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Echoes in the Abyss: The Ghostly Legacy of Stephen Bishop at Mammoth Cave

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The Mammoth Cave National Park is said to be haunted, by both the spirit of the first tour guide, the slave Stephen Bishop as well as the tuberculosis patients that were put in the caves and died in an experiment. 

Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, US stands as a colossal testament to the wonders that lie beneath the Earth’s surface. Designated as a National Park in 1941, Mammoth Cave National Park beckons adventurers to explore its intricate labyrinth of tunnels, a subterranean world that stretches over 400 miles and remains the largest cave structure ever discovered. 

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Yet, amid the awe-inspiring beauty of this geological marvel, a spectral tale lingers—one that reaches back to a time when Mammoth Cave was more than a park; it was a stage for the haunting legacy of Stephen Bishop, the slave tour guide that are said to haunt it.

Mammoth Cave: The entrance to Mammoth Cave at Mammoth Cave National Park. It doesn’t hold any mammoth remains, but according to stories, it is haunted by the past guides and patients who died.

The Mammoth Cave

But what really is the Mammoth Cave, and what can you find within? No fossils of the woolly mammoth have ever been found in Mammoth Cave, and the name of the cave has nothing to do with this extinct mammal and refer more to the sheer size of it.

Mammoth Cave National Park, located in central Kentucky, is a subterranean wonderland and the longest cave system in the world, boasting over 400 miles of explored passages. This UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve is renowned for its stunning underground labyrinth, featuring vast chambers, intricate formations, and unique geological features. 

Above ground, the park encompasses diverse ecosystems, including lush forests and rolling hills, providing habitats for a variety of wildlife. Visitors can embark on guided tours to explore the cave’s depths, learn about its rich history and the ancient Native American artifacts found within, and enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and canoeing. 

The Cave Explorer Stephen Bishop

Long before Mammoth Cave received its National Park status, it captivated the curiosity of tourists as a privately owned attraction driven by a grim history of slave labor, the cave tours were led by individuals like Stephen Bishop, a man who transcended the shackles of slavery to become a pioneering explorer within the depths of Mammoth Cave.

Stephen Bishop: A slave who worked at the Mammoth Cave as its guide and explorer who made the basis of what we know of it today. Some people claim he is haunting the cave to this day.

Stephen Bishop (1821-1857) was brought to the caves to work when he was 17 years old by Franklin Gorin, a lawyer who wanted to turn the site into a tourist attraction. Gorin owned Mammoth Cave for just a year before selling it to John Croghan for $10,000, a price that included Bishop. He stayed on for another 19 years, exploring the cave, mapping it out and became a well known explorer and self thought geologist guiding people around the caves. He called the caves a: “A grand, gloomy, and peculiar place.”

He had initially intended to free his wife and son and move to Liberia, but never did. Stephen Bishop was freed the year before his death and was buried close to the cave. What he died of is uncertain, and is said to be of mysterious causes only 37 years old.

The Ghost of Stephen Bishop Haunting the Caves

In the modern era, those who venture into the quiet depths of Mammoth Cave claim to witness the ethereal presence of something strange, often believed to be the spirit of Stephen Bishop. Alone in the inky blackness, explorers report glimpses of his ghostly figure, a spectral guide traversing the same paths he once trod in life. 

A thing the guide does is turn the electric lights off and only speaks to the tour by a light of an oil lantern as they used to do. They call this a blackout and this is when most reports about strange things happening. 

Guides claim to have been shoved by a strange and invisible force, grabbed or touched when no one is around. They have also heard footsteps, but when turning around, there is no one there.

One time when staying in the room called the Methodist Church because the miners used to hold services there, a guide claimed to have seen an entire black family in their group, a strange thing as there were no black people joining their tour when they entered the caves. When he looked away for a second, they were gone. 

The Tuberculosis Patients

Another thing that Dr. Croghan did was to establish Dr. Croghan’s Infirmary after he purchased the caves in 1839. He thought that the cold and subterranean place would be good for the lungs, but it was actually the opposite. Several of his patients’ conditions got worse and three patients died before the experiment shut down a few months after. 

Bishop, the Bransfords , and possibly other enslaved workers built huts in the cave, two of which can still be seen today and the sick lived side by side by the tour guides, becoming a spectacle themselves. 

Tuberculosis Patients: Ten young women and a man posed at a small stone building inside Mammoth Cave where they built huts to accommodate tuberculosis patients. None of them got any better, some of them died and allegedly still haunts the caves.

Croghan died in 1849 from tuberculosis himself. The bodies were taken outside and buried on a stone slab now called Corpse Rock. 

After the infirmary closed down, visitors spoke of hearing the sound of coughing echoing through the cave in the section where the patients once were placed. 

Mammoth Cave, with its grandeur and secrets, holds within its depths the lingering spirits of those who shaped its past. The ghostly legacy of Stephen Bishop, an explorer who dared to unveil the mysteries of the abyss, continues to resonate through the cavernous chambers, where echoes of the past reverberate alongside the drip of stalactites, creating an otherworldly symphony in the subterranean darkness.

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References:

Stephen Bishop (cave explorer) – Wikipedia 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/enslaved-tour-guide-stephen-bishop-made-mammoth-cave-must-see-destination-it-today-180971424

Mammoth Cave National Park Harbors More Than A Few Ghost Stories  

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The Legend of the Ute Spirits of the Mist on the Grand Lake

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On misty mornings on the Grand Lake in the Rocky Mountain National park in Colorado, it is said that the ghosts of the Ute tribe are haunting the cursed water after drowning in it after a bloody battle.

