5 Spooky Hikes

Halloween is finally here!!! So what better way to celebrate than with a post listing 5 spooky hikes in America? It’s my favorite holiday and my favorite hobby! What?

1. Solstice Canyon – Malibu, CA: I figured I’d start the list with a local favorite. Solstice Canyon leads you on a kid friendly hike through the Santa Monica Mountains to the Tropical Terrace; a once beautiful home designed by Paul Revere Williams. The remnants of the house remain after a fire burned down most of the structure. The “bones” and overgrowth of vegetation leave a haunting feeling of what life must have been like in the house’s hayday. I’ve hiked this trail many times and never experienced anything haunting except the ghost of Saosin singers past (I had a nice conversation with Cove on this trail in early 2017). But, many others remain convinced it is haunted. You be the judge. For a complete trail description, please visit our friends over at Modern Hiker.
2. Transept Trail – Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim: Have you heard of the Wailing Woman? She is notorious in Grand Canyon National Park, having been seen and heard by many a hiker. The reason she wails has been disputed ranging from a wife scorned who drowned her children in a fit of rage to a mother who lost her family in a hiking accident. For a trail description, head on over to the Outdoor Project.
3. Bloody Lane Trail – Sharpsburg, MD: Looking for a spooky hike that’s also full of history? Look no further than Bloody Lane Trail. This trail is the site of the Civil War Antietam Battlefield. On a single day in 1862, approximately 23,000 lives were lost making this the “bloodiest day in American history.” Hikers report seeing soldiers at all times of the day, as well as hearing all kinds of spooky noises. For more information on how you can visit this national battlefield, visit the National Parks Service.
4. Iron Goat Trail – Skykomish, WA: If you’re looking for a little more adventure, this is the hike for you! This trail will take you over the remains of the former Great Northern Railroad to the location of an avalanche that derailed a train killing around 100 passengers. The deadliest train crash in American history! Hikers have reported hearing wailing and screaming noises. For more information on history and trail conditions, head on over to the Iron Goat Trail website.
5. Mammoth Cave National Park – Mammoth Cave, KY: I saved the best for last. With more documented supernatural incidents than any other trail in America, this is the perfect spooky hike for the paranormal enthusiast! In the 1840s, a doctor with a crazy experimental idea took a bunch of tuberculosis patients into the cave for the winter. They lived in huts, which can still be seen in the cave, and waited out the cold. However, not all of the patients made it out alive. Those that did not still haunt the largest cave in the world. For more information on how you can visit, check out the National Park Service’s website.

Have you ever been on any of these 5 spooky hikes and experienced something supernatural that you couldn’t explain? Have a trail you’d add? Tell us in the comments below!