Plymouth Railroad Tunnels www.oregonruns.com
It’s Spooky Season, so what better time to go hiking and hunt for ghosts?! There are many ghost stories and spooky local legends around our local hiking trails and other outdoor areas, and I would like to share some of them with you today.
Please remember, if you decide to go out exploring, ensure that you have all the necessary supplies and gear (including plenty of water and a warm jacket), be respectful of the land and the local population, and do not take silly risks when visiting these sites!
Plymouth Railroad Tunnels
The only time Plymouth was ever really a town was when the railroad was being built through the area, and that is the source of its ghost stories.
An old railroad tunnel — built in 1905 and abandoned by 1951 — is said to be haunted by the spirits of rail workers who were killed in an explosion during the tunnel construction. According to residents, you can hear the screams of the injured and dying workers while walking through it.
In addition, the land the tunnel occupies was originally inhabited by the Umatilla Tribe. The Tribe protested the building of the railroad, possibly because of burial grounds located nearby, but it was in vain. It’s said that Native American spirits haunt the tunnel and have been seen walking around.
To access the tunnel, take Interstate 82 towards Oregon, then exit at Highway 14 to Plymouth. In approximately half a mile turn onto Plymouth Road and continue until it terminates at the trailhead under the I-82. Walk through the trailhead tunnel and the train tunnel will be just ahead.
Iron Goat Trail
If you’re in Leavenworth and want to go on a historical hike in the woods, then the 6-mile Iron Goat Trail is a perfect match. It follows an old train road with several tunnels, and is dotted with interpretive trail markers explaining the history of the trail, including the site of one of the worst railroad disasters in U.S. history.
At midnight on March 1, 1910, an avalanche slammed into a train that was resting outside the town of Wellington for the night, killing 96 of the 119 people on board. The avalanche, sparked by thunder and lightning, sent a wave of snow about 15 feet high slamming into the train. After the disaster, Wellington was renamed Tye to move away from the horror of that night.
Hikers claim they have heard screaming and other sounds in the tunnels. A few have seen full-body apparitions, and some have felt someone touching them or their hair standing on end.
Mission Ridge
Mission Ridge resort provides plenty of opportunity for hiking, snowboarding, skiing, and other outdoor activities, and that is why most people visit. According to legend, it is also the site of a World War II crash that took several lives. On September 30, 1944, Flight Crew 22, flying a B-24 ‘Liberator’ heavy bomber, was on a training mission from Walla Walla, Washington when they became lost in the Cascade Mountains. The legend tells that they were actually carrying top secret documents, and the ‘training mission’ was just a cover.
The weather was stormy, with heavy rain and fog. At around 8pm, a lookout reported hearing the sound of a plane engine. Moments later, a blaze of fire lit up the fog, but due to the conditions that night, search and rescue efforts had to be delayed. By the time the rescuers arrived at the site the next morning, the flames were dead and the wreckage was strewn about the landscape. Official accounts report that all six crew members were found dead. However, the legend claims that the tail gunner had a parachute and was able to exit the plane, carrying the top secret documents, before it crashed — apparently sustaining injuries from flying debris as he landed. The rescue crew found the tail gunner’s bloodied parachute, but never his body. The blood trail into the woods stopped at a dead end.
The remains of the crew — what was left of them — were taken down the mountain, but the spirit of one man remains at the site. He can be seen walking about 500 feet below the ridge and around the area of the crash, still sporting his grim death wound — a plane propeller plunged deep into his chest.
The legend claims that if you talk about him he will show up, and he does so frequently during spooky story times at campfires, giving the kids a good scare! He is also often blamed for the wipe-outs of skiers after they visit the bar.
Kahlotus Railroad Tunnel
Kahlotus is a small town with many spirits, and the most haunted location is Devil’s Canyon Hiking Trail. The 12-mile trail leads outside the small town and to the Snake River. The trail used to be part of a railway line and near the beginning of the hike is an old railroad tunnel. This is where the haunting happens.
The tunnel was built in 1917 by mostly Chinese and Japanese laborers who worked through harsh, hot summers to build the railroad, suffering terrible illness and injuries during construction. Many died in explosions, falls, and myriad other accidents. Most of them were buried in unmarked graves, their memories lost to time, their spirits never laid properly to rest.
Locals say that the hauntings in the tunnel include sounds of workers and people peeking out from the far end, only to be nowhere in sight when you emerge. Many residents believe that the souls from the tunnel also haunt the nearby town of Kahlotus, as people report seeing apparitions and hearing unexplained noises while walking around the small town’s centre.
Ginkgo Petrified Forest
Millions of years in the making, and once the home of a lush forest of ginkgo, walnut, oak, maple, and chestnut, the Ginkgo Petrified Forest is now a forest of stone. Many eons ago, lava flow encased the trees and covered the surrounding landscape. During the ice age floods, the perfectly preserved stone logs were exposed for all to see.
The nearby town of Vantage is a ghost town and doesn’t have any remarkable history. The only thing of note that could explain the haunting in the petrified forest would be those who lost their lives at the ferry crossing before the bridge was built. Visitors to the town and the forest claim to hear screaming and howling wind around the streets and trails.
Ashleigh Malin is a cosplayer, historian, and folklorist who enjoys living her best life.
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