Tag Archives: North America

Ukategorisert

The Haunted Morgan-Monroe State Forest and Stepp Cemetery

Leave a comment
Advertisements

There is not only one ghost story from Morgan-Monroe State forest and the Stepp Cemetery in the middle of it, there are many. Legends about creatures and ghosts keep the silent forest and burial ground alive. 

Morgan-Monroe State Forest stands as a silent witness to a myriad of chilling tales that have woven an enigmatic tapestry of supernatural lore. The forest in south-central Indiana is more than 25 000 acres and has steep ridges and deep valleys. 

Morgan-Monroe State Forest: Source: TrailSeeds/wikimedia

From inexplicable deaths to whispered rumors of satanic rituals and elusive encounters with mythical creatures like Yeti and Bigfoot, the Morgan-Monroe State Forest has earned its reputation as one of the most infamous haunted woodlands in the United States. It is in this forest most reported sightings of the Sasquatch in the state and there is a large and active group investigating these claims. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from USA

There are also said to be UFO sightings as well as more classical tales of something mysterious and ghostly lingering in the Morgan-Monroe State Forest. 

The Draper Cabin in the Morgan-Monroe State Forest

In the midst of the Morgan-Monroe State Forest itself, there is a cabin where hikers can spend their night. Draper Cabin offers a night of spine-tingling encounters for those daring enough to spend it within its timeworn walls – all for the modest price of $25, throughout the year. 

It is said that many hikers have to give up on staying in Draper Cabin through the night though, as they hear loud footsteps and weird noises outside, coming closer and closer to the cabin. 

Read More: Check out more ghost stories from Haunted Forests around the world

What the source of these hauntings varies. One version includes a murder that occurred there quite a long time ago. Another story states that from the time of the cabin’s existence over 130 years ago, a murderer still stalks their premises and waits for the next guests to arrive and rent out the cabin.

Draper Cabin: This cabin deep inside of the Morgan-Monroe State Forest is thought to be haunted. // Source

However, the true heart of the forest’s haunting reputation lies in the ethereal realm of Stepp Cemetery where legends and urban legends of ghosts and mysterious religious sects never let the buried rest. 

Stepp Cemetery

In the middle of the Morgan-Monroe State Forest you will find Stepp Cemetery, the source of many of the haunted legends of the forest. The cemetery in the Morgan-Monroe State Forest dates back to the early 1800s and is found just north of Bloomington.

There are not many graves in the cemetery, perhaps only around 30, (other sources say 114) or so, but they surely have some stories connected to them.  

Stepp Cemetery: In the forest you will find a small cemetery with big legends. It is said to be haunted by more than one type of ghosts. //Source: Shelly/Flickr

The Crabbites and their Snake and Sex Rituals

According to historians, Stepp Cemetery might have been used by a religious sect to perform rituals that came in the early 20th century. The group’s leader, William Crab, had strange practices like getting people to be bitten by a snake. A snake handler himself, he held more circus-like sermons and claimed that a true believer would not be bitten or die from the venom. 

The sect known as Crabbites had strange beliefs, like that the earth was squared because of a part in revelations in the bible. They also had to be chased away from the cemetery because of performing a ”ritualized sexual license.” They were apparently participating in these orgies while handling the snakes as well as giving animal sacrifices. 

It is also said they believed in resurrection and that the reverend could wake people from the dead. Once they were even arrested after trying to stop a burial of a woman who was once one of them. 

It is worth noting though that the sect went largely undocumented and it is difficult to say today what was true and what was hearsay. But they said that there were roughly 600 of them in Brown and Morgan counties in 1912. 

The Crabbites didn’t stay in the area of Morgan-Monroe State Forest and Stepp Cemetery for long as they are said to have moved over to Brown county, but they undeniably left an enduring mark on the cemetery’s reputation. Some even say that their mocking of the cemetery and strange rituals evoked some spirits to come back and haunt the place as they left the cemetery with a dark energy. 

Teenage Parties on Stepp Cemetery and the Birth for Local Legends

Most of the stories from Stepp Cemetery are said to have been developed or happened from the 1950s to 1970s. Then the cemetery had become so remote and forgotten and was more as a gathering place for youth than for mourners. More people had access to cars in the following decades and used the place to party. 

Many stories that were told were about the ghost of someone that had died in a car crash in the surrounding area, but also the cemetery itself became a part of the stories. 

During the Great Depression the cemetery fell into the hands of the Civilian Conservation Corps and they carved a tree stump in the cemetery into a chair. This tree stump is today called the Warlock’s Chair, although it is gone now that it was burned down in 1974. 

In many stories the chair was cursed and whoever sat on it would be so as well. It also became a part of the haunted legends as well, even after it was gone. 

Some of the ghosts

It is also said that an old woman is haunting the Stepp Cemetery within the Morgan-Monroe State Forest after some fraternity boys hanged her beloved German Shepard from a tree. What they didn’t know though was that she apparently was a witch and cursed them as well as the cemetery. 

Read More: Check out more ghost stories from Haunted Cemeteries around the world

One of the other legends speaks of a young girl who was murdered in the Morgan-Monroe State Forest close to Stepp Cemetery and that her body wanders through the trees in search of justice and her way home because her killer was never found. 

The Woman in Black

By far the most told story is about people seeing the ghost of The Woman in Black. The air thickens with an eerie stillness as the ghostly apparition of a grief-stricken mother dressed all in black is said to materialize on the haunted Stepp Cemetery at night, sitting on a hauntingly familiar tree stump crying over her dead child. 

There are many stories about what happened, and this is also a tale we can trace back to the 1950s. Some say she was a woman named Anne, and that her man died in a dynamite explosion in the quarry and her daughter died in a car crash. The mother is said to have rarely left the grave of her child, who was the only thing she had left in her life. After she died, she is still coming to the grave to grieve. 

There are also people saying that the child was a newborn and that she never recovered from the loss. The variations and details surrounding the legends are endless. Even in 1972, there were around 30 different versions of them.

There are some details that keep popping up though, like the tree stump. Sometimes the woman in black is only sitting on it, weeping close to her child’s grave. Sometimes she was a witch and murdered her husband after he murdered their child. Sometimes she has two white wolves by her feet mourning her child’s death after she was hanged for taking revenge.

The most horrendous tale though are the stories where people claim that she is sometimes trying to exhume her dead child from the grave to hold his bones, before burying him again and leaving.

The Story of Baby Lester

But what grave and who is she grieving? Sadly, there are plenty of graves belonging to children in Stepp Cemetery and the Morgan-Monroe State Forest. For some reason, the grave most associated with the legend of the Woman in Black at Stepp Cemetery is the grave of Baby Lester. His grave is in the back in a corner and has been there for many decades now. The faded letters on the grave say 1937. He was the child of O’Leatha Pryor Lester and Harley Lester for only a few hours before he passed. They named him Paul.  

Still to this day, some people place little toys on the grave. In respect perhaps, but the urban legend of Baby Lester really hurt the family of the stillborn child.  On several occasions the grave has been vandalized, broken or the headstone removed so they had to cement it down. On July 24 in 2021, the toys were set on fire by some vandals, or by accident after a candle set fire to them on accident.

Baby Lester’s Grave: This is how the grave looked after it caught fire as the negative consequences of being the source of a ghost story. Source: Photo by Jeremy Hogan/The Bloomingtonian

The mother was only 16 when she gave birth and went on to live a long life with more children after. When she heard about how her child’s grave was the center of this urban legend, she was distraught, horrified and disgusted. Although the family tried to shield her from the legend of Baby Lester and the Woman in Black, it had come in many forms until she died in 2007.

The Dangers of Ghost Stories

As night descends upon Morgan-Monroe State Forest, the line between the living and the otherworldly blurs, leaving those who dare to explore its depths to grapple with the unsettling mysteries that lurk in the shadows and the whispers that echo through the ancient trees.

Is it Bigfoot, the Woman in Black? Perhaps a remnant of the strange cult that used the cemetery all those years back. Perhaps there are just a couple of teenagers that can’t comprehend how stories about the dead can still hurt the living. 

More like this

Newest Posts

References:

Stepp: A Small Rural Cemetery That Looms Large In Hoosier Lore | news-2018 – Indiana Public Media 

Gallery: Baby Lester grave at allegedly haunted Stepp Cemetery set on fire – The Bloomingtonian 

Paul “Baby” Lester (1937-1937) – Find a Grave Memorial 

Stepp Cemetery 

Stepp Cemetery — Astonishing Legends 

Paul “Baby” Lester (1937-1937) – Find a Grave Memorial 

Let Baby Lester Rest in Peace | OrangeBean Indiana 

Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology Site of the Month | WBIW

A Requiem For Baby Lester — The Hauntings of Stepp Cemetery – PARAHOLICS®  

https://www.bloomingpedia.org/wiki/Draper_Cabin

Ukategorisert

The Haunted Colors of the Hippie Tree Outside the Asylum

Leave a comment
Advertisements

Outside the old Traverse City State Hospital in Michigan, there is an old willow called The Hippie Tree. It is said to be haunted by the former patients from the asylum and possibly a gateway to hell. 

In the secluded woods outside an abandoned state-run asylum called Old State Hospital Grounds near Traverse City, Michigan, stands The Hippie Tree, a silent witness to the spectral tales that have enshrouded it in an air of mysterious allure. Little is known about the creation of the tree, but it is said that it fell over and died when it was struck by lightning. 

Read more: Check out all ghost stories from the USA

The rotted and broken willow trees are painted with colorful neon paintings over the generations where one painting covers the faded one underneath. Its moniker derives not only from its location but from the unsettling local legend that has swirled around it for decades of it being haunted.

The Hippie Tree: In Traverse City you will find the Hippie Tree along the Hippie Tree Trail thought to be haunted or at least possess some spiritual powers from the former patients at the Traverse City Hospital.//Photo: Jeremy Thompson/Flickr

Traverse City State Hospital

But what patients are said to be haunting this particular tree? Traverse City State Hospital around there was opened in 1881, and was also once called Northern Michigan Asylum. It is the last Kirkbride Building standing in Michigan, a specific style of architecture for asylums. 

Read More: Check out all Haunted Hospitals around the world

There are many stories about how people treated mental illnesses, and before the drug therapy in the 1950s, the Traverse City State Hospital used a “beauty is therapy” philosophy. This meant to meet patients with kindness, comfort and pleasure where straitjackets for instances were forbidden. 

The idea was also to let the patients be surrounded by beautiful things like flowers, and perhaps the idea of painting the tree comes from this philosophy as well? 

Traverse City State Hospital closed its doors in 1989. It reopened again in 2002, but as The Village at Grand Traverse Commons, a place for shops, restaurants and offices, but there is still said to be ghostly remains of its time as a hospital. 

Traverse City State Hospital: Northern Michigan Asylum with its striking Kirkbride architecture is next to the Hippie Tree and housed the patients thought to possess and haunt the tree. The former hospital itself is also believed to be haunted.// Source

Haunted Legends about the Hospital

Traverse City State Hospital itself is lush with ghost stories as well. People claim they hear voices and footsteps when no one is there, as well as flickering light or an unnatural cold presence. 

This was especially talked about when they reopened the Traverse City State Hospital from the construction workers where some saw something that scared them so they refused to work on the building.

There is also a dark story about a doctor working at the hospital who killed patients as well as nurses, or about the hospital chaplain that went mad and hanged himself in the chapel they had. 

But although there are plenty of ghost stories inside the old asylum, the most well known story about this place is from the dead willow tree outside on the woodland trail. 

The Ghost of the Insane Asylum Patients

According to the lore, The Hippie Tree serves as a spectral meeting ground for the tormented souls of asylum patients coming from Traverse City State Hospital, their restless spirits lingering beneath its branches. 

The madness that once consumed them is said to echo through the rustling leaves, where they sometimes are mad, sometimes just sad.

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from Haunted Forests from around the world

Another ghost haunting the tree apart from the patients is a boy that allegedly was murdered around these parts, although not much information is found on this branch of the legend. 

The Hippie Tree is said to be haunted by many spirits and in the most extreme versions of the legends, it is even a portal to hell that opens up by the roots if you walk around the tree in a specific way. No one has been able to come back and tell me the right way to do it yet. 

The Hippe Rituals by the Hippie Tree

Jeremy Thompson/Flickr

Visionaries, mystics, and spiritual seekers, often dubbed “hippies” by the locals, would gather beneath the gnarled branches of The Hippie Tree, seeking solace and enlightenment in the heart of the haunted woods. Thereby the name The Hippie Tree stuck around.

A peculiar tradition emerged as these seekers meditated beneath the spectral canopy. It is said that the ghosts and the trees give out a particular energy that the hippies explore sitting on The Hippie Tree. 

In a ritualistic expression of their transcendental experiences, they would paint the revelations of their heightened consciousness onto the tree’s branches, creating a kaleidoscope of psychedelic visions amid the eerie silence of the asylum grounds.

How many people have painted on The Hippie Tree is unclear, at least thousand they say, creating another psychedelic picture on top of the other. 

Serving Colors and Ghosts

As night descends upon The Hippie Tree, the shadows cast by its haunted branches come alive, inviting those brave enough to delve into the mysteries that lurk within the heart of Traverse City’s most bewitched woodland sanctuary.

In daylight it serves as a colorful and fun thing to brighten up passersby and visitors alike in perhaps the most brightly looking haunted spot. 

More like this

Newest Posts

References:

Northern Michigan’s Hippie Tree | Kyle Schepperley | NewsBreak Original 

Traverse City State Hospital – Wikipedia

The Hippie Tree/Traverse City State Hospital  

Traverse City State Hospital & the Hippie Tree – Journey With Murphy 

Ukategorisert

The Haunted Aldridge Sawmill Ghost Town in Angelina National Forest

Leave a comment
Advertisements

The now deserted ghost town deep inside of the Angelina National Forest in Texas was once a prosperous lumber town. Today the only residents of the Aldridge Sawmill ghost town said to remain are the ghosts of those that ended their life in one of the many freak accidents.

The Angelina National Forest in Texas harbors more than the tranquil beauty of nature of pine and loblolly trees. In the midst of the forest, it houses a haunting history that whispers through the rustling leaves and echoes within the remnants of a once-thriving sawmill town that reminds of Texas’ once thriving timber industry. 

Read more: Check out all ghost stories from USA

Now you can find the graffiti covered ghost town of it deep in the Angelina National Forest in Jasper country, not too far from the Neches River. According to local legends, it said that some of the people living there never really left. 

A Sawmill Town’s Demise of Aldridge Sawmill

In the early 1900s, Angelina National Forest thrived as a sawmill town, bustling with over 1,000 residents around Aldridge Sawmill. At the height it had its own post office, shop, hotel, school, saloons as well as its own train station. 

However, this prosperity was marred by calamities and according to history, the community was often an unhappy one. In 1911 the original mill was destroyed by fire, most likely arson by unhappy workers as it was a dangerous job, often with little pay. It was rebuilt but the mill was once again destroyed in a fire in 1914 and 15. The mill shut down in the early 1920s and people started to leave this once prosperous town.

Left in the aftermath was a silent and eerie ghost town, as residents fled the specter of disaster, abandoning homes and dreams in the process. The last one of the townspeople left in the mid 1920s and only some of the structures of the town can be seen today. Even the rail tracks were torn apart, and today, the only way to the ghost town is by hiking through the forest. 

Echoes of a Tragic Past in Angelina National Forest

Even though no one lives there anymore, hikers and campers claim to have seen and heard something move around the old mill community and local legends and ghost stories have emerged in the century after the town was abandoned to be consumed by the Angelina National Forest

Read More: Check of all stories from Haunted Forests

Hikers threading the forest paths claim to hear the disembodied dying screams of a young woman—a former resident who met an untimely end in a freak accident while visiting her boyfriend at the ill-fated sawmill. 

The story of the woman’s tragic demise at the dilapidated mill has been a source of chilling fascination for those familiar with the local lore. According to the haunting tale, the woman met her untimely end after getting too close to the saw and becoming entangled in its merciless blades, resulting in a painfully grotesque fate. It is said that her spectral presence now wanders the crumbling confines of the old mill, serving as a haunting reminder of the calamity that befell the once-thriving community. The harrowing legend of her demise has woven itself into the fabric of local folklore, perpetuating the eerie mystique of the abandoned mill and captivating the imagination of those drawn to tales of the supernatural.

Ghosts Among the Trees

The abandoned ghost town around Aldridge Sawmill stands desolate in the Angelina National Forest, the century old structure covered by graffiti and trashed by hikers. It’s not supposed to be anyone there, but if you by chance hear someone scream in the night, it is someone that is not supposed to be there at all. As the moon rises in the darkened sky, casting an eerie glow over the dilapidated buildings, the echoes of the past seem to linger in the air.

The whispers of the trees and the creaking of the old wooden beams create an atmosphere of mystery and intrigue, as if the spirits of the ghost town were still lingering among the ruins. Visitors recount tales of strange sightings and unexplained phenomena, adding to the mystique and allure of this forgotten place. The history of Aldridge Sawmill and the surrounding ghost town is shrouded in enigma, drawing in those who seek to uncover its secrets, and perhaps catch a glimpse of the otherworldly presence said to inhabit the desolate remains.

More like this

Newest Posts

References:

A Sawmill Ghost Town Aldridge, Texas 

East Texas Throwback: Ruins of Aldridge sawmill town hidden away in Angelina National Forest

SOUTHEAST TEXAS TALES: Crumbling walls all that’s left of Jasper County sawmill  

Ukategorisert

The Haunting Tale of the Crashed Pilot by Wawona Hotel

1 Comment
Advertisements

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.

Read More: Check out all Haunted Hotels from around the world

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.

More like this

Newest Posts

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 

Ukategorisert

The Yosemite Ghost in Grouse Lake

Leave a comment
Advertisements

By the crystal clear waters of Grouse Lake, there is allegedly a ghost of a Native American boy who drowned many, many years ago. Now he calls out for help, but don’t be fooled as he supposedly drags those approaching down to the bottom.

Yosemite National Park covers 759,620 acres and stretches into four counties in California. It has been a World Heritage Site since 1984 and is filled with granite cliffs, giant sequoia groves, crystal clear lakes and streams and storming waterfalls from the mountains. 

Although the European settlers’ story in Yosemite is from 1851 when it was “found” by James D. Savage, the Native Americans story in the valley stretches back to nearly 4000 years. As for human presence, perhaps as far as 10 000 years. And by the look of it, it also seems to be one of the more haunted National Parks in the USA as well. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from the USA

Grouse Lake, a serene place by the mountains southwest within Yosemite National Park, harbors a ghostly secret dating back to September, 1857 when it was first written down. Galen Clark, Yosemite’s first park ranger.

Galen Clark had traveled to Yosemite and explored the area. He is the first white man to supposedly have seen the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. He was also one of the lobbyists to make Yosemite a park and helped President Abraham Lincoln write the legislation to establish it as such. He was then named the park’s guardian and stayed that way for 24 years. 

The Scary Hike of Chilnualna Falls Trail

Grouse Lake is one of the destinations if you follow the steep and long Chilnualna Falls Trail in the southwest corner of Yosemite National Park, which was dubbed as the scariest hiking trail in the U.S by Travel Channel. 

