Fall Hiking Trails Across North America That Are Perfect for Families

From haunted houses to haunted objects, there is no shortage of scary things you can explore, especially at this time of year. Haunted hiking trails are no exception.  However, not every source agrees on which trails are in fact, the spookiest. So, we did the research for you. All of the spooky and haunted trail lists were reviewed, the data was compiled, and here is the ultimate top 5 list of the spookiest trails in the United States, based on popularity.   #1 Bloody Lane Trail, Maryland As if the name isn’t enough to frighten you, this 1.5-mile trail loop takes visitors through the open fields of the Antietam National Battlefield near Sharpsburg MD, the site of one of the deadliest battles in the U.S. Civil War. The three primary battles fought between Confederate and Union soldiers on September 17, 1862, resulted in more than 23,000 casualties.  Gunfire and the smell of gunpowder have been reported when no one is on the road or even nearby. One visitor to the battlefield saw several men in Confederate uniforms walking Bloody Lane. He thought they were reenactors until they vanished. The most convincing of the reports is one of some Baltimore schoolboys who walked Bloody Lane and heard singing out in the fields. They said it sounded like a chant or the Christmas song Deck the Halls. The area was near the observation tower where the Irish Brigade charged the Confederates with a battle cry in Gaelic, which sounded like the Christmas carol.  Chilnualna Falls, California. Image by Bmdavll. #2 Chilnualna Falls Trail, California This strenuous 8.2-mile loop takes you along cascading Chilnualna Creek to a series of falls, comprised of five large cascades sliding through and over rock formations about the Wawona Basin.  As you pass Grouse Lake listen for the cries of a young boy, who according to Ahwahnechee tribal legend, drowned in the lake. And, if you jump into the lake to save the boy, you’ll drown too. A Miwok tribal legend warns visitors to stay away from the 240-foot edge at the highest waterfall. Those that get too close will get pushed over by the evil spirit “Po-ho-no”. Transept Trail, Arizona. Image by Daniel Schwen. #3 Transept Trail, Arizona With multiple views of the Grand Canyon, the fairly-easy, 3-mile Transept Trail follows the canyon rim from Grand Canyon Lodge to the North Rim Campground. There are also many rocks along the path with fossils in them, including crinoids, shells, sponges, and many other sea creatures. You might happen upon a creature of the ghostly sort as well. According to trail visitors and park rangers, the ghost of a bereaved wife and mother mourns the loss of her husband and son, supposedly in a hiking incident no less, at the Grand Canyon’s North Rim. The affectionately named Wailing Woman appears dressed in a white dress with blue flowers and floats along the trail crying.   Mason Hutchinson’s Grave, Ghost House Trail, Tennessee. Image by Brian Stansberry #4 Ghost House Trail, Tennessee Zero points were given for originality in the name of the trail, but this 1.2-mile easy loop makes up for it in the number of scares it provides hikers. Homesteader Matson Hutchinson lost his daughter Mary to tuberculosis in the late 1800s and visitors to where the home once stood claim to hear sounds of a young girl suffering. The trail winds past the Hutchinson family cemetery, where visitors have reported spirits’ shapes appearing behind the gravestones in photos. Lastly, look twice if you come across a fellow hiker dressed in a red flannel and gray pants. It could be the apparition of Mason Hutchinson, who’s rumored to appear throughout the woods. Iron Goat Trail, Washington. Image by David Severance/US Department of Transportation. #5 Iron Goat Trail, Washington This 6-mile trail loop runs along the old railroad grade that used to take trains up into the cascades. The remarkably beautiful hike is complete with amazing mountain views on one side, and the bones of old railroad tunnels and snowsheds on the other. The trail is also the site of one of the Wellington Avalanche Disasters where, in 1910, nearly 100 lives were lost when a vast section of snow on Windy Mountain broke loose and crashed down, sweeping two stopped trains off the tracks. There have been reports of disembodied voices echoing through the avalanche tunnel when no one else is there or no one else accompanying them has spoken. Visitors say they have felt invisible hands touch them, with their hair standing on end for no reason. Some have claimed to have even seen full-on apparitions. This trail combines beauty, history, and possibly a haunt or two. Honorable Mentions Lastly, our list of honorable mentions. These trails appeared in at least two of the spookiest or haunted hike lists. Long Path, NY Norton Creek Trail, North Carolina Batona Trail, New Jersey Warm Springs Canyon Road, California Violet City Lantern Tour and Heritage Walk, Kentucky The Black Diamond Mines, California The Gold Mine Trail, Washington Spruce Railroad Trail, Washington Bluff Mountain and Punchbowl Shelter, Virginia White Sands National Monument, New Mexico Elfin Forest, California Bash Bish Falls, Massachusetts Mammoth Cave, KY Appalachian Trail, New Hampshire Do you have an allegedly haunted trail or natural area in your town? Share your local legend in the comments! What’s the best way to hike a haunted trail? With a group, of course! Find your outdoor community with Hike it Baby. Learn more about our mission and membership levels today! About Hike it Baby Hike it Baby is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to getting families outdoors and on trails across the U.S. and internationally, supporting, educating and inspiring families through their more than 300 communities across North America. Since its grassroots inception in 2013 in Portland, Oregon, Hike it Baby is now a growing community of 270,000 families and 500 volunteer branch ambassadors hosting more than 1,600 hikes per month. More information, as well as daily hike schedules, can be found at HikeitBaby.com, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram.   Sources: US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Date accessed 10/28/2019, https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/back1105.cfm National Park Service, Accessed 10/28/2019, https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wawonahikes.htm Only in Your State, Accessed 10/28/2019, https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/northern-california/haunted-hike-waterfall-norcal/ Outside Magazine, Accessed 10/28/2019, https://www.outsideonline.com/2393687/most-haunted-hikes-us Sierra, Accessed 10/28/2019, https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2013-5-september-october/green-life/6-haunted-hiking-trails That Oregon Life, Accessed 10/29/2019, https://thatoregonlife.com/2016/11/iron-goat-trail/ Images sourced from The Wikimedia Commons Image Library with use granted under the Creative Commons CC0 License.

Have you heard about the 10 Minute Walk Initiative?! No? Well, if you think that increasing access to parks and green spaces can lead to better overall physical and mental health, especially during a health crisis, or that your overall quality of life would improve with close access to green space, then you’re already on board with this new program. Photo by Monique Vargas 10 Minute Walk Initiative The 10 Minute Walk Initiative aims to “...ensure that everyone in your city has safe, easy access to a quality park within a 10-minute walk of home by 2050.” That’s not just their mission for already more green-friendly places in the nation like California or Colorado, that’s their promise for the WHOLE COUNTRY. Check out their website to see if your mayor and your city are taking part and if you don’t see their name, do what I did and sign up to stay on top of how to get involved. Maybe you can even convince your mayor to take part. If you’re reading this you are already part of the growing Hike it Baby community and you know that a cornerstone of their mission is to Leave No Family Behind. If you’re changing a diaper, feeding your kid, having a meltdown (you or your kid!), if you can’t do the whole hike or if it’s your first hike we won’t leave you behind! This extends to race, sexual orientation, gender, disabilities, and language. This is of course still our mission but we have realized that many families are being left behind by default because they do not have access. This is unacceptable. We need to do better and that’s why Hike it Baby wholeheartedly supports the 10 Minute Walk Initiative. To ensure no family is left behind, we have to make sure that all families have easy access to safe parks and green spaces. OutGrown works to be the most effective hub of tools, information, and community inspiring all families with babies and young children to get outside and connect with nature. Learn more about OutGrown's mission and how you can get involved. ABOUT OUTGROWN OutGrown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to create a world where everyone can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside. We are focused on creating opportunities and removing barriers to access so families with babies and young children can take their first steps outside. We believe all families have the right to connect with nature, benefit from spending time outdoors and be inspired to a lifelong love of nature. Since its grassroots inception in 2013, OutGrown is a growing community of 280,000 families and over 300 volunteer Branch Ambassadors. More information on all of our programs can be found at WeAreOutGrown.org  EDITOR’S NOTE: We hope you enjoyed reading this article from OutGrown. We’re working hard to provide our community with content and resources that inform, inspire, and entertain you. But content is not free. It’s built on the hard work and dedication of writers, editors, and volunteers. We make an investment in developing premium content to make it easier for families with young children to connect with nature and each other. We do not ask this lightly, but if you can, please make a contribution and help us extend our reach.