“Since that dark night when the storm frowned,
And night her mantle had thrown around,
The ghosts of the warriors lain,
Rise up from their graves again,
Again in battle line they stand,
The dead chief leading his command.
They then engage in deadly fight
And stop not till the morning light;
For at the first faint streak of day
These ghostly forms will fade away.
By Joseph L. Wescott as told by an old Ute Chief

Rocky Mountain National Park, located in northern Colorado, is a breathtaking expanse of wilderness encompassing over 415 square miles of rugged mountains, alpine lakes, and diverse ecosystems. Established in 1915, the park is renowned for its stunning vistas, including the towering peaks of the Continental Divide and the picturesque Trail Ridge Road, which offers panoramic views from over 12,000 feet above sea level. Visitors to the park can explore over 350 miles of hiking trails, encounter a rich variety of wildlife such as elk, bighorn sheep, and black bears, and experience the serene beauty of lush meadows and dense forests. 

The park also houses many of the infamous haunted places, like the real hotel that inspired Stephen King’s iconic novel, The Shining.

Read More: Check out the ghost stories from The Haunted History of The Stanley Hotel, the hotel in the Shining is based on.

Within the majestic beauty of Rocky Mountain National Park, where peaks touch the heavens and valleys cradle secrets, lies a tale that weaves through the landscape like the mist that graces its peaks. 

Rocky Mountains: On misty mornings in the rocky mountain national park by Grand Lake, it is said that the ghost of the Ute Spirits from a bloody battle is still haunted the now cursed lake.

The Ute Tribe on the Grand Lake

Legend speaks of a group of Utes who, centuries ago, established a camp near the serene Grand Lake. This is Colorado’s largest natural body of water and in the time when the natives occupied the land, it was known as Spirit Lake. There are many stories around this lake, some claiming that the spirit of a mighty buffalo is roaming the lake when it is frozen, only leaving hoof prints behind.  

But the most haunted story about the Grand Lake is the Legend of the Ute Spirits. Where the tribe originally came from is uncertain, could they have come from the Great Basin or Mexico? Perhaps they were descendants of the Paleo-Indians who used to hunt mammoths and mastodons in the area. In any case, they held a stronghold in the Western slope of the Rockies for a long time. The nomadic tribes spent their summers in the area until the land was taken by the U.S government in 1803. 

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The indigenous had lived in the area for thousands of years and the Ute tribe was primarily at the west side of the park around Grand Lake and Lake Granby. They were hunters and gatherers and migrated every season on the hunting grounds along the Western slope of the Continental Divide.

The Ute People: In addition to their ancestral lands within Colorado and Utah, their historic hunting grounds extended into current-day Wyoming, Oklahoma, Arizona, and New Mexico. The tribe also had sacred grounds outside their home domain that were visited seasonally. Group of Ute Indians on the War Path. 1868. Andrew J. Russell, photographer.

This picturesque scene, however, would soon be marred by tragedy. The Utes found themselves unexpectedly ambushed by a rival tribe, the Arapahos and possibly the Cheyenne as well. The Arapahos were a neighboring tribe, originally from present day Canada who had migrated to the present day Colorado around 1790 because of conflict with their neighbors. They mostly settled in the eastern part of the park, and conflict between the two tribes escalated.

Originally they mostly fought over hunting ground, but after gold was found in Colorado in 1858, both of the tribes were pushed further away and confined them to reservations and by 1878, the Arapaho tribe were pushed into a reservation in Wyoming and Oklahoma, and the Ute pushed into the southwest corner of Colorado and Utah. 

Ute Camp: Prior to living on reservations, Utes shared land with other tribal members according to a traditional societal property system. Instead of recognizing this lifestyle, the U.S. government provided allotments of land. The Utes were intended to farm the land, which also was a forced vocational change. Utes were forced to perform manual labor, relinquish their horses, and send their children to American Indian boarding schools. Almost half of the children sent to boarding school in Albuquerque died in the mid-1880s, due to tuberculosis or other diseases. Photo: Charles Craig, Uncompahgre Ute Indian Camp, 1893

But before the land was completely lost to them, there was fighting around the Grand Lake and evidence of fighting on the west side of the lake and maybe the east side close to Moraine Park. The Arapaho entered the area through Forest Canyon, avoiding detection by Ute scouts.

According to stories, around 300 Utes were killed, with few being able to escape. In a desperate bid to escape the violence, the women and children of the Ute tribe embarked on a canoe or some sort of raft, seeking refuge from the impending danger.

As fate would have it, a sudden gust of wind, an unseen force, disrupted the waters and capsized the canoe, plunging its occupants into the icy depths. The lake, once a source of solace, became a watery grave, claiming the lives of those who sought refuge on its surface.

The Ute Spirits on the Lake

The Ute, grief-stricken and haunted by the memories of that ill-fated day, came to view Grand Lake as a cursed place. They shunned its shores, steering clear of the watery abyss that held the echoes of their collective tragedy. The misty mornings that embraced the lake seemed to carry the whispers of the lost Ute women and children, their spirits forever entwined with the ethereal elements of the landscape.

Read More: Check out all haunted Lakes

Today, visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park may find themselves enraptured by the mist-kissed mornings, where the veil between the seen and the unseen grows thin. The legend holds that you can still see ghostly forms in the morning mist rising from the lake and hear the wailing of the lost women and children beneath the winter ice. 

It is also said that during these moments, the spirits of the Ute women and children manifest, their ghostly figures beckoning onlookers to join them in the depths of the lake.

