Of course, Heceta Head‘s rich history includes a ghost story or two, the earliest of which date back to the 1950s. Visit the lighthouse’s interpretative center for the inside story — tours of the lighthouse tower are offered through October.
How To Tell if It’s Haunted: The lady of Heceta Head, affectionately known as “Rue” by locals, is described as a misty apparition. It is said that she lost a young child in an accident and took her own life shortly thereafter. Over the years, lightkeepers and their families (and more recently, visitors and employees) have reported the sounds of a child laughing, as well as a woman’s desperate screams.
The most famous story took place in the 1970s, when a maintenance worker who had come face to face with Rue was so spooked he refused to return to the attic, even when he accidentally broke a window there. Overnight guests reported sounds of scraping, and in the morning, the glass shards were neatly piled, as though they’d been swept. Most agree that Rue is a benevolent, if restless, spiritual presence.
More Info: tel. 866/547-3696; www.hecetalighthouse.com
Photo Caption: Mariners Room at Heceta Head Lightstation B&B.