Think You Can Handle These Creepy Routes?
With so many roads twisting along forests and stretching for mile after empty mile, some are bound to have unwelcome guests. Weeping women and threatening prospectors are the least of your worries on these routes.
1. Route 666, (Multiple States)
With such an infamous number attached to it, it’s no surprise that this road earned undesirable nicknames like The Devil’s Highway or the Highway to Hell. Though, they’re more apt than you think—this highway was once considered one of the most dangerous in the world thanks to its hazardous turns. Of course, countless urban legends and ghost stories didn’t make the drive any more desirable. After some hoopla about the number, it eventually became Highway 491.
Daniel Schwen on Wikimedia Commons
2. Boy Scout Lane (Wisconsin)
You won’t earn any merit badges on this road, but you will cruise down a path host to its own legend. In the ‘50s, a group of Boy Scouts lost their lives and now haunt the road permanently. Motorists claim they’ve seen ghostly figures, can hear footsteps, and often describe an overwhelming sense of being watched. Vehicles may also discover children’s handprints on them.
3. Clinton Road (New Jersey)
At just 10 miles, Clinton Road has plenty of urban legends and terrifying sightings to its name. It’s been dubbed a lonely, desolate road and the perfect place to spark your imagination. Everything from animalistic creatures and ghosts to witch sightings and KKK gatherings has reportedly been spotted here.
Tyler de Noche on Wikimedia Commons
4. 22 Mine Road (West Virginia)
Her name was Mamie Thurman, a 32-year-old woman who lost her life in the 1930s and was found on 22 Mine Road. To this day, no one knows where she was buried or if authorities even caught the right man—but her spirit still haunts this West Virginian road. Motorists claim they’ve seen her in a polka-dot dress, wandering the area she was found.
Photo by Connor Ellsworth on Unsplash
5. Prospector’s Road (California)
Back in the 1800s, a drunken prospector stumbled through his local saloon to brag about how much gold he’d found. He was then ambushed in a fit of jealousy. Well, he won’t let anyone ever take his gold again, something plenty of motorists can attest to when cruising down this road. Legend has it that drivers have not only spotted the miner’s ghostly figure, but they also hear his warning: “Get off my claim”.
Photo by Thanos Pal on Unsplash
6. Mount Misery Road (New York)
This slender road is surrounded by dense forestry and urban legends, earning its keep as a paranormal hot spot. Locals claim it’s been haunted for as long as they can remember, overrun with malicious spirits just looking for passersby.
7. Shades of Death Road (New Jersey)
To be fair, what did we honestly expect with a name like this? Famous folklore includes every kind of tale—wild animal encounters, fatal car accidents, and brutal attacks that remain unsolved to this day. At nearly seven miles long, there’s plenty of time to spot apparitions for yourself.
Mr. Matté on Wikimedia Commons
8. Archer Avenue (Illinois)
If you dare, ask any Chicagoan about Resurrection Mary. She’s a well-known vanishing hitchhiker who’s haunted cars since the ‘30s, a poor hit-and-run case whose suspect was never found. Dozens of accounts claim she’s asked for a ride between the Willowbrook Ballroom and Resurrection Cemetery, which was her final resting place.
9. Jeremy Swamp Road (Connecticut)
The last thing you want is to break down on Jeremy Swamp Road. Stalled vehicles are said to disappear before any tow trucks show up, often lost to a gang of humanoids called the Melon Heads. This freakish group is also said to haunt roads in Michigan and Ohio.
Photo by Thanos Pal on Unsplash
10. Route 66 (Missouri)
Though no one knows what causes it, many can tell you about the “spooklight” on Route 66. Also called The Devil’s Promenade, this road is home to an inexplicable phenomenon that’s confused locals for decades. Some speculate it’s a ghost, others claim it appears at random—but no one has a definitive answer.
Mathieu BROSSAIS on Wikimedia Commons
11. Route 2A (Maine)
Known as Northern Maine’s most haunted road, Route 2A more than earned the title. Witches and ghost brides alike stalk motorists, though it’s also notorious for fatal car accidents. Most locals know to avoid it at night.
