Lover's Leap

Lover's Leap (sometimes spelled as Lovers' Leap or Lovers Leap), is a toponym given to a number of locations of great height, usually isolated, with the risk of a fall and the possibility of a deliberate jump. Legends of romantic tragedy are often associated with a Lovers' Leap. In these stories, a couple is prevented by outside forces (e.g., family or cultural differences) from being together (not unlike Romeo and Juliet), and the two people, usually young and from the local community, leap to their death by suicide rather than be separated.

Punctuation
Strictly speaking, the three punctuations—Lover's Leap, Lovers Leap, and Lovers' Leap—have distinct meanings. Lover's Leap—the leap of one lover—implies a solo suicide due to unrequited love. Lovers Leap is technically a statement (similar to "lovers, they leap") and not a noun, but it is common to remove apostrophes from place names. Lovers' Leap—the leap of the lovers—implies a simultaneous suicide. Apostrophes are commonly misunderstood so it is advisable not to read too much into a local spelling convention.

Notable examples in the United States
An example of a Lover's Leap is located at Hawk's Nest in Hawk's Nest State Park in the town of Ansted, Fayette County, West Virginia along the historic Midland Trail. At this location, there is a drop of 178 m (585 feet) from a high bluff overlooking the New River Gorge. The legend, which has several variations, involves two young Native Americans from different tribes.

Another well-known "Lover's Leap" is located at the top of Wills Mountain, overlooking "the Narrows" at Cumberland, Maryland. It is 1,652 feet above sea level and made up of oddly squared projectories of rock, from its top, all the way down to the National Highway (U.S. Rte. 40) below. The City of Cumberland and the surrounding states of Pennsylvania and West Virginia may be seen from this point. Further, it is known that the air currents whipping up and around are so strong, that a climber cannot be heard from the top once over the lip, nor can be easily seen due to the projected rock angles. (For more history, see also inventor Frederick John Bahr who bought Wills Mountain and built his log cabin on top.)

A brighter local variation of the standard mythology surrounding locations named Lover's Leap is evident regarding Blowing Rock, a mountain outside of the eponymous town in North Carolina. The legend begins with the customary introduction of a young lover leaping from the cliff. Instead of plunging to his death, however, the man is saved by the strength of a sudden gust of wind. The gale blows him back into the arms of his sweetheart and he is saved.

Other places with a Lover's Leap

 * Maiden Rock, Wisconsin, USA, the site of the Native American legend of Princess Winona
 * Starved Rock, Utica, Illinois, USA
 * Elora Gorge, Elora, Ontario, Canada
 * Lake Tahoe, on the border between the U.S. states of California and Nevada
 * Vail, Colorado, USA; name of a run on Blue Sky Basin
 * Stuart, Virginia, USA in Patrick County has a Lover's Leap in the Blue Ridge Mountains, about 10 miles west of Stuart on U.S. Highway 58.
 * Rock City, a roadside attraction on Lookout Mountain near Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
 * Purgatory Chasm State Reservation, Massachusetts, USA
 * Philmont Scout Ranch outside Cimarron, New Mexico, USA
 * Lover's Leap, St. Elizabeth, on the Caribbean island of Jamaica's south coast, popularized in the novel Lover's Leap:Based on the Jamaican Legend by Horane Smith
 * Lover's Leap Bridge and State Park, New Milford, Connecticut, USA
 * Two Lovers Point, Tamuning, Guam
 * Lovers' Rock (la Peña de los Enamorados), Antequera, Andalucia, Spain
 * Lovers Leap, Otago Peninsula, Dunedin, New Zealand
 * Lovers Leap, Dovedale, Peak District, UK
 * Lovers Leap State Park, New Milford, CT
 * Lovers Leap, Hannibal, Missouri, USA, hometown of author Mark Twain.
 * Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania