Unsettling Accounts From America’s Backroads, Woodlands, And Tunnels

It is perhaps not surprising that the further out into the wilderness you go, the stranger and more unnerving the accounts of the areas get. We have looked before, for example, at the mysterious tales from Ben Macdui in Scotland, or the Bennington Triangle in the upper north-east region of the United States. These “off-the-beaten-track” locations harbor strange tales and even stranger anomalies. Often these result in bizarre sightings that strike fear into those who witness them. Other times they lead to unexplained disappearances, of which, many occur in the North American continent each year, in particular, the United States, as we will look at later.

The many remote locations in the United States alone account for many of the unsettling accounts on record. And that is perhaps no surprise. Although the country’s modern history is still only several centuries old, the land itself has stories that go back thousands of years. And whose direct influence appears to encroach on the contemporary citizens, as the modern society itself encroaches on these untouched parts of the United States.

Before we look at some of these intriguing, if chilling accounts, check out the short video below. It looks at the basics of the “Missing People” conspiracy. Something that appears to share a connection to some of the following encounters.

Shadow People On Mount Sterling?

Although the exact date is not certain, an account thought to have happened in early-summer 2018 in North Carolina is as unsettling as any. ^[1] The anonymous witness claims to be a lead-hiker who takes small teams of hikers and mountaineers on organized treks into the mountain regions. On this occasion, he was leading a climb on Mount Sterling. After reaching the top they would set up camp for the night. The group were around six miles away from the nearest road and were, essentially, isolated.

It was a little after 10:30 pm. The witness had been reading, able to do so by the brightness of the full moon overhead. As he closed the book preparing himself to turn in for the night, he saw a “darkened humanoid figure” approaching their camp on the trail they themselves had used only hours earlier. He remained motionless, watching the figure until it suddenly stopped dead.

The “man”, who the witness would state he could “only see the outline of him” would stand as if “surveying the camp”. The witness began to lose sense of time. He wasn’t sure how long the incident lasted. He would later recall it “seemed like thirty minutes but may have been ten”. Then, the shadowy entity “turned and sat down under a tree facing our camp”. The witness had the intense feeling that whoever the dark figure was, it was watching them.

When the figure finally stood again, taking one last look around and headed back down the trail, the witness’s watch revealed it was 3:30 am. Although he didn’t see the figure again, the witness would state to “being paranoid” for the remainder of the trip. If the “person” watching them was human, what of their lack of lighting and climbing equipment?

The Old House In An Abandoned Town

The incident isn’t the only chilling account from North Carolina in recent years. Sometime in 2015, a user on social media (under the name tytrim89) told of their own encounter in the lonely woodlands ^[2] of the area. He, along with six friends, had arrived there that day intent on exploring an “abandoned town” used by the US military for training exercises. The group were particularly interested in exploring an old house that was over one-hundred years old.

As they approached the building, they would split into small groups in order to cover more ground faster. The main witness would remain at the front of the property and scan the immediate land outside. One of the other groups consisted of his wife and her friend, who would do the same but at the back of the property. After several minutes, the two women returned to the front of the property claiming to have heard “two little girls laughing and playing in the woods”.

The witness ran his torchlight over the woods, walking a little way into the trees. They could, however, see nothing out of the usual. And the sound was no longer audible. When they returned to their vehicle at the front of the old house, though, each took in a sharp gasp of breath. The light on top of the jeep was turned on. Even more worrying, “one of the doors was cracked open”.

It was then that they head a thud like “some dropping a safe” that stopped everyone in their tracks. Realizing it wasn’t a military weapon of any kind, the team quickly jumped in their jeep and left. They didn’t look back.

The Mysteries Of The Great Smokey Mountain Range

The state of North Carolina shares a border with Tennessee. And along this region sits a mountain range synonymous with strange goings-on, The Great Smokey Mountains. ^[3] Described as one of the most “diverse ecosystems in North America” the area is a World Heritage Site as designated by UNESCO, and the Great Smokey Mountains National Park sits within it. The whole region is home to a multitude of animal and plant varieties, many of which may still await human discovery.

