Nature has a knack for creating strange shapes, and our human eye often seeks out reflections of them in things. In Olympic National Park, Goblin's Gate made people look twice at the faces looking out from the river.
In the heart of Olympic National Park lies a place of both fear and wonder: the Goblin Gate, which can be found on the Elwha River Trail. People passing by the gate tell strange stories about it.
It is a narrow gorge that extends 20 feet above the river. The gorge is talked about for many reasons, as it reminds people of some sort of gateway from a medieval castle, and also the strange faces that people have claimed to have seen there. Could this be a strange haunting, or just a visual finding of a face in the wild?
We call it the Goblin Gate
Legend has it that early explorer Charles A. Barnes stumbled upon this gorge on the Elwha River during an expedition organized by the Seattle Press in 1989–1890. It was the first successful crossing of the Olympic Mountains by Europeans, and they gave names to many landmarks that are still used today.
Barnes is also the one who gave the name to this place, and the name itself gives the place an unsettling feeling. He described the gorge with gushing waters thus: “…like a monster’s throat, silently sucking out water.” And as reminiscent of “a multitude of faces…with tortured expressions.”
The name came from seeing haunting faces carved into the rocks at its edge, like goblins and monsters. Some speculate that he may have indulged in too much Wild Turkey that fateful day. Some have since speculated that something strange is happening in that place.
Mysterious Goblin Gate
As the rushing waters of the Elwha River tumble through the narrow opening of the gorge, the stone walls of the Goblin Gate seem to beckon travelers toward the depths of Rica Canyon.
Attempts to tame the Gate with a bridge have met with appalling failure. The first bridge was swallowed by the river's fury, while the second mysteriously decayed, crumbling before it could fulfill its purpose. This kind of rebellion against nature, which cannot be tamed, has also inspired a few legends of its own:
Is it possible that imperceptible spirits guard the Gate, preventing passage for those who dare to cross it?
Bibliography:
Ghost Stories in National Parks
Goblins Gate – Waterfall Trail
Image Source: Pixabay.com
