth inhabited by strange beings. As more theories emerged, Mel’s hole became a paranormal hotspot, linked to UFO sightings, disappearances, and other strange phenomena.
Mel Disappears and Reappears
Following the military’s takeover of his property, Mel vanished from the public eye for three years. When he finally resurfaced, he claimed that he had been offered three million dollars a year to lease his land to an undisclosed party. The deal came with a catch: he had to sign a non-disclosure agreement, leave the country, and never return. Mel took the deal and moved to Australia, where he lived for two years.
However, Mel grew homesick and decided to return to the U.S. Despite warnings not to come back, he reached out to Art Bell and agreed to do another radio interview. But on the day of the show, Mel was a no-show. He later revealed that he had been on a bus to visit his nephew when an altercation broke out, leading to his detainment. The next thing Mel remembered, he woke up in an alley in San Francisco, 12 days later, with no memory of what had happened. His wallet and keys were gone, his back teeth were missing, and his arm showed signs of having been injected with something. Mel’s ordeal was unsettling, but it wouldn’t be the last strange chapter in his story.
A Second Hole and a Magical Seal
During another call with Art Bell, Mel revealed he had been contacted by a Native American tribe in Nevada, who believed they had another bottomless pit similar to Mel’s. This second hole, located on public land used by Basque shepherds, was also surrounded by mystery. The pit had a metal lining that was warm to the touch and made no sound when struck. Mel and the tribe decided to conduct experiments, including lowering ice into the hole. In a bizarre twist, the ice did not melt; instead, it caught fire and burned for months.
Then, the tribe lowered a sheep into the hole. When they brought it back up, the sheep was dead and seemed to have been cooked from the inside. Inside its body was a strange, tumor-like mass that began to move. When they cut it open, they found a creature that looked like a seal but had human-like eyes. The seal-like being studied them, then made its way back to the hole and jumped in. After this encounter, Mel, who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, found himself miraculously cured.
The Ice That Never Melts and a Collapsing Cabin
One of the Basque shepherds who had taken the burning ice home to heat his cabin found that the air inside became unnaturally dry, and moisture seemed to be sucked into the stove. Over time, the cabin began to collapse and eventually turned to dust, as though the ice had accelerated its decay. The stove itself sank into the ground, creating what looked like a new bottomless pit. The Basque tribe began experiencing visions of the seal-like creature, which they believed was communicating with them through strange signals on the radio, warning of the dangers of the ice.
What Really Happened?
Despite Mel’s claims and the eerie tales surrounding the hole, there is no solid evidence that Mel’s Hole ever existed. Efforts to locate the site have been unsuccessful, and some believe Mel Waters was using a pseudonym to protect his identity. Skeptics argue that Mel’s story grew increasingly fantastical over time, and without photographs or physical proof, it’s impossible to verify his claims. Even so, Mel never attempted to profit from his story—there were no book deals, no merchandise, and no public appearances outside his calls with Art Bell.
In the end, Mel’s Hole remains one of the most intriguing urban legends of the 1990s, captivating those who love a good mystery. Whether you believe it’s a tale of government cover-ups, alternate dimensions, or simply an elaborate hoax, the story of Mel’s Hole challenges our understanding of what’s possible. Mel may have disappeared, but his mysterious pit continues to haunt the imaginations of those who dare to ponder the unknown.
The Bottom Line
The legend of Mel’s Hole is a blend of mystery, conspiracy, and the supernatural. Sometimes the most compelling stories aren’t the ones with clear answers, but the ones that leave us asking questions.
The story of Mel’s Hole is a fascinating piece of paranormal folklore, a testament to the power of curiosity and the allure of the unknown.