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References:

The Legend Of Grand Lake | KRKY Ski Country 

The Ute Legend of Grand Lake | Grand County History Stories 

Native American History of Rocky Mountain National Park – Colorado Wilderness Rides and Guides 

https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=ETG19140711.2.21&e=——-en-20–1–img-txIN%7ctxCO%7ctxTA——–0——

Rocky Mountain National Park: An Indigenous History 

The Legend of Grand Lake 

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The Ghost of the Farmer of Norton Creek Trail

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In the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a ghostly lantern is said to haunt the Norton Creek Trail. It is said that the helpful light, guiding lost hikers to safety is the ghost of a farmer who died years ago when looking for his lost daughter. 

The eerie beauty of the Fontana area you will find the Norton Creek Trail that holds a chilling legend that has both fascinated and frightened locals and visitors for generations. Not only does the area hold over 200 known cemeteries along the trail, it is also said that the area is haunted. As you tread along this path, you might witness a ghostly light floating in the woods, an ethereal glow that has become the cornerstone of a haunting tale.

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Norton Creek Trail, nestled within the stunning expanse of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, offers hikers a serene yet eerie journey through lush forests and along the rippling Norton Creek. While the trail is known for its natural beauty, it is also shrouded in local folklore

The Legend of the Ghost Farmer

The story begins with a dedicated farmer, a man of the land whose life was irrevocably shattered when his beloved daughter disappeared into the dense, shadowy forests surrounding Norton Creek. 

What happened when the daughter went missing, no one ever found out. Perhaps she just wandered into the woods and got lost, perhaps she had an accident on her way og encountered an animal. Perhaps it was something worse, rooted in deep folklore from the natives. 

According to the stories, he was one of the European settlers and didn’t know about the stories about the notorious Spearfinger lurking in the woods according to the Cherokee tribes and most likely took his daughter. 

Desperate to find her, the farmer ventured into the night, carrying only a lantern to light his way. He never returned, and most likely died, perhaps finally being reunited with his daughter in the afterlife. 

Although, there are those claiming that his spirit remains in the same woods he disappeared, endlessly searching for his lost child.

The Legend of Spearfinger

But what took his daughter? Was she only lost in the woods, or something more ominous. Some stories claim that it was Spearfinger, a fearsome figure in Cherokee legend who took her. She is a monstrous being known for her stone-like skin and a long, razor-sharp finger made of obsidian, which she uses to cut out and consume the livers of her victims. 

Disguising herself as an old woman, Spearfinger would prey on unsuspecting children, luring them with her seemingly benign appearance before revealing her true, terrifying form. Then she would kill them and eat their liver. 

Read the whole story about The Cherokee Legend of Spearfinger in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Haunting of the Farmer on Norton Creek Trail

Those who have encountered the spectral light on Norton Creek Trail describe it as a beacon of hope in an otherwise foreboding landscape and the ghost of the farmer is said to lead people back on their path. 

If you find yourself lost or in need of guidance, the farmer’s ghostly lantern is said to lead you back to safety, guiding you to the trailhead where you can return to the world of the living. The light flickers and moves with an uncanny intelligence, as if driven by the farmer’s undying hope and paternal love.

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The Scariest Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains 

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Lake Crescent and the Lady of the Lake Haunting it

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The Lady of the Lake said to haunt the Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park. The ghost said to linger in the water is said to be the spirit of Hallie Latham Illingworth, who was murdered and dumped at the bottom of the lake.

Within the mist-shrouded landscapes of Olympic National Park in Washington lies Crescent Lake, a serene body of water with a haunting secret that transcends its natural beauty. The spectral narrative of the Lady in the Lake, rooted in a tragic tale from a horrible murder that was left floating and unsolved until the lake itself revealed it, casts an eerie spell over this enchanting wilderness.

Lake Crescent: The lake in the Olympic National Park is said to be haunted by a ghost they call the Lady of the Lake. // Source: Dave Lichterman/Flickr

Lake Crescent

The 12 mile long lake on the northwestern part of the park is said to be a stunning destination, but with haunted depths. There are many mysteries about the dark waters of the lake, often thought to be 1000 ft in popular belief. Some of them have been cleared up, like the true depth is actually 596 feet. 

The tales about Lake Crescent are old, like when the Klallam Tribes 10 000 year old oral story told about how they were fighting against the Quileute people and the Mount Storm Mountain got angry and threw a boulder at them to stop their fighting, splitting the valley in two, forming both Lake Southerland and Lake Crescent.

Read More: Check out all of our ghost stories from Haunted Lakes

According to legend, the lake never gave up on those that died back then and ever since, and for many generations the natives didn’t want to go near the lake. Although there actually is some truth to the story, there really was an earthquake at the time of battle that split the valley, is there also some truth to the legend about the lake holding on to its dead?

In 1929 a couple driving along the lake went missing and the case remained a mystery for decades. That was until 2002 when they found their 1927 Chevrolet under the surface of the lake. Although still, no bodies have shown up. 

But the most famous story is about the Lady of the Lake and the stories behind the true mystery of Hallie Latham Illingworth, the dead the lake gave back. 

The Death of Hallie Latham Illingworth

Hallie Latham Illingworth: Thought to be the spirit haunting Lake Crescent.

In 1937, the Lake Crescent Lodge and Tavern was a gathering place for those seeking respite amid the park’s breathtaking lakes. It was here that Hallie Latham Illingworth, a beloved waitress, lived and worked. Originally from Kentucky, she had found herself ensnared in the tumultuous web of her marriage to Mr. Monty Illingworth, a beer truck driver. Her latest of her three marriages. 

