True Or Not, The Eerie Legend Behind This Rock On Oregon's Mount Hood Is Fascinating
By Catherine Armstrong|Published May 05, 2020
×
Catherine Armstrong
Author
Writer, editor and researcher with a passion for exploring new places. Catherine loves local bookstores, independent films, and spending time with her family, including Gus the golden retriever, who is a very good boy.
Urban legends are fascinating. It can be difficult to trace them back all the way to their beginnings, but once they get started, they can carry on for generations. There’s a spot along the Mt. Hood Highway that’s said to be unlucky for many travelers, and the only way to stay safe from harm is to be completely silent as you pass.
Mt. Hood is Oregon's crown jewel, rising 11,250 feet above sea level. It's a popular place for year-round recreation, but there's an eerie legend here that you'll want to know about before making the drive up.
As you make your way up Highway 26, you'll come to Silent Rock. It's halfway between Rhododendron and Government Camp. As you approach, turn off your car radio, and be completely silent as you pass...
...otherwise, you might suffer the curse. Over the years, thousands of stories have circulated about people who didn't show proper respect while passing this rock.
Some people who pass by while singing to the radio or chatting with friends report having trouble with their vehicle immediately afterward. They run out of gas, their car stalls, they crash into another car, or their vehicle catches on fire.
Others suffer horrible fates when they reach the ski areas. Stories range from losing a glove off the lift, to breaking a ski pole, to devastating yard-sale crashes that result in being carried off the slope by ski patrol.
The highway does have a long history of crashes, with more than 75 wrecks in a 10-year period. During that time, 70 people were injured, and 3 were killed. The U.S. 26 Mt. Hood Safety Project in 2014 took several measures to reduce fatalities, but the legend continues anyway.
No one is quite sure how the legend of Silent Rock got started, but there are several theories. One is that there was a terrible crash in the 1970s when a semi-truck collided with multiple cars, pushing them all down the mountain and killing some of the drivers and passengers.