According to Clark’s entry in his diary he reported an otherworldly wail by the lake, believed to be a dog when he was hunting deer, but that turned out to be something much darker.

Grouse Lake: Grouse Lake is a picturesque alpine lake located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California, specifically within the Stanislaus National Forest. Grouse Lake is nestled amidst stunning granite peaks, lush forests, and scenic meadows, making it a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts, hikers, and backpackers. //Source

On this trail you can also hike up to The Bridal Veil Waterfall which is also thought to be haunted by an ominous spirit known as Po-ho-no that pushes people off the cliff to their death. 

The Wailing Ghost by Grouse Lake

A big part of Clark’s life was exploring the area that would become Yosemite National Park and he spent a lot of time trailing through the wilderness.

One of the days he was on a deer hunt he stopped by a small lake he had named Grouse Lake because of the grouse he saw there once. A large group of local natives stopped on the opposite side of the lake to get water, also on a deer hunt. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from Haunted Lakes

This is when Clark heard the cry of what he thought sounded like a sulking puppy and went over to the natives and asked if some of them were missing a puppy. He stayed with them that night and was told that it was something completely else. 

The sound of the cries of a dog was actually the dying screams of a native american boy who drowned in the lake many years ago and you shouldn’t go near it because of the danger it posed for those the ghost managed to lure down to the water. 

The spirit of the boy was always crying after them after help, but no one dared to. According to the legend, the spirit of the wailing boy would grab the legs of those trying to help and drag them under the water to drown. 

Haunting and Hiking the Grouse Lake Trail

By day the area is filled with green trees, blue sky and fresh air. By night, the popular hiking spot is lit up by bonfires around the lake for other travelers. But be aware, perhaps don’t follow the sound of something that could sound like the crying of a long drowned boy from the water. 

More like this

Newest Posts

References:

Day Hiking Trails: Backpack to lake haunted by drowned boy in Yosemite National Park  

The Ghost of Grouse Lake – HITRECORD Document 

Nation’s First Park Ranger Hears Crying Ghost 

Ukategorisert

Yosemite View Lodge’s Shadow People

Leave a comment
Advertisements

In the motel styled lodgings by the Merced River, you are as close to the Yosemite Valley as you can get. And according to the people that have stayed at the Yosemite View Lodge, many tell tales about shadow silhouettes by their beds and strange interactions with the paranormal.

Yosemite National Park covers 759,620 acres and stretches into four counties in California. It has been a World Heritage Site since 1984 and is filled with granite cliffs, giant sequoia groves, crystal clear lakes and streams and storming waterfalls from the mountains. 

Although the European settlers’ story in Yosemite is from 1851 when it was “found” by James D. Savage, the Native Americans story in the valley stretches back to nearly 4000 years. As for human presence, perhaps as far as 10 000 years. And by the look of it, it also seems to be one of the more haunted National Parks in the USA as well. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from the USA

On the banks of the Merced River in El Portal, California, the Yosemite View Lodge is the last stop before the wilderness of the Yosemite National Park. 

Merced River: It flows through the Sierra Nevada mountain range and the central part of the state. It originates in the Sierra Nevada and runs for approximately 145 miles (233 kilometers) before joining the San Joaquin River. It’s known for its scenic beauty passing through Yosemite National Park, where it forms iconic features such as Yosemite Valley and Yosemite Falls. Could it also be the source of some of the ghost stories told from the National Park?

On the surface, Yosemite View Lodge exudes rustic tranquility. Yet, beneath the veneer of peaceful surroundings lies a tapestry of ghostly tales, unsettling apparitions, and mysterious occurrences that makes guests leave reviews online that it is beautiful, nice, but haunted.

Midnight Shadow People

Many of the reports about the haunted rumors of Yosemite View Lodge are about apparitions that can be described as some type of Shadow people. These specters, elusive and enigmatic, make frequent appearances in the lodge’s guest rooms, catching unaware guests. 

These apparitions often dissolve when the guests seem to examine the thing further. One chilling account tells of three friends who, oblivious to the hotel’s haunted reputation, were visited by a shadowy figure near the fireplace. Other people tell about what they believe is their family, but noticing that there is an additional figure in the room. Some are even said to have packed up their stuff and left because of these experiences. 

Read More: Check out all Haunted Hotels

What could this be? Could it be the old lodgings and strangeness of being in a hotel that plays a trick on people? Could it have something to do with weary travelers experiencing things like night terrors in their dreams? Or could this phenomena actually be attributed to ghosts?

The River People’s Presence

One guest, accompanied by a friend, bore witness to an otherworldly encounter during their second night staying at Yosemite View Lodge. Startled awake, they beheld the shadowy silhouette of a figure, devoid of features, standing near their bed—a specter approximately five feet tall. 

Shadow People: What is this type of haunting going on at the Yosemite View Lodge? Several of the guests have told stories about seeing figures and shadows in their rooms.

Terrified, the guest summoned her fellow traveler, coining the term “river people” in an attempt to fathom the origin of this apparition, wondering if it harbored a connection to the ancient spirits of the nearby Merced River. Because even though the hotel doesn’t really have much ghostly history attached to it, the surrounding area certainly has. 

A self proclaimed psychic herself, the guest delved into the phenomenon and discovered that others had encountered similar river-dwelling spirits.

The Masked Child

Another strange story coming from the motel is about the strange child that suddenly appeared. A writer checked into the hotel to get her writing done when she saw a child in the reception wearing a strange mask. The little girl was standing together with her family as they were checking in as well with her animal mask. Although she thought the child looked creepy, she didn’t think much about it. 

Then she saw the child again sitting at the table with its parents when the writer came down for breakfast. The little girl turned to her as if the child knew that she would enter the dining room. 

When the writer saw the little girl again, it was when she woke up after writing on her book and saw the child standing in her room, watching her. She was sure that she had locked the door, but  asked if the child had lost her way and needed help to find the room, the child only shook its head slowly and walked away. 

The last time the writer encountered the child was after a shower and the child was standing in the bathroom. This made the writer storm down to the reception and demanded that the parents would control their kid. The reception called the room up, and horror and confusion followed. They didn’t have a child. 

The Haunted Yosemite View Lodge

As the Merced River flows silently by, Yosemite View Lodge remains a silent testament to the ethereal mysteries that dance on the edges of perception. What could these supposed shadow people and guests’ strange interactions be? 

