We’re going to go out on a limb here and declare no film in the history of cinema has done a better job of combining camping and jump scares as the 1999 cult classic The Blair Witch Project. The entire movie is a film iteration of a scary campfire story, which begs the question…
Why do scary stories and camping go so well together?
Maybe it’s because camping takes you beyond the familiar comfort of your own four walls. Perhaps it’s that nagging nervousness in the back of your mind that reminds you of how vulnerable you are in the great, wide open. Regardless, there seems to be two types of campers—those who hate ghost stores…and those who cannot get enough.
If you happen to be a member of the latter, you are going to love this post. We’ve gathered a list of some of the spookiest campgrounds in the U.S. and cannot wait to share it with you.
Lake Morena Campgrounds, California
This campground in Southern California has been the location of multiple scary encounters for campers and park staff for nearly 50 years. Reports of people seeing levitating bodies and hearing heavy footsteps abound, and many claim to have seen a mysterious woman in white standing near the shoreline of the lake.
Holy Ghost Campground, New Mexico
I mean, with a name like Holy Ghost campground, how can this place not be creepy?
Located in the Santa Fe National Forest, the campgrounds are nestled in a beautiful canyon along Holy Ghost Creek. But it is the ghost story rather than the view that draws many thrill-seeking campers to this locale.
Rumor has it that the campground serves as the haunting grounds of a 17th century Spanish priest who was murdered there, and locals consider it to be the “Bermuda Triangle of New Mexico” due to the number of people who have reportedly gone missing there.
Camp Rutledge, Georgia
Known as the most haunted campsite in the state of Georgia, Camp Rutledge is located within Hard Labor Creek State Park and offers stunning views and plenty of activities during the day…and terrifying scares at night.
The campground is reportedly haunted by two different spirits—that of an unnamed, angry man, and a young boy known by locals as Ethan.
Many a camper has claimed to hear the man running and stomping through the woods, and some say he beats on the walls of cabins in the middle of the night before disappearing.
Ethan often appears and rolls a red ball toward campers while laughing maniacally. Others say they’ve never seen the boy but have heard his unsettling laughter ring out in the darkness.
Not everyone is up for a spooky campout…but if you love the way a good scare gets your adrenaline pumping, we think you’ll enjoy your time at one of these encampments. And, if these are not close to you, a quick Google search should provide you with plenty of creepy campsites near you.
Happy Halloween camping…if you dare…(cue maniacal laughter)
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