10 Ghost Stories from Haunted Trails in U.S. National Parks

The U.S. National Park system preserves not only natural splendor and historical landmarks but also the lingering presence of those who came before. While tales of Bigfoot and UFOs dominate backwoods lore, good old-fashioned ghosts still haunt the trees, cliffs, and ruins of these American landmarks. From phantom soldiers to crying spirits, here are ten chilling tales of supernatural sightings in U.S. national parks.

10. Gettysburg National Military Park (Pennsylvania) – Phantom Soldiers and Phantom Guns

Often regarded as the most haunted battlefield in the United States, Gettysburg National Military Park is steeped in spectral lore stemming from the blood-soaked days of July 1863, when over 7,000 soldiers were killed in one of the Civil War’s most pivotal clashes. Today, visitors regularly report chilling phenomena that seem to echo the violence of the past: phantom gunfire and the steady beat of distant drums reverberate through the fields, even when no reenactments are scheduled.

Countless tourists have captured strange anomalies in their photos—semi-transparent soldiers standing amid the trees, some even appearing to acknowledge the camera. One of the most paranormally active locations is Devil’s Den, a rocky outcropping where electronics mysteriously fail and shadowy figures are seen darting between boulders.

But perhaps the most haunting tale surrounds a large maple tree, where six Union soldiers are said to have died side by side. According to legend, their spirits remain frozen in time—leaning against the tree in full uniform, forever bound to the land they died defending.

9. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona) – The Wailing Woman of the Transept Trail

The North Rim’s Transept Trail at Grand Canyon National Park is the setting of one of America’s most enduring ghost stories—a tragic legend passed down for generations.

According to lore, a woman lost both her husband and young son in a fatal fall from the canyon’s edge during a sudden storm in the 1800s. Overcome with grief, she is said to have returned to the site days later and taken her own life. Since then, countless hikers have reported eerie encounters along the trail, especially at dusk: the sight of a translucent woman dressed in white, her figure drifting silently near the rim, often accompanied by the distant sound of weeping carried on the wind.

What makes the story especially haunting is the consistency of the sightings—many describe the ghost wearing a distinct blue scarf and a crown of wildflowers, precisely matching the outfit she was last seen in before her death. Whether an echo of deep sorrow or a lingering spirit, the Wailing Woman of the Transept Trail remains one of the canyon’s most haunting mysteries.

8. Yosemite National Park (California) – The Grouse Lake Ghost

Legend has it that Grouse Lake, nestled deep within Yosemite National Park, is haunted by the sorrowful spirit of a young Native American boy who drowned there long ago. The earliest written account of the haunting comes from Galen Clark, Yosemite’s first official park guardian, who described hearing eerie, childlike wails echoing across the still waters as early as the 1850s.

Intrigued and unsettled, Clark consulted the local Ahwahneechee people, who solemnly confirmed the story, warning him—and others—not to answer the cries or draw near the lake when the weeping begins. According to tribal lore, the spirit is not only real, but dangerous, capable of luring the living to the water’s edge with his mournful sobs.

Even today, some hikers report hearing ghostly crying near the shoreline, often when no one else is around. Whether viewed as a cautionary tale or a lingering tragedy, the ghost of Grouse Lake endures as one of Yosemite’s most unsettling and persistent supernatural legends.

7. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana) – Diana of the Dunes

Alice Mabel Gray, better known as “Diana of the Dunes,” was a fiercely independent woman who left behind the rigid expectations of early 20th-century Chicago society to live a solitary, bohemian life among the wild beauty of the Indiana Dunes. Embracing nature and personal freedom, she became a local curiosity for her unconventional ways—frequently seen swimming naked in Lake Michigan, writing poetry, and living in makeshift shelters along the shoreline.

Though she died in 1925, her legend lives on, and many believe her spirit never truly left the sands she loved. As the sun sets over the lake, some visitors report glimpses of a barefoot woman laughing softly as she walks along the water’s edge, vanishing before they can get a closer look.

Others claim to see her peering out from the ruins of abandoned beach homes she once called shelter. While her life was full of self-determination, her death was surrounded by mystery and potential violence—some say tied to the 1922 murder of a man connected to her common-law husband, Paul Wilson.

6. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky) – Ghost of Stephen Bishop

Mammoth Cave, the world’s longest known cave system, is not only a geological wonder but also a hotspot for paranormal activity. Beneath its labyrinthine passages and cathedral-like chambers, many believe spirits still roam—none more prominent than that of Stephen Bishop, a formerly enslaved man who became one of the cave’s most skilled and celebrated explorers in the 1800s.

Bishop is said to have memorized the complex tunnel system long before modern maps, guiding curious tourists with little more than lantern light. Today, his presence is still felt by those who venture deep into the caverns. Visitors and paranormal investigators alike report sightings of full-bodied apparitions, often described as a tall, dark-skinned man in 19th-century attire.