Within its walls, the whispers of the River People and the elusive shadows of the night converge, weaving a haunting tale that lingers long after the echoes of the Merced fade into the Yosemite twilight.

More like this

Newest Posts

References:

Yosemite View Lodge – FrightFind 

excellent, but haunted! – Review of Cedar Lodge, El Portal, CA – Tripadvisor 

Yosemite View Lodge ~ El Portal (just before the entrance to Yosemite) 

Supernatural Child Checks into the Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal 

Ukategorisert

The Haunted Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park

Leave a comment
Advertisements

A Luxury hotel in the wilderness of Yosemite National Park, the Ahwahnee Hotel has housed many famous guests, and some of the guests have, according to rumors, never really checked out and lingers in the hotel as ghosts.

Yosemite National Park covers 759,620 acres and stretches into four counties in California. It has been a World Heritage Site since 1984 and is filled with granite cliffs, giant sequoia groves, crystal clear lakes and streams and storming waterfalls from the mountains. 

Although the European settlers’ story in Yosemite is from 1851 when it was “found” by James D. Savage, the Native Americans story in the valley stretches back to nearly 4000 years. As for human presence, perhaps as far as 10 000 years. And by the look of it, it also seems to be one of the more haunted National Parks in the USA as well. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from the USA

Many people come to seek a simple life, tenting under the stars. Still, there are also many lodges and hotels in the park for those that would like to watch the splendid nature through the windows. Many of these hotels have haunted rumors around them, but none more so than the Ahwahnee Hotel.

Ahwahnee Hotel: The alleged haunted Ahwahnee Hotel is situated amidst the dramatic landscape of the Yosemite National Park. It is said that it is haunted by the founders of the hotel as well as a US president who visited the hotel not long before he was killed.

The Historic Ahwahnee Hotel

Source

In the heart of the Yosemite Valley right by the famous Half Dome you will find the legendary and historic Ahwahnee Hotel that was built in 1927 as a luxury hotel for the park’s visitors built by the Yosemite Park and Curry Company. 

The y-shaped building has 97 hotel rooms, but including the cottages as well, there are 121, all inspired by Native American designs. It is situated below a meadow area that was once Miwok village.

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from Haunted Hotels

The Ahwahnee Hotel’s interior design is said to have inspired the fictional horror hotel Overlook Hotel in Kubrick’s version of The Shining. Because although the hotel in the book was inspired after Stephen King’s stay at the Stanley Hotel in Colorado, the hotel lobby as well as the red elevator with blood gushing out from it look eerily similar to the one found at The Ahwahnee Hotel.

The Founding Ghosts Haunting the Hotel

The Ahwahnee Hotel is said to be haunted by the ghosts of Donald Tresidder and Mary Curry Tresidde who took the place from being a tent camp to a luxury hotel. Donald met Mary at a visit at the park where Mary was the daughter of Camp Curry and together they spent their life dedicated to the Ahwahnee Hotel and the Yosemite Valley. 

In their later years of their life they lived in a private living quarters on the sixth floor of the hotel. The first to go was Donald while away in New York in 1948. Mary died in the Ahwahnee Hotel in 1970 but both are said to have stayed on in their afterlife. 

Historic Haunted Hotel: On July 14, 1927, the Ahwahnee Hotel was formally opened to the public and managed by the Yosemite Hotel and Curry Company. During the second world war it was also used as a hospital. The “U.S. Naval Convalescent Hospital Yosemite National Park, California” was commissioned on June 25, 1943.

According to the legends coming from the guests and staff working at the Ahwahnee Hotel, they are still both haunting the hotel they put their heart and soul into developing. Mary is said to be especially active and it is said she wakes people up to get them dancing in the wonderful common rooms of the building. 

The ghost of Mary is also said to be haunting her former home on the 6th floor where even some guests claim they have felt as if a ghost have tucked them into bed as well as folding their clothing. So all in all, a pretty popular and most helpful ghost overall. 

She is not alone however, according to some claiming to have seen her husband, Donald, also wandering the halls of the Ahwahnee Hotel. The ghost of Donald is mostly seen walking down the stairs of the hotel to get a glass of milk. 

A Presidential Haunting at the Ahwahnee Hotel

In addition to celebrities and famed socialites, many presidents have stayed in the Ahwahnee Hotel, like Reagan, Eisenhower and Obama, but only one of them is rumored to be haunting the hotel. 

John F. Kennedy came and stayed at the Ahwahnee Hotel in 1962 on the 3rd floor, and many claim that they have experienced strange things on that floor that they claim has to be tied to the former president.

People working in the Ahwahnee Hotel have reported seeing him rocking in the rocking chair he requested while he stayed at the hotel when he was alive in the early 1960s because of his bad back. 

The chair in question is also said to be moving around on its own when no one is there. Today, there are no rocking chairs in the hotel, and if you see one, it is not supposed to be there. 

More like this

Newest Posts

References:

‘Her face turned white’: Stories of Yosemite’s ghosts and hidden graves 

Ahwahnee Hotel – FrightFind 

Ahwahnee Hotel – Wikipedia

Ukategorisert

The Evil Spirit Po-ho-no of Bridal Veil Falls in Yosemite National Park

1 Comment
Advertisements

Hiking up to the beautiful waterfall Bridal Veil Falls in Yosemite National Park, you wouldn’t believe it is supposedly haunted by the Native American legend of Po-ho-no that are said to push people off the cliffs. 

Yosemite National Park covers 759,620 acres and stretches into four counties in California. It has been a World Heritage Site since 1984 and is filled with granite cliffs, giant sequoia groves, crystal clear lakes and streams and storming waterfalls from the mountains. 

Although the European settlers’ story in Yosemite is from 1851 when it was “found” by James D. Savage, the Native Americans story in the valley stretches back to nearly 4000 years. As for human presence, perhaps as far as 10 000 years. And by the look of it, it also seems to be one of the more haunted National Parks in the USA as well. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from the USA

Yosemite National Park’s vast expanse harbors a legend steeped in tragedy and malevolence. One of the most famous legends comes from the Native Americans from the 620 feet high Bridal Veil Falls, one of Yosemite’s 26 main waterfalls. In spring it will most day be a rainbow as the sun slowly sets in the afternoons. 

The Beautiful yet Haunted Bridal Veil Falls

The Bridal Veil Falls is in the Yosemite Valley on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. And although it only takes up only one percent of the park, it is considered the centerpiece of the park and where most people visit.

