When the weather gets warmer and there's a warm heat from the sun, hikers get their packs out and strap up their boots to head out to their favorite scenic trails. The woods, mountains, and lakesides hold a natural sense of peace and serenity, which is why most people feel centered and calm when they take to the trails. However, there are just some places that never feel serene, no matter how beautiful their surroundings are. There are some places where memories haunt what would otherwise be a calm and collected hike; where a chilly breeze rustles through the trees despite an 80-degree day.
Some trails are believed to be haunted and hold a dark and sinister history that far surpasses what many realize before they walk down them. Many of those trails are right in the US, and they might not be far from your own backyard.
Batona Trail, New Jersey
The New Jersey Pine Barrens already have a reputation and were even used as the set location for The Sopranos. The legend that haunts these woods has to do with the tale of the Jersey Devil, a creature that supposedly haunts the area. As far back as the 1700s, the legends claim that a woman, Mrs. Leeds, cursed her 13th child, thus it took the shape of the Jersey Devil many claims they've seen flying around the woods after dark. There are even some campers who substantiate this legend, making no joke of disturbances in the middle of the night.
Chilnualna Falls, California
In Yosemite, the legend of the drowning of a young Native American boy haunts hikers who walk past Grouse Lake. Supposedly, anyone who enters the lake's waters will be pulled under as well. Additionally, anyone who hikes to the top of the tallest waterfall in the park - which shouldn't be done under any circumstances - runs the risk of being pushed over by yet another Native American spirit named Pohono.
Long Path, New York
Long Path holds a dark past within its trails and those who find it will eventually find themselves passing Letchworth Village Cemetary. This was in relation to the Letchworth institution, which housed the mentally ill during 1911, mostly children.
Mistreatment and neglect were said to be common here according to Travel Channel, and while the institute was closed in 1996 to trespasses, the trail is still recommended as a good day hike... if you don't mind the history.
Ghost House Trail, Tennessee
Supposedly, both a witch hanging and the scalping of a Native American took place in these woods, and that alone is enough to give anyone the chills. There's a plaque near the trail to commemorate the latter, although the former has never been fully confirmed. The trail itself was named after the Hutchinson family who had a residence there but moved when their daughter Mary died due to tuberculosis. Eerie ghost sightings and the sound of her dog have been reported by the neighbors.
Violet City Lantern Tour And Heritage Walk, Kentucky
The Violet City Lantern Tour and Heritage Walk are unique because they don't follow a normal trail - they follow paths through various caverns underground. Mammoth Cave was used as a hospital for tuberculosis patients and was run by Dr. John, who believed the cave could heal patients. The Corpse Rock, where the bodies of patients were left before being picked up, still remains, and hikers claim they can hear ghostly coughs echoing throughout the caverns.