Even more chilling are accounts of entire ghostly families materializing in the dim recesses of chambers once used for Methodist church services. These spectral congregations, some say, serve as an echo of the enslaved people who once sought sanctuary and spiritual solace underground.

5. Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park (Hawai’i) – The Lady of the Volcano House

The Volcano House Hotel, perched on the edge of the Kīlauea Caldera within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, is not just a gateway to one of the world’s most active volcanoes—it’s also the site of numerous ghostly encounters tied to the land’s deep spiritual significance.

Built atop sacred Native Hawaiian ground, the hotel is said to rest in a place where the veil between worlds is thin, stirring ancient energies long respected by islanders. Guests and staff alike have reported sightings of an elderly woman in a Victorian-era gown silently roaming the hallways, often vanishing before she reaches a doorway.

Adding to the mystery is the frequent appearance of a spectral dog that materializes near rooms and disappears without a trace—believed by some to be a spirit form of Pele, the powerful Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes. In local lore, Pele is known to take on various shapes—including that of a woman with a white dog—when testing the respectfulness of visitors.

Whether these apparitions are remnants of history or manifestations of something older, the Volcano House remains one of the most spiritually charged and supernaturally active lodgings in the entire national park system.

4. Big Bend National Park (Texas) – The Murder Horse

Tucked against the Rio Grande in the vast and rugged terrain of southwest Texas, Big Bend National Park is one of the most isolated parks in the United States—and home to one of its most bizarre and chilling ghost stories. Locals and hikers speak of a ghostly white horse that appears without warning, marked with the haunting word “Murder” seared into its flank.

According to legend, the animal was branded in an act of cruelty, possibly as a grim joke or a punishment, and may have died shortly after. Now, its spirit is said to wander the desert plains, appearing suddenly in the shimmering heat before vanishing just as quickly, leaving behind only hoofprints and an overwhelming sense of unease.

Backpackers recount catching glimpses of the phantom steed while hiking remote trails—always silent, always fleeting, and often accompanied by a chilling stillness in the air.

3. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan) – The Ghost of Charlie Watt

In 1845, copper prospector Charlie Watt and his wife Angelique set out for a new life on Isle Royale, a remote and rugged island in Lake Superior known for its mineral riches and dense wilderness.

Relying on periodic supply shipments for food and resources, the couple found themselves stranded when winter ice sealed off the island, cutting them off from the mainland. With no rescue in sight and provisions dwindling, both eventually succumbed to starvation in the desolate cold. Their tragic fate left a haunting legacy that persists to this day.

Modern hikers exploring the island’s isolated trails occasionally report sightings of a gaunt, weathered man dressed in 19th-century prospecting attire, aimlessly wandering through the underbrush or along the rocky shoreline. Witnesses describe him as disoriented, his face etched with desperation, and say he vanishes without a trace if approached.

Though Isle Royale is now a national park and remains largely uninhabited, many believe that Charlie Watt’s restless spirit still roams the island, eternally searching for help that never came.

2. Everglades National Park (Florida) – Edgar Watson’s Bloody Legacy

Rabbit Key, a remote island in Florida’s Everglades, was once the stronghold of Edgar Watson, a notorious plantation owner and suspected serial killer whose violent reputation cast a long shadow over the region.

Feared by neighbors and employees alike, Watson was rumored to have murdered runaway workers and anyone who trespassed on his land.

In 1910, after years of suspicion and rising tension, the local townsfolk took justice into their own hands—confronting and fatally shooting Watson on the banks of the Chokoloskee River. But even in death, his presence is said to linger.

Visitors and staff at a nearby museum, which houses artifacts from the era, report chilling signs of poltergeist activity: motion detectors trigger with no one in sight, heavy footsteps echo after closing, and the spectral outline of a man is sometimes seen pacing behind the windows of the preserved general store.

Many believe the restless ghost of Edgar Watson still stalks the swamps he once ruled, unwilling—or unable—to let go of his reign of fear.

1. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida) – Haunted Fort Jefferson

Fort Jefferson, a massive hexagonal fortress in the Dry Tortugas off the coast of Florida, is one of the most remote and haunting sites in the U.S. National Park system.

Built in the 1800s to protect maritime shipping lanes, it later served as a military prison during and after the Civil War. Among its most infamous inmates was Dr. Samuel Mudd, the physician who treated John Wilkes Booth’s broken leg after President Lincoln’s assassination. His spirit is rumored to still linger within the walls, pacing the dark corridors of the cell blocks.

Yet Mudd is not the only ghost said to reside here—visitors and park staff have reported disembodied voices, cries of agony, and eerie moans thought to belong to pirate prisoners who succumbed to disease, starvation, or execution in the brutal, isolated environment.

The heavy limestone walls seem to hold not just history, but memory; many who tour the fort claim an oppressive weight descends upon them—as if the building itself mourns its past.