To get to the Bridal Veil Falls you have to walk up the Chilnualna Falls Trail, which was dubbed as the scariest hiking trail in the U.S by Travel Channel. Not because of the dangerous nature, but because of the haunted legends. The trail leads to the waterfall, but it is at the Bridal Veil Falls you will find the spirits. Along the trail you will also pass Grouse Lake, another haunted place within the park. 

Read More: For more tales about haunted waterfalls, check out ghost stories like The Ghost Bride in the Waterfall Pool or The Hauntings of the Chute de la Dame Blanche

The water source of the waterfall comes from Ostrander Lake, 10 miles south and is all year round. It has a strong wind and can make the falling water look like it flows sideways, sometimes it doesn’t even look like the water reaches the ground even. Perhaps this is what prompted the legend of the evil spirit of Po-ho-no?

Po-ho-no is The Spirit of the Evil Wind

The story comes from the native american tribes of Ahwahnechee of the Yosemite Miwok who still live in the surrounding area of Yosemite and has done so for several thousands of years, although the US federal government has evicted them from the park several times, the last one being in 1969. They are one of the tribes that are still fighting for Federal Recognition. 

The very word Yosemite comes from the Miwok yohhe’meti which means, “they are killers” and was the name the Miwok gave to the tribe. 

The legend goes that women of the Ahwahnechee tribe gathered grass to weave baskets on a spring day close to Bridal Veil Falls. They had a long tradition of using the local splints from American dogwood, big-leaf-maple, Willow and American Hazelnut among some sorts. One of the women was too close to the water as she was picking grass. In some versions it was an old woman and a young girl picking berries or some sort of plants they ate or brewed drinks from. 

The Native American Legends: This is a painting by Albert Bierstadt from 1872. It shows the Miwok tribe in the Mariposa Indian Encampment, Yosemite Valley. This was also where they sent the Ahwahnechee tribe that many of the legends and stories about the Yosemite National Park originates from. //Source

The rocks were slippery from the wet moss and an unknown danger was lurking just ahead. Because the natives knew the waterfall as: Po-ho-no, or The Spirit of the Evil Wind. 

Po-ho-no, meaning the Evil One or Puffing wind depending on who you ask, lived in the mist and had placed the slippery mossy stones there, just waiting for things to unfold. The young woman slipped and fell into the water, and it was like an unseen force pushed her off the edge and she died on the rocks below, to never be found. The rest of the women ran back to their valley and their homes, huts known as o-chum, to tell what happened to the rest of the tribe, scared to suffer the same fate. 

They returned to search for her, but she was never found ever again, and it is said that many souls suffered the same fate as the spirit of Po-ho-no had imprisoned her there, making her work to lure other to the same fate she had suffered, Only then would she be released to get home to the Great Spirit in the West. 

The Haunted Bridal Veil Falls

After this, the chief of the tribes allegedly forbade anyone from going close to this evil spirit by the Bridal Veil Falls of the misty cascading water. However, over the years, many hikers have met their end at the waterfall and the natives still talk about an unseen force pushing people over the edge to meet their watery end on the rocks below. 

After this many legends have come about this waterfall. Some say that you shouldn’t look directly into the waterfall as you leave the valley as it will curse you. Another more hopeful legend is that by inhaling the mist of the gushing waterfall, your marriage will be blessed. 

So if you feel a gushing wind as you hike up the path to get a look at the beautiful Bridal Veil Falls, perhaps think twice.

More like this

Newest Posts

References:

Lights and Shadows of Yosemite (1926) “The Legend of Po-ho-no—The Evil Wind,” by Katherine Ames Taylor 

Haunted Hikes in Grand Canyon, Yosemite and Olympic » Just Roughin It 

Bridalveil Fall – Extranomical 

Ahwahnechee – Wikipedia 

Indians of the Yosemite: Chapter Seven: Myths and Legends 

https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/public/gdcmassbookdig/yosemitelegends00smit/yosemitelegends00smit.pdf

Spirit of Pohono in Yosemite — Intimate Landscape by Charlotte Gibb! 

Yosemite Valley – Wikipedia 

Ukategorisert

The Haunted Dark Entry Forest and the Cursed Dudleytown

1 Comment
Advertisements

You are not allowed to enter the Dark Entry Forest any longer. Inside there is the ghost town of Dudleytown, a town said to be so cursed it didn’t end well for any of the settlers. They turned mad, dead or even taken by the ‘creature of the forest’. 

Once this area was sacred ground for the Mohawk Nation, but this all changed after colonization and today it is known as a cursed place. The Dark Entry Forest in northwestern Connecticut, with its ominous sounding name, has an even worse reputation of being cursed and haunted, a forest of complete silence and darkness. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from USA

The Dark Entry Forest got its name because of how little sun that gets through the trees when the settlers first came here. Records claim that some parts were dark already around noon. The nearby mountains also cast long shadows, making the land look a little darker and scarier than it perhaps was. 

The Ghost of Dudleytown in Dark Entry Forest

Not only is the Dark Entry Forest itself creepy, but the remains of a now abandoned ghost town is also the source of many of the rumors. Dudleytown stands as a ghostly testament to a bygone era. 

Tucked away a few miles south of Cornwall Bridge, Dudleytown found its home in the Dark Entry Forest. The very name evokes images of shadowy paths and hidden secrets. Back then it was known as Owlsbury. It was never really a town, and at most, the settlement reached around 26 people living there. 

Read More: Check out all supposed Haunted Towns

Dudleytown, though never officially a town, etched its place in history in the early 1740s when settlers like Thomas Griffis and the Dudley family took root in this desolate corner of Cornwall. Barzillai Dudley and Abiel Dudley, among others, built a community that would soon become synonymous with tales of misfortune and spectral encounters. However, the town’s decline wasn’t a result of curses but rather practical challenges — distant water sources and unsuitable soil for cultivation. Or was it really?

As the town succumbed to abandonment sometime after the Civil War, its remnants, like cellar holes, became the silent witnesses to a past that refuses to be forgotten. Since 1924, Dark Entry Forest, Incorporated, has guarded the land, preserving it from the encroachment of curious onlookers and seekers of the supernatural.

Rumors and Curses of the Dudley Line

Legend has it that Dudleytown carries a curse, stemming from the supposed lineage of its founders, who were said to be descendants of the beheaded English nobleman, Edmund Dudley under the reign of Henry VII from 1485 to 1509. So what is the background for his curse?

Edmund Dudley: Edmund Dudley (c. 1462 – August 17, 1510) was an English figure during King Henry VII and thought to be the originator of the curse. Dudley’s involvement in a plot against the crown led to his arrest. In 1510, he was charged with treason and beheaded.