Unlucky in love, she had moved in search of a better life, but only found her early end of it. Both heavy drinkers, they often fought and the fights often ended violently. She would often show up to work with bruises, broken teeth and told her coworkers about how he choked her. 

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On December 22, 1937, Hallie at the age of 35 mysteriously vanished, just five months after they had married. Mr. Illingworth, quick to deflect blame, asserted that she had eloped with another man, a sailor from Alaska. 

Three long years passed before the secrets hidden beneath Crescent Lake surfaced. Monty had already gone to Long Beach in California with his new wife, whom he married the year after. She was the former roommates of Hallies sister and it was said they had gotten together before she disappeared. 

Lake Crescent Lodge: The place where Hallie Latham Illingworth used to work and also thought to be haunted by her ghost.

The Soap Corpse in Lake Crescent

But Hallie had not disappeared, not forever. She was dead, and closer than anyone had thought. In 1940, the lifeless body of Hallie Illingworth washed ashore in the near freezing water temperatures and was discovered by two fishermen.

Investigations showed how she had been tied to rocks before being dropped in the lake rolled up in a blanket. But as the ropes decomposed, her body floated up to the surface. 

There were several strange things about this case, least of all how her body and particularly her waxy and soapy skin had been preserved all these years although her features had faded. This almost perfectly preserved body because of the cold waters and minerals of salt and calcium in the water known as saponification or Ivory soap even showed evidence of being beaten and strangled. 

Her name was not identified until 14 months after the discovery as there were more than one woman gone missing in these parts the last few years and the public named her corpse the Lady of the Lake.

Her estranged husband, now implicated in her murder, faced arrest and charges that would forever tie his name to this tragic episode. He served nine years in prison for this until he was paroled in 1951.

Despite the legal resolution, the ethereal presence of Hallie’s spirit lingers along the tranquil shores of Crescent Lake. Park rangers and intrepid guests have reported eerie sightings—a ghostly figure of a woman, clad in a bygone era attire, her green dress from when she went missing and found, meandering along the water’s edge. The mournful cries that echo through the stillness of the night speak to the anguish of a life cut short and a love lost to the shadows.

The Ghost of Lake Crescent

As the Lady in the Lake, Hallie Illingworth’s ghostly apparition continues to wander the edge of Crescent Lake, a silent testament to the enduring power of tragedy and the spectral threads that bind the past to the present in Olympic National Park. It is also said she is seen gliding over the surface of the water.

Some even claim to have seen the ghost of Monty rowing over the lake to drop Hallie’s body into the water. 

It is also said her ghost is still haunting the Lake Crescent Lodge and Tavern where she used to work. Guests and staff tell about how they hear her walking up and down the stairs and that lights flicker, doors bang shut and the music turns on louder and louder. 

Some have even claimed to have seen her sit down on a table as she is smoking, perhaps even speaking to them. 

The Mysteries of Lake Crescent

The story of the Lady of the Lake is still told on the campsites of hikers taking the Spruce Railroad Trail around Lake Crescent. 

An underground stream is running between Lake Crescent and Lake Sutherland, and it has never really been explored. Some experts believe that the stream is hiding bodies of more missing people, but until then, the lake keeps it people. 

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References:

The Lady of the Lake – Hallie Illingworth • Morbidology 

Spooky National Park Experiences this Halloween 

12 Haunted National Parks | Shaka Guide 

The Hidden History of Olympic National Park’s Lake Crescent – THE OUTDOOR SOCIETY 

The Lady of Crescent Lake | It never gave up its dead until… 

True Crime: The Lady of the Lake – HistoryLink.org

The Lady of the Lake: A ghost story 

https://seeksghosts.blogspot.com/2014/07/washington-state-lady-of-lake.html

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The Cherokee Legend of Spearfinger in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

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Disguised as an old woman or a loved one, the liver eating Spearfinger has terrified the Cherokees for centuries. She hides in the mountain, attacking children to eat their livers.  

In the mist-laden embrace of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park between North Carolina and Tennessee lies a haunting tale, a Cherokee legend that weaves through the dense forests and shadowy trails under the misty mountain peaks. 

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The legend of Spearfinger, or the U’tlun’ta in the Cherokee language meaning “she had it sharp’, is said to live in this area. According to Cherokee lore, Spearfinger is no ordinary witch; she is a sinister entity with a penchant for deception and a hunger for the flesh of unsuspecting children.

The Legend of Spearfinger

The legend unfolds along the winding paths of the Great Norton Creek Trail, trails along the Chilhowee Mountain and by Little Tennessee River. Among her favorite places she calls home is the thunder mountain, Whiteside.  

Spearfinger is said to disguise herself as a kindly grandmother or a family member of children she sees to sneak up on her victims. Dancing in clouds, she sang her favorite song with her raven friend:

Uwe la na tsiku. Su sa sai.

Liver, I eat it. Su sa sai.

Uwe la na tsiku. Su sa sai.

Armed with a finger that resembles a sharp, knife-like blade that looks like a spear or obsidian knife, she lures innocent children away from the safety of their homes and into the heart of the ancient woods. Once under her spell, Spearfinger reveals her true form, her mouth stained with blood from livers she has eaten and with her Nûñ’yunu’ï, which means “Stone-dress”, for her stone-like skin. With a single, fatal stroke, she cuts her victims and consumes their tender body parts.

Arrows cannot pierce her stone skin and she is strong, picking up boulders without any effort. She is also said to often clutch her right hand tightly, as she is hiding her heart in her palm, her only weak spot. 

Stories About Spearfinger

The Cherokee have traditionally been very cautious about strangers, and were suspicious of those who wandered off alone. They could come back as the liver-eater in disguise, and there were many stories about this. 

Some tales told about her deceiving people by hiding the victims after turning into them. She went to their families and waited until they were asleep so she could steal the children’s livers. 

Hunters in the woods told about an old woman with a strangely shaped hand, singing her song and scaring them so they ran off. Because Spearfinger is quick and doesn’t even leave a scar, making the victims ill before they die after a few days. 

When birds flock to the sky, villagers say it was her. Her presence was marked by the graceful dance of the birds, as if they were paying homage to her mysterious spirit. The villagers whispered about her shadowy figure, weaving tales of her mystical connection to the natural world.

The Spearfinger Place

But where did she come from? What is her purpose? Was she just a story parents told their children to keep out of woods and strangers? According to the storyteller, Kathi Littlejohn of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, she says that there are portals to the other worlds. The upper world of the creator, the middle world of humans and the underworld were creatures like Spearfinger comes from. 

Years ago, sometime in the 19th century, the Cherokee pinpointed the location where the ruins of Spearfinger’s Tree Rock remain, in Blount County, Tennessee. This area, rich with history and legend, is known as Nantahala. The Cherokee name for the place is U’Tluntun’yi, which means “The Spearfinger Place.” U’Tluntun’yi holds a significant place in Cherokee lore as it is believed to be where Spearfinger built a rock bridge that offended the higher spirits who struck it down with a bolt of lightning, giving her a body of rocks. 

The Death of Spearfinger

The Cherokee called a great council, including towns like Tomotley, Tenase, Setico, and Chota, which were haunted by the liver eater, Spearfinger. The medicine man, adawehi, revealed Spearfinger’s deception and proposed a trap: a pit covered with brush and a smoky fire. Spearfinger, drawn by the smoke, approached disguised as an old woman. Though initially mistaken for one of their own, the medicine man recognized her trick. Despite arrows breaking against her stone skin, Spearfinger fell into the pit, unharmed by the stakes. 

Birds descended to help; a titmouse misled them to aim at her chest, but a chickadee correctly indicated her right hand. The hunters severed her heart by hitting her wrist, ending her curse. Stone Man, her ally, dismissed the warning of her death and continued his ominous song. In gratitude, the chickadee was forever known as the “truth teller.” Cherokee storytellers still recount Spearfinger’s legend and mark where her stone form fell.

But even though the Cherokee claim to have killed the liver-eating witch of stone, there are still stories of her cackles and shrieks echoing through the mountains. The legend tells of how she would lure unsuspecting travelers into her lair with promises of shelter, only to devour their livers in a grotesque display of her insatiable hunger. Some say her spirit still haunts the darkest caves and craggy peaks, seeking vengeance for her demise.

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References:

The Cherokee Legend of Spearfinger 

Spearfinger – Wikipedia The terrifying legend of Spearfinger as told by a Cherokee storyteller

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The Ghostly Presence of Beverly at Lake Quinault Lodge

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At the old Lake Quinault Lodge in Olympic National Park, it is said that the ghost of Beverly, the former employee that died in a fire, still haunts the suit named after her.

Lake Quinault Lodge was built in a span over 10 weeks in 1926 and still stands like it did then in the middle of nature. The Lodge has drawn people wanting closer to nature for years but also bore witness to a tragic tale that left an indelible mark on its storied history. 

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This remote Lodge far from most things in the In the Pine peaks of Olympic National Park in Washington was built in 1926 and still today it cling to its rustic and spartan way of living with no internet and designed to socialize with other guests. A lot of the conversations are about  the designated house ghost, a former employee called Beverly. 

Lake Quinault Lodge : The old lodge said to be haunted by Beverly, the former housekeeper who died in a tragic fire. // Source: Flickr

The Haunting in The Beverly Suite

One time a guest was unpacking her bag inside of her booked room when she was suddenly face to face with a woman. The woman told her name was Beverly and that she worked at the hotel. The guest got so upset about the unannounced staff and went to complain to the front desk. The ones working behind it had to tell her that they did in fact not have a worker called Beverly, not anymore. The guest checked out the same night. The room the woman was staying in was called The Beverly Suite.

There are plenty of different rooms in the Lake Quinault Lodge, one of them being The Beverly Suite filling up the entire third floor in the Boathouse Building. The staff used to call it that after they noticed that their ghost seemed to prefer to appear inside of it. 

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According to the story, there was a woman named Beverly, once the dedicated housekeeper of this remote haven. However, one night a fire engulfed the lodge’s attic in the Main Lodge, in some versions the Boathouse that used to serve as a kitchen. 

The fire claimed the life of the unsuspecting Beverly who slept soundly in her room, or worked in the kitchen. 

Interior: Inside of Lake Quinault Lodge as it was in 2017. // Source: Joe Mabel/Wikimedia

The Death of Beverley at Lake Quinault Lodge

Beverly’s untimely demise cast a melancholic shadow over Lake Quinault Lodge, but her spirit, it seems, refused to depart from the place she worked. In the quiet corners of the lodge, her apparition is said to wander, a ghostly specter that traverses the halls with a quiet grace and her presence is thought to be most powerful in the attic. 

Witnesses to Beverly’s ghostly manifestations recount the subtle opening of windows as a testament to her lingering benevolence. The gentle touch of her unseen hand, still imbued with the essence of a caring housekeeper, leaves an ethereal trail that hints at her enduring connection to the lodge and its occupants.

Although mostly a friendly ghost it has been said she sometimes throws glasses and silverware. 

The True Haunting of the Lodge

But was there really a fire at the Lake Quinault Lodge that took the life of one of the employees? Was there ever a housekeeper named Beverly? One year we dated was 1924, when the owner of the hotel was Olena Egge. On an August day she brought her family to a picnic of Higley Peak and saw black smoke through the fog.  