Photo by chmyphotography on Unsplash
12. Dudley Road (Massachusetts)
Despite debunked theories and trespassing fines, local legends continue to haunt Dudley Road. Its most famous story follows a pack of nuns who dabbled in the dark arts before being tried for their crimes. It’s said the building where they practiced their witchcraft slowly sank into the ground and the nuns still haunt the area.
Photo by Anya Juárez Tenorio on Pexels
13. The Devil’s Washbowl (Vermont)
Vermont usually inspires thoughts of Ben and Jerry’s or picturesque mountain ranges. But it’s also home to the Pigman. No vehicle is safe on this highway, not with this pig-like creature just waiting to scare those in its path.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
14. Ortega Ridge Road (California)
The next time you’re on Ortega Ridge Road, keep your eyes peeled for Las Tres Hermanas—or in English, the three nuns. Attacked by local bandits, legend has it that they continue to pray along the road.
15. Riverview Drive (New Jersey)
Perhaps better known as “Annie’s Road,” this poor girl lost her life on prom night in the 1960s. Her restless spirit now stalks the road, screaming and reportedly interrupting cell service.
16. Clinton Road Bridge (Ohio)
Locals hardly refer to this road by its actual name. Here, it’s known as the “Dead Man’s Curve” thanks to the sharp turn in the road. Several motorists have lost their lives here and it’s believed their presence still haunts the area.
Photo by Filip Mroz on Unsplash
17. Route 44 (Massachusetts)
The only thing worse than driving a lonely road is the feeling that someone’s watching you—and someone very well could be on Route 44. He’s called the red-headed hitchhiker, an apparition known to stop vehicles. You’re lucky if he only asks for a ride and vanishes. Others report taunting or maniacal laughter in their ear.
Kenneth C. Zirkel on Wikimedia Commons
18. Bloody Bride Bridge (Wisconsin)
It’s easy to see where this is going with such a succinct name. What remains a mystery, however, are her motives. All that’s known about her is she tragically lost her life on her wedding day. She now haunts the area and might even appear in your rearview mirror, clad in her red gown while sat in the backseat.
Photo by Monstera Production on Pexels
19. Jamestown Road (North Carolina)
Known only as Lydia, her name is enough to strike fear in locals. She’s a vanishing hitchhiker and sightings date back to the early ‘20s. Though none have figured out the whole story, most encounters agree that she vanishes into thin air.
Photo by Maria Stiehler on Unsplash
20. Kelly Road (Pennsylvania)
Though many would love the title, Kelly Road is often considered one of the scariest haunted roads in America. Not only are ghosts said to roam the area, but legend has it that Kelly Road comes with a malicious aura, one that sparks anger or even violence in passing motorists.
Photo by Dima Pechurin on Unsplash
21. Whiskey Hollow Road (New York)
As scary as they are, most hauntings stop at local legends and campfire ghost stories—but Whiskey Hollow Road is actually closed to nighttime traffic. The closure could stem from any number of creepy findings, such as alleged occult shrines, ghost sightings, or even cult meetings.
Photo by Julian Hochgesang on Unsplash
22. Riverdale Road (Colorado)
It’s hard to say which legend is creepier: the vanishing Camaro that tries to run people off the road or the supposed gates to the underworld. Of course, drivers should also be wary of meandering livestock, ghost children, and the apparition of a jogger.
Photo by Eliott Reyna on Unsplash
23. Mona Lisa Drive (Louisiana)
Accounts vary on how exactly Mona lost her life, or where exactly the remains of her statue reside, but locals agree on her presence. Those who venture to this scorned lover’s site are now met with laughter, screaming, or scratching at their car windows.
Photo by Osman Rana on Unsplash
24. Bray Road (Wisconsin)
Many unlucky drivers encountered a wolf-like creature known as the Beast of Bray Road, a huge entity covered in hair and equipped with glowing eyes. Sightings date back to the ‘30s and its popularity inspired books and documentaries.
25. Stagecoach Road (Texas)
When a road carries weary travelers throughout the 1800s, you’re bound to see present-day apparitions. And see them you will because plenty of motorists have encountered ghostly children. One woman even spotted a child’s handprint on her vehicle.
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