Edmund Dudley served in the council for King Henry VII, but when Henry VIII took over, he was imprisoned in the Tower of London and executed in 1510 charged with treason. His son John Dudley was the one trying to put his daughter in law, Lady Jane Grey on the throne but was also convicted of high treason and executed. 

According to this rumor on the internet, his family curse followed his descendant when they crossed the Atlantic and settled in Dudleytown. This was Edmund Dudley’s grandchild, Robert, Earl of Leicester, a favorite of Elizabeth I.

This is not the only ghost story this man is involved in though, most notably that he was haunted by his wife, Amy Robsart, who died under suspicious circumstances. Read more about it in The Hauntings of Amy Robsart in Wychwood Forest. 

There are also those that claim that a Dudley ancestor who was a judge, sentenced people to death for witchcraft. Apparently one of them was in fact a witch and cursed him and his entire family line to misfortune. This is actually a theory put forward by ghosthunter and demonologist, Ed Warren. 

This curse, whispered through generations, is blamed for everything from crop failures to tragic deaths within the village. This could also be because it was located on top of a hill, unsuitable for farming. 

However, historical scrutiny reveals no genealogical link to the English nobleman, and factual inconsistencies abound. Especially the legend about it being Robert, Earl of Leicester, that settled in America, as he never did. The true story lies hidden in the annals of time, obscured by the mists of myth and rumor. Although, there truly are many Dudley’s and historical records does not necessarily mean blood.

Vandalism and the Blair Witch Effect on Dark Entry Forest

Tales of the Dark Entry Forest being haunted can be traced back to the 80s, at least, perhaps even further back as some say people talked about it, even in the 1940s. 

What we know is that in 1926, Edward C. Starr published two pages about Dudleytown residents in his History of Cornwall. Fictitious most of it it seems. It didn’t garner much attention at the time, but in the early 1970s, the story got picked up by Ed and Lorraine Warren, a couple from Connecticut and self declared demonologists, most famous for investigating the Amityville house. 

They used the story in a videotaped Halloween special where they said the town was demonically possessed and controlled by something terrifying. 

As the 1999 film, The Blair Witch Project, brought haunted forests into the spotlight, Dudleytown found itself thrust into the public eye once more together with Dark Entry Forest. A surge of interest, fueled by rumors of curses and ghostly apparitions, led to a rise in vandalism. Despite the best efforts of local authorities and the closure of the village site, Dudleytown became a magnet for those seeking a brush with the supernatural.

Blair Witch Project: A horror film released in 1999. Directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, the movie employs the found-footage style to tell the story of three student filmmakers who venture into the Black Hills near Burkittsville, Maryland, to document the legend of the Blair Witch. The film gained immense popularity for its innovative approach, creating a sense of realism and fear through shaky camera work and minimalist effects. Despite its modest budget, “The Blair Witch Project” became a massive success and left a lasting impact on the horror genre. It in turn was said to have been inspired by: The Legend of the Witch Moll Dyer

Haunting and Cursed Going on

The legend is that, in addition to the family curse, was plagued by ghosts as well as demonic forces. Even before The Blair Witch Project was released, the New York Times dubbed the town Connecticut favorite ghost town and the village of the damned. 

Strange Creatures of the Dark Entry Forest

One of the legends coming from the Dark Forest, is about the mysterious and strange creatures coming to the settlers from time to time. What is it, and if the villagers really feared this has never really been clear.

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from Haunted Forests

One of those that talked about this was William Tanner who was said to have gone insane and talked about that there were these strange creatures that came out from the woods at night. This especially happened when a Gershon Hollister was murdered in his barn in 1792. Or was it that he fell from the rafters? It is also worth mentioning that he was said to have been slightly demented in his old age, said to have died at 104. 

It is said though the ghost of Gershon Hollister is haunting the settlement, appearing as a shadow, calling out for help. 

Insanity Plaguing the Villagers

There are many cases where insanity was sort of a confirmation that Dudleytown was cursed. Like with the Revolutionary War General, Herman Swift that lived close to Dudleytown. His wife, Sarah Faye was killed when she was struck by lightning standing on her porch. It is said he went insane and died soon after. 

Even after the original Dudleytown had died out, cases of insanity continued to haunt the Dark Entry Forest. In 1900 a Dr. William Clarke came to the Dark Entry Forest and purchased land that included Dudleytown. There he built a summer home where he and his wife Harriet Bank Clark visited on weekends and summers. 

In 1918 however, Dr. Clark had to go to New York for a medical emergency and left his wife in the house. He didn’t stay long, and after 36 hours, he was back, but it was already too late. According to the stories he came home and found his wife being insane, talking about strange creatures coming out of the Dark Entry Forest. 

Not long after she committed suicide. Although it is known that she suffered from a chronic illness, most likely a mental illness that is, or perhaps such a painful one that she couldn’t take it anymore.. 

The Plague and Curse

Although we know today that different plagues and illnesses were common in these times, it was also speculated that they were under some sort of curse. In Dudleytown there was a house built by Abiel Dudley who had died after he went insane, or perhaps old and demented. Some claim to have seen his ghost, sitting on the porch of the ruins of his former house. 

In 1759, Nathaniel Carter moved into the house in Dark Entry Forest. A plague took most of his family and they moved from Dark Entry Forest to the Delaware wilderness in the natives territory and they were attacked where they killed Nathaniel, his wife and their infant child. Their three other children were kidnapped and brought to Canada. Some say that they took the Dudley curse with them just as it had followed from England. Some say you can see and hear their ghosts in their former house today. 

The three other children did fine though as the two daughters were ransomed. The son, David Carted stayed with the natives, married one of them and returned to the States to get his education. He ended up as an editor of a newspaper as well as a justice on the Supreme Court. 

The Vanished Residents of Dudleytown

There were also tales that residents vanished under mysterious circumstances into Dark Entry Forest. Some of these were the Brophy family that still lived in Dudleytown in 1901 when most had already left. 

His wife had died of consumption and he was left with their two children. One day they suddenly went missing, and went into the Dark Entry Forest just after their mothers funeral. Could they have ran off? Yes, as they had been accused of theft. They were however never found again. Shortly after their house burnt to the ground and after this, Brophy himself vanished into the forest just as his children had. He was also never seen again. 

What happened, we don’t know. Did he search for his children? Was he taken by the creature of the forest just like his kids? Perhaps he went on the lamb after burning his house down?