In this version Beverley was her cook and chambermaid and the fire had started in the flue in the kitchen. All was gone at the hotel except the fireplace and chimney. After this, the hotel we see and stay in today was built on top of it. 

Lake Quinault Lodge: The original building that was completely destroyed by the fire and the starting point for the ghostly legends of today.

It is said that she watches over the lodge, a silent guardian from beyond the veil, ensuring that the tranquility of this remote retreat is maintained. As the winds sweep through the dense forests surrounding Lake Quinault, whispers of Beverly’s presence are carried through the air. 

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References:

LeRoy Tipton’s take on local lodge history – Washington Our Home 

Lake Quinault Lodge – FrightFind 

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The Mysterious Faces of Goblins Gate in Olympic National Park

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Nature can create strange shapes, and our human eye often looks for their reflections in things. In Olympic National Park, the Goblin’s Gate has made people look twice to the faces staring back from the river.

In the heart of Olympic National Park lies a place of eerie enchantment: Goblin’s Gate you can find on the Elwha River Trailhead and people passing the gate, comes back with strange stories about it. 

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It is a narrow gorge stretching 20 feet across the river. The gorge has been talked about for a lot of reasons, how it reminds people of some sort of gate from a medieval castle as well as the strange faces people have claimed to have seen there. Could this be a strange haunting or simply the eye finding faces out in the wild?

Goblins Gate: Part of the Elwha River at Goblins Gate. // Source: Elwhajeff/Wikimedia

Naming it Goblins Gate

Legend has it that early explorer Charles A. Barnes stumbled upon this gorge on the Elwha River when he was on an expedition with the Seattle Press in 1989 and 1890. This was the first successful crossing over the Olympic Mountains done by the Europeans, and they were naming many landmarks still used to this day.  

Barnes is also the one who named the place and the very name itself gives the place an eerie feeling. He described the gorge with the gushing waters like this: “…like the throat of a monster, silently sucking away the water.” And as a resembling “multitude of faces…with tortured expressions.”

The name came after witnessing haunting faces carved into the rocks at its edge, like goblins and monsters. Some speculate that maybe he had indulged a bit too much in Wild Turkey that fateful day. Some have speculated after that there is something strange about this place. 

Olympic National Park: The lower parts of Goblins Gate from the river

The Mysterious Goblin’s Gate

As the turbulent waters of the Elwha River surge through the narrow opening of the gorge, these stone faces of Goblin’s Gate appear to beckon travelers toward the abyss of Rica Canyon. 

Attempts to tame the Gate with a bridge have been met with eerie failure. The first bridge was swallowed by the river’s rage, while the second succumbed to a mysterious rot, disintegrating before it could fulfill its purpose. This type of defiance from nature that won’t be tames has also spurred a couple of legends of its own:

Could it be that unseen spirits guard the Gate, refusing passage to those who dare to cross?

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References:

National Park Ghost Stories 

Goblins Gate – Wikipedia 

Goblins Gate — Waterfall Trail 

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The Ghost of Edgar Watson and the Shadows of the Swamp

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For years the notorious outlaw Edgar Watson lived in the Everglades where his workers had a habit of ending up dead or disappearing around payday. When the authorities ignored their plea, the villagers took law into their own hands, and are now forever haunted by the man they took out. 

In the year 1910, the humid air of Chokoloskee witnessed a chilling event—the demise of Edgar Watson, a plantation owner with a sinister reputation. Watson, a man known for his malevolent deeds, was not only a ruthless serial killer but also a plantation owner who showed no mercy to his own servants, most of whom were black, Native American or some form of vulnerable migrant with no place to go. His blood-stained legacy extended to anyone who dared trespass on his property.

The Everglades in Florida is a 1.5 million acres of marshy swampland of alligators and crocodiles and other deadly things, like people. Like a last frontier you find the small town of Chokoloskee at the edge of the chain of islands and mangroves called The Ten Thousand Islands. 

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Since 1965, there have been 175 unsolved murders around these parts and that is only those bodies that were found.  Who knows how many missing bodies are just waiting to be discovered or have already been taken by the alligators and sharks? 

Ever since settlers came to this place, it has been known for being a place for outlaws far from the long arms of the authorities and the Everglades has been a place where people disappear and some never return from. 

Chokoloskee Island: Looking like a picturesque place with its lush and sunny beaches, this part of the Everglades are so remote and a place that attracted people on the run from authorities and those living a life that didn’t do well in the light of day. // Source: William “Patrick” Ma…/Wikimedia

The History of “Bloody” Edgar Watson

Edgar Watson was born in 1855 in South Carolina and seemed to be violent from his early years, thought to him by his abusive father. After he murdered two people he went on the run from Florida to Oklahoma, renting a place from Belle Starr, another well known outlaw known as the Bandit Queen of the Old West. 

Edgar Watson: Notorious outlaw from the Old West and fugitive in Florida, Watson is thought to haunt the town that took law and order into their own hands.

According to legend, he shot Belle in the back as she was riding her horse, killing her as well. He feared that she was about to turn him into the authorities for a murder he did in Lake City. And although he was tried for her murder, he was not convicted. 

Even though he was a wanted man in Florida, he returned in 1891 and murdered another man in what he claimed was self defense. This is also when he went into the Florida Everglades as a fugitive, a perfect place to hide and dispose of dead bodies that seemed to pile up around him.

