Driving can be scary on any road if you run into bad weather, debris or an aggressive driver. But some roads have a reputation for frightening encounters that are a bit more otherworldly—think floating orbs, ghostly hitchhikers and demonic dogs.
Some of these roads have been the scenes of serious auto crashes or other real-life tragedies. Others earned their spooky reputations from urban legends, local lore and word-of-mouth tales from drivers.
So, buckle up and take a ride with us through the history and legends behind nine of America’s most haunted roads.
1. Shades of Death Road — New Jersey
Shades of Death Road is a twisty 7-mile stretch in Warren County, New Jersey, that winds past Ghost Lake, where you can take a detour if you dare. It’s unclear exactly why this road got its name, but it may date back to mysterious illnesses that plagued local residents in the 1800s, spread by malaria-carrying insects breeding in a nearby swamp. Or it may come from a series of three grisly murders that occurred in the 1920s and 1930s.
The road also has a reputation for accidents, including a serious 2019 crash in which three teens were airlifted from the scene after crashing into a tree. Drivers have reported ghostly vapor formations, glowing orbs and even dead people emerging from the mist along the roadside.
Take a virtual road trip down Shades of Death Road.
2. Mystery Mile — Pennsylvania
Travelers on Kelley Road, nicknamed “Mystery Mile” in Ohioville, Pennsylvania, have reported all kinds of strange occurrences. Some motorists say their cars have inexplicably stalled, leaving them stranded on the creepy road at night. Others swear they’ve heard a ghostly carriage flipping over and passengers faintly screaming—echoes of a tragic accident from the 1800s. Those who dare to drive the first mile of this road might want to leave Sparky and Princess at home: Legend has it that animals in the car will suddenly go berserk due to an ancient curse.
Take a virtual road trip down Mystery Mile.
3. Route 666 — Utah to New Mexico
Nicknamed the Devil’s Highway and Highway to Hell, U.S. Route 666 got a name change to U.S. Route 491 in 2003. The official recommendation for the name change from the Colorado, New Mexico and Utah state departments of transportation stated that the road was the “site of many accidents,” that “666 carries the stigma of being the mark of the beast” and that some travelers avoided the route due to “the fear that the devil controls events along U.S. Route 666.”
But the old name, which has stuck as a nickname to this day, isn’t the only creepy aspect of this desert road. Drivers have reported supernatural sights along Route 666, including a pack of hellhounds chasing vehicles and a black ghost car that tries to run drivers off the road at night.
Take a virtual road trip down Route 666.
4. Boy Scout Lane — Wisconsin
On this lonely dirt road in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, urban legend has it that in the 1950s, a troop of Boy Scouts disappeared. Some versions of the story say they died in a forest fire after someone dropped a lantern during a camping trip. Others tell a tale of murder at the hands of a bus driver or troop leader.
Local lore has it that travelers on this road sometimes hear Boy Scouts laughing in the distance, perhaps sitting around a ghostly campfire off in the woods. There have also been reports of a ghost bus traveling the road and mysterious handprints appearing on car windows.
Take a virtual road trip down Boy Scout Lane.
5. Route 44 — Massachusetts
A section of U.S. Route 44 near Rehoboth, Massachusetts, is reputed to be home to the Redheaded Hitchhiker of Route 44. This mysterious man is always looking for ride and has been described as a bearded redhead with vacant, black or creepy looking eyes wearing a flannel shirt, jeans and work boots.
He summons drivers—usually those traveling alone—with his thumb out, then gets into the vehicle and remains completely silent, even if the driver tries to engage in friendly conversation. At some point, the driver always looks over to find that he’s vanished.
Take a virtual road trip down Route 44.
6. Ortega Ridge Road — California
If you can muster the courage to drive this twisty two-lane road in Montecito, California, you should know the legend of the three sisters. During the California Gold Rush in the mid-1800s, highway bandits murdered three nuns who had gone on a mission trip bearing candles, Bibles and food, according to local legend.
Today, the ghosts of the three nuns—known as Las Tres Hermanas—are said to appear along the side of this road in their black habits holding hands. Drivers report seeing the apparitions with glowing faces and bright blue eyes by the side of the road at night.
Take a virtual trip down Ortega Ridge Road.
7. Dead Man’s Curve — Ohio
This stretch of road known as Dead Man’s Curve in Clermont County, Ohio, is not curved today. But the area where state routes 125 and 222 meet near Amelia, Ohio, was once the site of an infamously dangerous sharp curve atop a hill.
In the fall of 1969, the state widened and straightened the road. But according to local lore, the accidents didn’t stop. The following year, it’s reported that five teens in an Impala were hit by another driver going 100 mph. Tragically, there was only one survivor. The details of that crash are unclear, but since then, drivers have reported a faceless hitchhiker standing by the side of the road—and some have even seen a ghostly Impala with no driver.
Take a virtual road trip to Dead Man’s Curve.
8. Mount Misery Road — New York
This mysterious road in Huntington, New York, on Long Island runs through a wooded area parallel to Sweet Hollow Road, another infamously haunted road less than a mile away. Not far away sits the village of Amityville, the setting of “The Amityville Horror” books and movies.
Mount Misery Road itself is the subject of a related horror film, “Amityville: Mt. Misery Road,” about a couple who decide to go ghost hunting on the reportedly cursed road—and then find they can’t get out. Many of the hauntings reported around this road involve local lore about an old asylum that burned down with patients trapped inside. Drivers report seeing an apparition that seems to be one of those doomed patients: a woman in white who will jump in front of your car at night.
Take a virtual road trip on Mount Misery Road.
9. Ghost Road — Georgia
In the tiny town of Brooklet, Georgia, a rough dirt road called Railroad Bed Road is known to locals as Ghost Road. Those who dare to drive it at night report seeing mysterious glowing orbs floating in the dark. A local man whose brother invited him to take a drive down the road one night became so intrigued by the ghostly lights that he made a documentary, “The Legend of Ghost Road.” Due to terrifying car trouble he experienced one night—in which he vowed never to go back if he made it out alive—he refuses to return to the road.
The spooky sightings go beyond mysterious lights: Drivers have reported seeing ghost dogs and a headless phantom railroad worker who was beheaded in a train accident many years ago.
Take a virtual road trip down Ghost Road.
Keep safe from scary run-ins on the road
Whether you want to visit or steer clear of these spooky roads this Halloween season, remember that nothing is scarier than driving uninsured or underinsured. Car insurance from The Hartford can help make sure you’re covered in case you have an unwelcome encounter on one of America’s most haunted roads—or anywhere else your travels take you.
Would you dare to travel down any of these roads? Have you had your own spooky encounter behind the wheel? Share your story in the comments!
View Comments (3)
Awesome and so interesting, loved it.
Very interesting. Been to Montecito many, many times. Have never heard of that legend.
Very entertaining.