Multnomah Falls — the maiden's leap of Oregon's tallest waterfall

Multnomah Falls, the tallest waterfall in Oregon at 620 feet, is located in the Columbia River Gorge east of Portland. According to a legend attributed to the Multnomah people, a young maiden sacrificed herself by leaping from the top of the falls to appease the Great Spirit during a terrible plague that was devastating her tribe. After her death, the plague ended, and her father found a new stream flowing where none had been before. The maiden's ghost is said to haunt the falls, and visitors have reported seeing a ghostly figure standing behind the upper cascade, visible through the veil of water. On misty days, some observers describe seeing a woman's form in the spray at the base of the falls, her arms outstretched. The Benson Bridge, which spans the falls at the 69-foot mark, has been the site of reports of a spectral presence — hikers have described feeling someone brush past them on the bridge when no one is there. The falls receive over 2 million visitors annually, and while most come for the natural beauty, the legend of the maiden adds a layer of cultural significance and supernatural intrigue to one of the Pacific Northwest's most iconic landmarks.