On his land by the Chatham Bend area he started up a sugar cane syrup business that was quite successful and he started to hire people. He hired a lot of African-Americans and Native Americans as well as vagabonds, migrants or other fugitives to work for him at his farm. When they wanted to get paid, however, legend is he murdered them instead and threw their bodies into the river. 

This is said to have gone on for 15 years and rumors started to be told about what really happened there, but there was no definitive proof. Bodies started to wash ashore close to the small town of Chokoloskee. When a runaway worker told them what was going on they also found the body of a woman named Hannah Smith whose foot was revealed in the swamp after a hurricane blew through the Everglades. The worker claimed that there were plenty more. 

They all knew about Edgar “Bloody” Watson and knew he was carrying a gun under his black trench coat and some of his runaway workers told horrible tales. The authorities didn’t want to get involved because they didn’t think it was their jurisdiction. So the people of Chokoloskee were left to their own devices. 

In 1910 he was attacked by the townspeople at the Smallwood Store, the last frontiers of Florida. This was both a trading post, post office and a market for all things people could need in this remote part of the world. Everyone was armed and they shot and killed him when he tried to pull the gun at them back. This is said to have taken place on the sandbar right below the store. 30 rounds of bullets went into his body, although the first shot went right between the eyes. 

The Ghost of Chokoloskee

Ever since then the Everglades have gotten another haunted legend to go with all the others and today Edgar Watson is remember as a notorious outlaw and murderer. The place is still remote and the town has around 300 people living in Chokoloskee. Some say that there are more ghosts than living people in the town. 

The legends claim that Edgar Watson is still haunting the area. Around 50 skeletons have since been found around his old property according to the local legends, although not verified at all. How many that were murdered or if there were any at all is not known for sure.

The Smallwood Store closed in 1982 but is still open as a history museum and especially around this building people swear to have seen him, and according to legend, there is still blood splatter on the walls from the shoot out. 

The people working in the museum have been called up in the middle of the night by people claiming to have seen movement inside of the building. But when investigating, there is nothing. Could it have been the ghost of Edgar Watson? Or perhaps one of the other ghosts rumored to roam the island?

The Haunted Shop: The Smallwood store has stood in isolation on the southern tip of Chokoloskee Island for more than 100 years. This was the place where the villagers finally took the life of Edgar Watson and where he is thought to haunt in his afterlife. // Source: Wikimedia

Other Ghosts Haunting the Smallwood Store

Another ghost said to linger in the store is the ghost of C.G McKinney who started the first post office as well as the first school on the island. He moved to this place after he abandoned his wife and his five children and ran off with the nanny. They settled on Chokoloskee Island and had five more children, naming them the same as his previous set of children. 

The last ghost said to haunt the place is a boy that is said to have once been a pirate. He is said to have died when he got trapped in his fishing net at the age of 120. He is said to come to the market in search for a new net in the middle of the night. 

So if you see the lights switched on out in the remote parts of the Everglades, perhaps it is just a nightly walk of the outlaw Edgar Watson.

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References:

Ted Smallwood Store – Wikipedia 

Smallwood Store 

History – and ghosts – at Smallwood’s Store in Chokoloskee 

Edgar J. Watson’s Island Graveyard of Horror – Chokoloskee, Florida 

Creepy Stories in the Everglades 

Chokoloskee, Florida – Wikipedia 

The town that killed an outlaw | Florida Originals Chokoloskee – Ghost Town

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Acadia’s Anemone Cave known as The Devil’s Oven and its legends

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Today the traces of Anemone Cave, otherwise known as the Devil Den or The Devil’s Oven, have almost been erased from the park. Dangerous because of the tide submerging the cave completely, stories about strange things happening around the cave have been told for centuries.

Hidden along the foggy shorelines of Mount Desert Island within Acadia National Park, a foreboding sea cave known as Anemone Cave, or otherwise called, The Devil’s Oven stands as a silent witness to centuries of mysteries and eerie legends. 

Acadia National Park is a stunning natural reserve located primarily on Mount Desert Island, the largest offshore island outside of Maine, United States. Established in 1916, it encompasses over 49,000 acres of rugged coastline, lush forests, granite peaks, and pristine lakes. 

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Acadia National Park is not only a haven for outdoor enthusiasts but also a place of profound natural beauty and ecological significance. 

Taken off the Maps of Acadia National Park

The Haunted Devil’s Oven is located near DeGregoire Park, in Bar Harbor, Maine and it is said you have to make sure to be there at low tide to not be completely submerged under water. 

Years ago the Anemone Cave was marked on the trail of the National Park’s maps. Today signs are removed and the name disappeared from the map and even the railings have been removed to deter people for seeking its slippery path, for a good reason, and only those with knowledge of its whereabouts or searching for it on the internet can find it. 

It is said to be to protect the tiny lives of the anemones as well as hikers were often injured or trapped by the tide in the caves. There have also been at least one death in modern time. But although it was removed from the map, it is still there as the legend surrounding it. 

Anemone Cave History

This hidden alcove has long been shrouded in tales of the supernatural, with whispers of a portal to the underworld echoing through the annals of Mount Desert Island history. 

Anemone Cave got its name from the anemones, but that is only in recent years as it has been known as both the Devil’s Den and Cave of the Sea among other things. The origin of the ominous name, The Devil’s Oven is uncertain, but it is said that the cave itself looks like a skull and the paranormal stuff are said to happen both at high and low tide. 

Read More: Check out The Mysterious Gouffre de Padirac Caves, The Haunting Santuario de la Virgen de Balma in the Mountain Rocks, The Ghost of Kathleen who Loved St. Kevin in Glendalough and The Haunted Mystique on the Cliffs of Wenlock Edge for more haunted caves with strange legends attached to them. 

