Baseball might be the all-American pastime but camping is a close second, if not the new number one pastime. And while we might be in a new modern age of recreational hobbies, it doesn't mean that the past isn't all around us, especially where we choose to set up camp for the night. Camping locations are often chosen based on proximity, the distance to hiking trails, or even what happens to be the closest to one's home. However, they're not often chosen based on their dark histories, especially when nightfall means an entirely different landscape is bound to arise.
The thing about being in the middle of the woods is that there's no room to hide in or a house to run into. Every branch that breaks, every leaf rustling nearby, or every unrecognizable sound makes a person feel vulnerable. And when a place has a reputation with the locals as well as those who have had the misfortune of discovering what really roams the area, well... let's just say these places should be considered for short-term stays.
Big Moose Lake In New York
In the case of some haunted places, the locale has been deemed 'haunted' due to the fact that something tragic happened there. While nothing has been recorded, in many of these places, it's often just the eeriness or negativity left behind that people can pick up on rather than something paranormal. In the case of Big Moose Lake, however, many would argue that there's much more going on than just a creepy feeling knowing a tragic murder took place there.
Back in 1906, a woman by the name of Grace Brown found out that she was pregnant by her boyfriend at the time, Chester Gillette, at the age of only 18. During that time, being unwed and pregnant likely would have made her society's outcast, thus she begged Gillette to marry her. When Gillette suggested taking a trip upstate, Brown was convinced that Gillette did intend to ask for her hand in marriage, according to Outside; instead, he knocked her out with a tennis racket, which caused her to fall overboard, tragically meeting her end in Big Moose Lake. Gillette was arrested and sentenced to the death penalty but according to those who visit the area, the spirit of Brown still lives on around the lake.
Lake Morena In California
It's unclear what, exactly, haunts Lake Morena in California, but with its location being so close to the start of the Pacific Crest Trail, many have reported seeing, hearing, and feeling quite unexplainable things. This paranormal activity spans back 40 years; one ranger even felt compelled enough to turn in his keys and walk away from his job due to the things that he had been seen in the woods. But what, exactly, have those who are privy to this phenomenon reported?
During a peak time in the activity, according to a 1983 article by the San Diego Union, both rangers and visitors reported seeing levitating bodies in the form of ghostly apparitions, appearing out of nowhere. This was coupled with the sound of heavy footsteps that seemed to come from no one direction, in particular, but witnesses reported seeing an elderly man at the campsite during the same time. Many reported seeing a woman in white standing at the shoreline of Lake Morena, as well, along with apparitions in the actual ranger stations.
Braley Pond, Virginia
Paranormal hauntings can happen in a manner of different ways. People can bear witness to things seeming to happen outside of the current time and space, or paranormal phenomena can happen to people - and it's the latter that takes place at Braley Pond. While the George Washington National Forest location is a popular spot for those who enjoy fishing, it's not always a warm welcome for visitors who come for the scenery and stay for the camping.
Upon walking up to the pond, visitors have reported feeling sudden dread and even nausea. During an interview with a paranormal researcher by The Dyrt, Shea Willis and her team reported hearing 'violent splashing' which caused them to run back to their car. Before they got there, however, Willis reported feeling as though something had latched onto her back and was 'crawling' all over her. Despite being able to leave, the paranormal researcher claimed that nightmares plagued her and for weeks, she felt like something just wasn't right. Braley Pond is known for being the spot of particularly grizzly gang murder that happened back in 2003. Many others have reported hearing disembodied laughter, unexplainable activity, and apparitions.