Haunted Hiking Trails!

me in the middle, in the Sierras 1985

Day hikes or backpacking, taking to the woods can be a really enjoyable summer activity, but not many people realize there are actually haunted hiking trails. Let's take a look at where you might want to hike this summer if you want double the adventure.



California



Niles Canyon/Fremont:   Reportedly, hikers have gone missing and an apparition of a bloody woman in torn clothing is seen. 

The White Witch of Niles Canyon is a popular name for this apparition. It is said she died on the way to her wedding, hit by a car. She is seen near the cemetery, as are strange lights (the ghost lights or spooklights in many such areas).  

There are conflicting reports, as some have researched it and said that there is no record of such a death. It is also said that it is a hitchhiking ghost sort of urban legend. 

However, the mission grounds and cemetery are said to be actively haunted. If you want to find out and are in California, this might be a circuit to consider hiking.

Information on the hiking trails


Tennessee



Ghost House Trail/Big Ridge State Park:   Some hear the panting of an invisible dog and the ghostly silhouettes of a family are seen in photographs of a cemetery.  You might save this one for October, as they apparently have haunted hiking tours available among the autumn foliage. 

The Norton Cemetery, along the way, has the sunken grave of Maston Hutchinson, said to be perhaps the cause of all the ruckus in the woods.

Info on hiking the 1.2 mile easy loop trail


Arizona


Transept Trail/Grand Canyon:  A woman in a white flowered gown is said to wander the trails and wail. 

Info about hiking this trail


New Jersey



Batona Trail in the Pinelands cuts right through prime Jersey Devil land. The trail is 49 miles through the pines and you might find yourself listening to every sound cautiously. 

Kentucky



Mammoth Cave has an enormous (pun intended) history of unusual things.  There are several reported ghosts, even by the rangers. One of them is Stephen Bishop, a slave who was one of the first cave guides. Coughing is also often heard where tuberculosis patients were taken during the great outbreak. 


Virginia



Corbin Cabin has about all the atmosphere you could wish for on a haunted hike. A lonely settler had to bury his wife in the nearby cemetery and activity is reported there. In fact, to make it even sweeter, the parks department rents the cabin to hikers.



Colorado



Poncha Pass hike takes you up to a cabin and old gold mine. Colorado really does host some of the most amazing ghost towns and relics of the mining years. Besides a miner who died in his cabin, there have been lots of reported weird occurrences along this hike. There are reportedly the ghosts of Civil War soldiers, people reporting the sounds of gunshots and screams, and because of the dangerous hike, a few folks met their demise on the steep cliffs.



More info about haunted hikes

Haunted hikes in the Blue Ridge
Haunted hikes in California 
Sierra Club listing of haunted trails
Colorado's most haunted hikes




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