Even in contemporary times, The Devil’s Oven continues to evoke a sense of unease and spectral energy. Nighttime visitors have reported witnessing inexplicable lights gleaming and flashing from the depths of the Anemone Cave, casting an eerie glow along the coastal expanse. 

Religious Sacrifices inside of the Cave

This is not only a modern phenomenon though, but all the way back to when European settlers came about and even further in Native American stories, something was amiss with the caves. Those who venture near during daylight hours speak of hearing haunting cries and strange chants carried by the ocean breeze.

There is a claim put forth in the book named Ghosts of Acadia, where the author Marcus Librizzi says that the cave was used by the Native Americans where they held terrible and grotesque rituals and sacrifices where they drowned people slowly by the tide according to legend. 

A Warning to Visitors Seeking the Anemone Cave

For the intrepid souls seeking to unravel the mysteries of The Devil’s Oven, a cautionary note lingers. The sea cave is accessible only during the ebb of low tide, a precarious journey fraught with maritime challenges. Owing to the surge in drownings and perilous sea rescues, the National Park Service has removed all railings and signs leading to the Anemone Cave, emphasizing the need for caution and even experienced climbers have died.

As you contemplate the allure of The Devil’s Oven, consider not only the haunting rumors that enshroud its existence but also the inherent risks that accompany the quest for the supernatural. In the shadowy realm between legend and reality, Acadia National Park harbors secrets that beckon the curious yet cautionary tales that echo through time.

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References:

THE DEVIL’S TRIANGLE 

History of Visitor Use and Management of Anemone Cave, Acadia National Park, Maine 

This Ancient Sea Cave Isn’t On Any Map Of Acadia National Park For Good Reasons 

Hauntings and Mysteries in Acadia National Park 

ABANDONED TRAILS OF ACADIA NATIONAL PARK: ANEMONE CAVE – THE DEVIL’S OVEN

REAL HAUNTED PLACES IN ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

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The Haunting Tale of the Crashed Pilot by Wawona Hotel

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It is said that a plane crashed in Yosemite and the pilot was rushed to Wawona Hotel in the park. Although he was quickly found, he died while waiting for a doctor and now it is said that he is haunting the same place he died. 

Amidst the meadows of Yosemite National Park, the historic Wawona Hotel stands as a beacon of hospitality for weary hikers. The Hotel itself opened in 1876 and is just four miles from the Yosemite National Park’s south entry.

Known as Pallachun by the Nootchu native tribe, meaning “a good place to stop,” by the indigenous inhabitants, the site eventually became the setting for a chilling tale that continues to haunt both staff and guests to this day.

The Plane Crash in Yosemite

In the shadow of the Wawona Hotel lies a story shrouded in tragedy—a tale of a pilot whose fate became forever entwined with the rugged landscape of Yosemite in the 1920s. South of the hotel, where the whispering pines cast their long shadows, the pilot’s plane met its untimely end, crashing amidst the towering trees of the national park.

Searching for the Plane: Plane crash in Wawona in 1926 where it said it was 1 killed and 1 injured. Could this be the plane from the legend?

The injured pilot was taken to Moore Cottage, alive but very injured. Moore Cottage is a modest abode nestled on a gentle slope behind the hotel’s main building. With the echoes of his harrowing ordeal reverberating through the air, the injured pilot awaited the arrival of a doctor to tend to his wounds. Yet, fate had other plans, and before medical aid could reach him, the pilot died.

The Haunting of Moore Cottage and Wawona Hotel

However, it seems that the pilot’s spirit never truly checked out of Moore Cottage, lingering in the ethereal realm that veils the boundary between the living and the departed. Over the years, reports have surfaced of ghostly apparitions haunting the hallowed halls of Wawona Hotel, with staff and guests alike bearing witness to the spectral figure of the crashed pilot around the place where he died.

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Clad in his weathered leather jacket, his cap pulled low over his brow, and his goggles adorned with a white silk scarf fluttering in the wind, the pilot’s ghost is said to roam the grounds of Moore Cottage. He is especially reported about coming down the stairs of the cottage. 

Moore Cottage: The cottage of the hotel is where most guests have spotted the ghost of the pilot from the plane crash. //Source

Who was the Pilot Haunting the Hotel?

There are a couple of questions as to who and when this happened and the true name behind the accident. Did it even happen as most accounts of this story is described as a legend. 

Could it be the 1926 plane crash of LeRoy Jeffers form New York who was said to have been instantly killed? Could it be a plane crash that fits the description we haven’t been able to find yet?

Because, although remote, Wawona had a landing strip for planes. In 1927, an airline company began carrying passengers, mail, newspapers and light freight on 50-minute flights from Merced to Wawona. The airstrip remained operational until 1941, when the government ruled the meadow unsuitable for air traffic.

Despite the passage of time, the echoes of flight still reverberate through the halls of Wawona Hotel, a haunting reminder of the pilot’s tragic demise and the spectral legacy he left behind. As night descends upon the meadows of Yosemite, the ethereal presence of the crashed pilot lingers.

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References:

https://npgallery.nps.gov/YOSE/AssetDetail/7b817503a46542c5bc6c0fbdbc4d96c3?

LeRoy Jeffers, Explorer and Writer, Killed, Comrade Hurt, in Plane Crash in California – The New York Times 

BAHA :: Yosemite’s Wawona Hotel: “A Good Place to Stop” 

Weird Fresno: Is Yosemite’s Wawona Hotel haunted?

Wawona Hotel ‘a good place to stop’ at Yosemite National Park – East Bay Times