It's easy to imagine her there, perched above Bash Bish Falls. It's a freezing spring night, and the surrounding maple trees that leak their sweet sap when the temperature rises during the day. She should have a light heart--the soggy ground signals that flowers will soon fill every hollow in the forest. Summer is just around the corner, but her chest aches. She is bone tired of this sadness. Life wasn't supposed to be this way--she'd always imagined a wigwam full of children's laughter, but her body had betrayed her. "I can see my mother's face down there," is her last thought as she tumbles towards the pool at the base.
The Mohican Legend
The origin of White Swan's legend is unclear. Perhaps she existed--a real person--and was one of the Stockbridge Munsee Mohicans, living near Bash Bish Falls before Europeans intruded. After her death, people from her tribe told and retold her story. On the other hand, White Swan may just be an invented character in an oral tradition. A third option is that the European arrivals invented the tragic narrative. Another likely alternative is that White Swan is an Internet-generated ghost. Whatever the truth, White Swan's story appeals because it is heart-rendering from start to finish.
Years before White Swan's end, her mother, named Bash Bish, was the victim of injustice. As a stunning beauty, Bash Bish was popular, but also the object of envy. Wagging tongues of ill-meaning neighbors accused the new mother of adultery. Tribal elders believed the gossip and sentenced her to death--they would tie her to a canoe and send her over the falls. She cried and insisted on her innocence as her executioners pushed the canoe into the river's current.
Her tribe never found Bash Bish's body. The town cared for her young daughter, White Swan who, as a young woman, married the chief's son. The couple was happily in love, but time revealed that they couldn't have children. Her husband's family encouraged him to remarry. That act took White Swan to the site where her mother had perished. Today, some people say they've seen the women's submerged faces in the pool at Bash Bish Falls. Could mother and daughter still haunt this spot?
Massachusetts's Highest Waterfall
Bash Bish Falls doesn't look spooky or specter-infested. Enchanted seems like a better adjective, and it wouldn't be surprising to see fairies or nymphs lounging on the mossy rocks jutting out below it. The gorgeous sight hides in the Berkshire Hills' forest, near the state limit with New York. It is a short .6 mile hike from the Massachusetts parking lot. Some visitors follow the longer (1.5 miles), but less strenuous walk from the New York parking area.
- Entrance fee: free
- Hours: Every day from dawn to one hour after sunset
- Park address: 4G85+29, Mt. Washington
- Getting there: Via Route 41 in Egremont
Every year, thousands of people journey to the nearly 80 foot high falls passing through the nearby town of Egremont. These falls are the highest in Massachusetts. Each season offers a beautiful view. Spring adorns the falls with budding greenery and flowers. Lush greenage is on display in summer. Fall means golden, amber, orange, and red foliage. In winter, water gushes through ice and snow.
Bash Bish Falls State Park also boasts wildlife. Human visitors share the area with porcupines, bobcats, kestrels, and black bears. The park's rivers offer amazing fishing, but fishermen will need to purchase a Massachusetts permit before getting out their rods.
Fishing permit: Massachusetts non-resident, 3-day $20.90 and $5 conservation stamp
While Bash Bish may not actually be haunted, it's one explanation for some of the accidents that have occurred there over the past century. Around 25 people have drowned at the site, making it an extremely dangerous place to swim. The most recent tragedy occurred in 2017, according to CBS News. Human error of judgment and slippery rocks are another way to understand these events. The Bash Bish Falls State Park official website clarifies that visitors must stay out of the water and resist the urge to climb the rocks.
Learning More About The Stockbridge Mohicans
Although the popular movie from the 1990s convinced many viewers that the Mohicans disappeared, the opposite is true. The tribe still exists and thrives today, although they were forced to relocate to Wisconsin. Despite the distance, the tribe continues to maintain sacred burial grounds in Massachusetts
People visiting Bash Bish can learn more about this First Nation by visiting the Mohican Miles exhibit at the Mission House Museum in downtown Stockbridge. Stockbridge is about 35 miles from the waterfall and a great place to catch lunch or see Norman Rockwell's home and studio.
Mission House Museum - 19 Main Street
Hours: The garden is open year-round while the exhibits about the Mohicans and the Mission House opens only in spring and summer.
Bash Bish Falls is one of Massachusetts's most beautiful sights attractions. The hike is short and the reward at the end of the path is spectacular. This waterfall in the woods is a place for considering those who've stood there before--the First Nations, missionaries, colonists, and other people simply hoping for a beautiful view.