Screams and The Devil’s Breath

There are also more vague and general things that are deemed as strange by many. It is said that dogs refuse to enter the woods around these parts, or become aggressive. Strange animal injuries and going missing, only to never return or return completely traumatized. 

People claim to have heard screams coming from the woods as well as whispers in the night. They also heard heavy footsteps, but when turning around, there was no one there. 

The Devil’s breath is also a thing said to happen in the Dark Entry Forest, where a mystic mist comes from the forest, perhaps even poisonous. This could be from the time in the early 1800s though, when Dudleytown was a mining community.

If not because of a family curse, could it be because they disturbed the natives sacred land, thought to be a burial ground? No one can say for sure, but the legends surrounding Dudleytown and Dark Entry Forest certainly persists.

The Forbidden Dark Entry Forest

Dudleytown, veiled in the shadows of the Dark Entry Forest, remains a spectral enigma that captivates the imagination. The locals talk about it all being nonsense, as well as there are locals that claim there is something going on in the woods.  

Today the woods are closed off and you can suffer a huge fine of around 100 dollars if you enter it and police claim they find trespassers many times every month, mostly people in search of ghosts. So because of this, we have to fear the rumors of it from a distance. Perhaps just as well. 

More like this

Newest Posts

References:

THE VIEW FROM: DUDLEYTOWN; A Hamlet That Can’t Get Rid of Its Ghosts – The New York Times 

Dudleytown, Connecticut – Wikipedia 

“curse” on Dudleytown 

The Dudleytown Curse, Connecticut’s Village of the Damned – New England Historical Society 

10 Creepy Secrets about the Town That Never Existed – Listverse 

Ukategorisert

The Ghost of Little Ottie on Bluff Mountain in the Appalachian Range

Leave a comment
Advertisements

It is said that the ghost of Little Ottie is said to haunt the wilderness of the Appalachian Trail after he tragically died on the freezing night on top of Bluff Mountain in Virginia. Hikers tell about the crying help from the little boy that just vanishes on the trail. 

Deep in the Appalachian Mountains, Bluff Mountain emerges as more than just a scenic wonder; it harbors a mystique that transcends the beauty of its rugged terrain. The Appalachian Trail is today one of the longest hiking paths in the world and runs through Virginia as well as 14 other states with over 2 million people wandering through it every year. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from the USA

There are many legends and stories about these parts on The Appalachian Trail, being an old and wild trail far from everything else. Some of the most talked about legends is the Snarly Yow Beast were people started to report seeing this wolf-like creature all along the Appalachian Trail, although most sightings occur in West Virginia.

There are also reports about strange disappearances of people that have taken a hike that are never heard about again. Some are found dead however, and one of these tragic victims is said to haunt the mountain where he died.

The Landscape of Bluff Mountain

Bluff Mountain, with its ancient forests and hidden valleys, exudes an aura of secrecy. Bluff Mountain is not the most impressive mountain to look at, but don’t be fooled as the path to the summit is long and steep. From a distance it looks like a forested ridge though. The dense canopy of trees and the winding trails that crisscross the landscape create an otherworldly atmosphere, making it a perfect canvas for the mysteries that have enshrouded the mountain for generations.

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from Haunted Forests

On the top of the mountain a fire lookout tower was built in 1917, now called Tower Hill. Although the tower is now gone, just a stone throw away is a memorial of stones for the child that once got lost and died on the trail. 

The Legend of Ottie Cline Powell

The ghost said to show up on the trail on the mountain is the ghost of four year old, Ottie Cline Powell. He was the fifth child out of eight and grew up with his family on a farm near Dancing Creek close to Lexington in Virginia. And although he was said to have been a bright child, a child nonetheless and powerless against the freezing weather on top of a mountain.  

November 9 in 1891 Little Ottie went to school and together with his classmates in the one room school he was attending together with his siblings. At recess he was gathering firewood to keep the warmth in the classroom, it is even said he did so barefoot. When recess ended, he didn’t return with the other classmates and they started to look for him. All the locals marched through the woods in search of him. 

Time was of the essence here, as winter was coming, an ever looming threat. The week before the first snow had fallen and the day he disappeared ended with rain and a coming storm in the mountains. 

Several weeks went by, and although they searched for him, no trace of him was found. When winter came in full no one thought to search the mountain, because how would the little boy, just shy of his fifth birthday, climb it? 

It wasn’t until the following April hunters crossed the mountains on a side path to Bluff Mountain’s summit they found him after the snow had finally thawed. Their dogs kept barking and dragging the hunters to the remains of the little boy that had probably died from exposure already on his first night missing. 

Supernatural Forces at Bluff Mountain

Beyond the tangible realm, stories abound of supernatural forces that allegedly roam Bluff Mountain. Some claim to have heard disembodied whispers carried by the wind, while others report glimpses of shadowy figures moving between the trees. Most people seem to agree that the ghost haunting the trail is no body else than Little Ottie.

Some have even claimed to see the spirit of the blue eyed little boy with his fair complexion on the trail as well as in the forest around Bluff Mountain. And a hiker claimed that in 2009, it had to be the ghost of him that had folded his clothes when he spent the night on the trail. 

Hikers have also reported seeing a little boy seen close to the Punchbowl Trail Shelter whimpering and sometimes even asking for help before wandering away, still trying to find his way down the mountain. 

Because of the legends of the trail being haunted and that the little boy never found peace, hikers have now started to leave little things on his memorial, little toys to try to appease the spirit. Because although there are no reports about the spirit hurting anyone, perhaps they feel it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Memorial of Little Ottie: Source

The Haunted Appalachian Trail

As the mist settles on Bluff Mountain along the Appalachian Trail, and the last echoes of the day fade into the night, the haunting mysteries persist of Little Ottie who ended his days too soon on the mountain trail. Whether fueled by folklore or genuine supernatural occurrences, Bluff Mountain stands as a testament to the inexplicable forces that weave through the Appalachian Range. 

The next time you find yourself amidst the misty peaks and whispering woods of Bluff Mountain, remember that every rustle in the leaves and every gust of wind may carry with it a tale from the beyond, adding another chapter to the haunting legacy of this enigmatic Appalachian gem.

More like this

Newest Posts

References:

Ottie’s Bluff Mountain Monument Ghost Stories WereWoofs.com 

Emmet Powell, known as Ottie, was lost on Bluff Mountain. Now his ghost haunts the area. 

Bluff Mountain holds the mystery of the fate of 4-year-old Ottie Cline Powell | Cheryl E Preston | NewsBreak Original 

The Lonesome Death of Ottie Cline Powell – Blue Ridge Country