Explore These 7 Haunted Highways at Your Own Risk
October 14, 2016
Haunted houses, cemeteries, and hotels? We’ll be the first to admit that’s all pretty well-worn supernatural territory—especially this time of year. But if you’re after some fresh frights, just wait till you hear about these haunted roads.
Sure, your car makes a great getaway vehicle…until it turns out you’re motoring down one of these seven notoriously spooky streets. Go on and take a ride down one of them—just don’t blame us when the image of a creepy kid in your rearview mirror keeps you up all night.
CLINTON ROAD, NEW JERSEY: It might only be an hour's drive from Manhattan, but when you're on the isolated, way-too-quiet stretch of Clinton Road, the urban bustle will be the furthest thing from your mind. Probably—and we're just guessing here—because you'll be worried about the ghost children, Satanists, and mutant animal hybrids spotted on what many call the scariest road in America. Charting its way through an abandoned ironmaking community outside Passaic, NJ, the ominous 10-mile stretch of Clinton Road has spooked locals and tourists alike for years.
HIGHWAY 666: You've heard of Route 66, but what about Highway 666? If you're not familiar with this north-south stretch between Utah and New Mexico, we're not surprised. The road was actually renamed Route 491 in 2003 due to its satanic associations (and the fact that the accident-riddled road was feared by many to have supernatural forces at work). We can't be sure about the statute of limitations on spookiness, but it's probably best to avoid just in case. (That goes for Pennsylvania Route 666 too, which has yet to be renamed.)
PROSPECTOR'S ROAD, CALIFORNIA: California's gold rush country seems tailor-made for supernatural encounters. I mean, add up all the riches, jealousy, and lawlessness of the Old West, and you've got a centuries-old haunted stew a'brewing. Prospector's Road, located halfway between
Sacramento and
Lake Tahoe, is especially famous for its paranormal cast of former fortune-seekers, including one prospecting specter that tells visitors to "get off my claim." He won't have to tell us twice.
ARCHER AVENUE, ILLINOIS: Venture to Chicago's South Side, and you'll find Archer Avenue—otherwise known as one of the most haunted roads in the city. Credit for that distinction goes to one Resurrection Mary, a hitchhiking ghost (drivers beware) that is said to wear a white party dress, dancing shoes, and hold a clutch purse. The supernatural tip-off? Reportedly, she asks to be dropped off at the local Resurrection Cemetery before disappearing between the gravestones.
BRAY ROAD, WISCONSIN: The town of Elkhorn, Wisconsin doesn't look particularly spooky to the naked eye. By day, it's a perfectly quaint Midwestern town—but by night? That's when "the Beast of Bray" is said to haunt a particular stretch of Bray Road. Reports vary, but the creature has been described as having Bigfoot-like proportions, and may very well be a werewolf. We don't recommend getting close enough to find out for sure.
Image courtesy of
Jennifer Kirkland/Flickr
SHADES OF DEATH ROAD, NEW JERSEY: If you're ever concerned about accidentally winding up on a haunted road, start paying attention to street signs—sometimes those names are a dead giveaway. Exhibit A: the not-so-subtle Shades of Death Road, a quiet country lane in Warren County, New Jersey. There's plenty of attending folklore for good ol' Shades of Death, including violent highwaymen, vicious wild cats, and (inevitably) numerous ghost sightings. Basically a creepy stuff grab-bag.
ROUTE 2A, MAINE: Would you drive down a road that was immortalized in a song called "A Tombstone Every Mile?" Didn't think so. The infamous Route 2A in Haynesville, Maine, is notorious for its dangerous driving conditions and numerous car accidents—as well as a whole host of spooky spirits that have been seen over the decades. This is one haunted road story you might want to save for the campfire and not explore on your own.
CLINTON ROAD, NEW JERSEY: It might only be an hour's drive from Manhattan, but when you're on the isolated, way-too-quiet stretch of Clinton Road, the urban bustle will be the furthest thing from your mind. Probably—and we're just guessing here—because you'll be worried about the ghost children, Satanists, and mutant animal hybrids spotted on what many call the scariest road in America. Charting its way through an abandoned ironmaking community outside Passaic, NJ, the ominous 10-mile stretch of Clinton Road has spooked locals and tourists alike for years.
HIGHWAY 666: You've heard of Route 66, but what about Highway 666? If you're not familiar with this north-south stretch between Utah and New Mexico, we're not surprised. The road was actually renamed Route 491 in 2003 due to its satanic associations (and the fact that the accident-riddled road was feared by many to have supernatural forces at work). We can't be sure about the statute of limitations on spookiness, but it's probably best to avoid just in case. (That goes for Pennsylvania Route 666 too, which has yet to be renamed.)
PROSPECTOR'S ROAD, CALIFORNIA: California's gold rush country seems tailor-made for supernatural encounters. I mean, add up all the riches, jealousy, and lawlessness of the Old West, and you've got a centuries-old haunted stew a'brewing. Prospector's Road, located halfway between
Sacramento and
Lake Tahoe, is especially famous for its paranormal cast of former fortune-seekers, including one prospecting specter that tells visitors to "get off my claim." He won't have to tell us twice.
ARCHER AVENUE, ILLINOIS: Venture to Chicago's South Side, and you'll find Archer Avenue—otherwise known as one of the most haunted roads in the city. Credit for that distinction goes to one Resurrection Mary, a hitchhiking ghost (drivers beware) that is said to wear a white party dress, dancing shoes, and hold a clutch purse. The supernatural tip-off? Reportedly, she asks to be dropped off at the local Resurrection Cemetery before disappearing between the gravestones.
BRAY ROAD, WISCONSIN: The town of Elkhorn, Wisconsin doesn't look particularly spooky to the naked eye. By day, it's a perfectly quaint Midwestern town—but by night? That's when "the Beast of Bray" is said to haunt a particular stretch of Bray Road. Reports vary, but the creature has been described as having Bigfoot-like proportions, and may very well be a werewolf. We don't recommend getting close enough to find out for sure.
Image courtesy of
Jennifer Kirkland/Flickr
SHADES OF DEATH ROAD, NEW JERSEY: If you're ever concerned about accidentally winding up on a haunted road, start paying attention to street signs—sometimes those names are a dead giveaway. Exhibit A: the not-so-subtle Shades of Death Road, a quiet country lane in Warren County, New Jersey. There's plenty of attending folklore for good ol' Shades of Death, including violent highwaymen, vicious wild cats, and (inevitably) numerous ghost sightings. Basically a creepy stuff grab-bag.
ROUTE 2A, MAINE: Would you drive down a road that was immortalized in a song called "A Tombstone Every Mile?" Didn't think so. The infamous Route 2A in Haynesville, Maine, is notorious for its dangerous driving conditions and numerous car accidents—as well as a whole host of spooky spirits that have been seen over the decades. This is one haunted road story you might want to save for the campfire and not explore on your own.
