Some of the most haunted places in Hawaii you will find when driving. Roads like Nuʻuanu Pali Drive and Highway, as well as Morgan’s corner are said to be haunted by ancient Hawaiian warriors, murdered girls and other urban legends.
Connecting to the Route 61, Pali Highway you will find Nuʻuanu Pali Drive, nestled in the lush greenery of Honolulu, Oʻahu. The area is renowned for its breathtaking views from the Pali Lookout of the verdant forests and sparkling beaches below. The gods were believed to once live on the mountain the roads are winding around. But beyond its natural beauty, this historic road harbors some of Hawaii’s most chilling ghost stories along the entire way.
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The eerie tales of Nuʻuanu Pali Highway are rooted in its tumultuous and at times, bloody past. The passage the road goes through, historically a critical connection between the two sides of the Koʻolau mountain range, has seen human habitation and conflict for centuries. Its most infamous event occurred in 1795 during the Battle of Nuʻuanu, where King Kamehameha I’s forces drove around 400 of enemy warriors over the cliffs to their deaths.
Read also: Shadows of Kapiolani Park: Ghosts found in the Queen Kapiʻolani Regional Park for more about the battle of Nu’uanu and the haunting it created.
The bones of these warriors were discovered by construction workers in the 1890s, adding a layer of haunting.
The Girl with the Skipping Rope
There are many legends connected to these parts, some older, some newer. One of the urban legends circulating from more modern times is the legend about the ghostly girl with the skipping rope. Her given name is mostly Janette Lum, a 15 year old girl that in the early 50s was strangled and sexually assaulted by a friend. He had used her favorite skipping rope and after realizing she was dead, had dumped her in the bushes along the Old Pali Road, now a hiking trail.
People have reported about seeing a young girl with a skipping rope along the area where she was murdered. Her face rotting away, her eyes bulging out like they had in her last moments.
Read More: Check out all ghost stories from USA
Although the names given to the urban legend are fiction, there have been similar cases not too far from this place that many believe the urban legend comes from. Dawn “Dede” Bustamante was raped and killed in 1975 and left on a deserted road behind the Pali Golf Course when she was 13 years old.
The abandoned car of 19 year old Lisa Au was found on the road in 1982, and her dead body was found on Tantalus drive, left for many days and the case has never been solved.
The Tragic Tale of Cassie
Among the many spirits said to haunt Nuʻuanu Pali Drive, connecting to the highway right by the Pali Lookout, the most poignant is that of a teenage girl, mostly named Cassie. It is also said she was a girl living at the Morgan’s residence, by the sharp curve known as Morgan’s Corner.
Another variation of the legend has it that Cassie, heartbroken after her boyfriend cheated on her with a cheerleader in their class, took her own life by hanging herself from a tree along the road. Her body hung there for days until it was discovered by none other than her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend. Some variations say that her head was severed from her body because of the rope.
The sight of Cassie’s severed head outside their car window, grinning in death, remains one of the most terrifying encounters reported in the area.
Cassie’s spirit is said to roam the drive, her head dragging behind her by the spinal cord, especially targeting couples parked along the road. Many believe she seeks revenge for her untimely demise and heartbreak.
The Murder at Morgan’s Corner
Did she exist in real life? The ghost story teller, Lopaka Kapanui claims that it is just an urban legend and there haven’t been any actual murder connected to the legend, although many ghostly legends have sprung from this place.
Although not much is known about a young girl dying or being murdered, there is the story about Therese Wilder. She lived there in 1948 when two men broke into her house on 3939 Nu‘uanu Pali Rd and murdered her.
The men were escaped prisoners and initially broke into her house, gagged her and left her unconscious on her bed. She died of suffocation as they had broken her jaw in the struggle.
As for other murders, a reporter for the Honolulu Magazine did a digging into it, and found no other murders but the Wilder case.
Guardians and Gods of the Pali Valley
The area is also believed to be protected by ancient guardian goddesses, embodied in two large boulders off the road in the Pali Valley who were akua wāhine, the goddesses Hāpuʻu and Kalaʻihauola. Local families historically left offerings to these deities for safe travels and blessings for their newborns. Women would also bury the umbilical cord of their newborns to protect themselves from evil spirits.
These practices reflect the deep spiritual significance of Nuʻuanu Pali to the Native Hawaiian community, and even if they tore the stones down when the Wilson Tunnel was built, it is still said that they are still protecting people, especially those coming to close to the cliffs, trying to lure people off them.
Police detailing a paranormal experience she claimed happened to her partner
Madame Pele Haunting the Pali Highway
Driving down the Pali Highway, people are warned to not bring pork on the road. If you do bring the pork though, there are stories about the cars stalling when you drive over it and wont start again before you throw the pork out.
What is the reasoning for the pork rules on this road? According to some it comes from the feud Pele, the goddess of fire and volcanoes from Hawaiian mythology had with Kamapuaa, the pig-man god. He was her husband but cheated on her. When she discovered it, they divided the island into two territories they would not be allowed to cross.
Ever since, there have been stories about bus drivers with engine trouble, knowing there was someone with pork onboard. There have also been dares of people trying, only to get a physical reaction when starting to traverse the path.
The Moʻo Wahine
The moʻo wahine, a shape-shifting lizard spirit, adds another layer of fear to Nuʻuanu Pali Drive. Travelers recount encounters with a beautiful woman who transforms into a monstrous lizard, luring the unsuspecting to their doom. One man’s near-fatal encounter with this creature serves as a stark warning to those who venture into these haunted parts at night.
Modern-Day Hauntings
Even today, the drive is a hotspot for paranormal activity. The sound of phantom footsteps, sudden chills, and the appearance of ghostly figures dressed in traditional Hawaiian attire are commonly reported. Visitors often feel an overwhelming sense of being watched, and many claim to have seen apparitions of ancient warriors and forlorn spirits.
For those daring enough to explore Nuʻuanu Pali Drive, it offers not only stunning vistas but also a brush with the supernatural. Whether it’s the tragic ghost of Cassie, the protective spirits of ancient goddesses, or the vengeful power of Pele, the haunted history of this scenic route ensures an unforgettable—and potentially chilling—experience.
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References:
Pork and Pali are Recipes for Disaster
Nu’uanu Pali Drive, Oahu | To-Hawaii.com
http://www.weirdus.com/states/hawaii/stories/old_pali_road/index.php
The Real Story Behind Honolulu’s Haunted Morgan’s Corner
Lisa Au murder in Oahu, Hawaii still haunts Honolulu Police Department
Ghosts Next Door: URBAN LEGENDS OF ‘O’AHU