On 14^th June 1969, during a Father’s Day camping weekend trip, six-year-old Dennis Martin would seemingly vanish into thin air. His family had stopped at Spence Field, a popular rest point along the Appalachian Trail. As Dennis’s parents chatted with the other adults on the trip, he and his brother, along with two other boys decided to hide in the woodland along the path. They would then jump out and scare their parents when they came looking for them.

As Dennis was wearing a red top that day which the boys said would stand out, he was sent to one side of the path, and the rest went to the other. When the parents came looking for them and the three older boys jumped out, Dennis failed to do so. They would call his name, but he was nowhere to be seen. He had just disappeared. There were no signs of a disturbance where he had gone to hide. And furthermore, there was no evidence to suggest he had been the victim of an animal attack.

Perhaps one point of interest is the color red. We have looked at the Bennington Triangle before, for example. Several of the people who vanished there were wearing red clothing. What’s more, local legends state wearing red brings bad luck.

The Many Victims Of Smokey Mountain

Author and researcher, David Paulides took an interest in the Dennis Martin case as part of his research into his book The Missing 411. He claimed that one of the Rangers during the search for the young boy, Dwight McCarter, passed over some intriguing information about the case. According to interviews between Paulides and McCarter, special forces teams would arrive as part of the search for the Dennis Martin. However, they would not communicate at all with the Rangers or local police.

Even stranger, they were heavily armed as if expecting to encounter something they would need to meet with force. It made McCarter think they perhaps knew something everyone else didn’t.  Furthermore, incidentally or not, the lead investigator with the FBI on the case would suddenly commit suicide. The reasons for this remain unknown.

Dennis Martin is far from the only person to go missing in this particular region of the world. On 8^th October 1976, sixteen-year-old Knoxville school student, Trenny Lynn Gibson, would disappear in the Smokey Mountains. She was on a school field trip with forty other students and were hiking to Andrew’s Bald. Depending on how fast or experienced the students were at hiking would depend in which smaller group of students they were placed for the hike.

At a little after 3 pm, Gibson’s group realized she was no longer with them. No-one could remember her leaving. In fact, no-one could remember when they had last seen her. She has never been found.

“Don’t Try To Follow Me!” – Another Smokey Mountain Victim?

Five years following Gibson’s bizarre disappearance, 58-year-old Thelma Pauline Melton vanished on 25^th September 1981. She was hiking with two friends near the Deep Creek Campground. She was the first in line of the three friends, who chatted leisurely as the walked. Thelma would walk around a bend in the path. By the time her friends turned the same bend, she was nowhere to be seen. She was literally there one moment and then gone the next. The entire area was searched within hours of the disappearance, but no sign of the experienced hiker was ever found.

One of the most recent vanishings in the Smokey Mountains occurred in March 2012. When 24-year-old Derek Lueking hadn’t arrived at work and not answered his phone, a search began for him. He had recently checked out of a motel near the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. He was even captured on the motel’s security footage leaving the facility with his backpack on his shoulders. Derek hasn’t, however, been seen since.

His family, though, would find his car as they searched the remote parts of the park themselves. In Newfound Gap the vehicle was discovered parked neatly in the parking area of the nature reserve. Even stranger were the vast amounts of survival equipment – all of which appeared to be recently purchased. Along with grain bars and water was other tools such as a pack ax, pocket knife with sharpener, and a survival belt. There was also a sleeping bag and a tent. Strange then, that all of it still remained in the car. Even stranger was the note Lueking’s family found, which read, “Don’t try to follow me”.

Despite a widespread search for him, Derek Lueking is still officially missing.

Unsettling Tunnel Systems Throughout America

There are also several extremely unnerving tunnel systems across the United States, each of which boasts their own specific legends of ghostly goings-on and hauntings.

What is intriguing about these accounts of strange voices and ghostly apparitions in the many tunnels and networks of the United States is that they appear split between genuinely frightening encounters in a place with particularly grueling stories, to those that appear to be nothing more than urban legend. However, regardless, all of the following are seemingly spooky places to find oneself – especially if you happen to be alone.

The Haunted Shanghai Tunnels Of Portland

Perhaps one of the most intriguing can be found on the west coast in Portland, Oregon. There you will find the Shanghai Tunnels. They get their name due to many men and women from the region (and sometimes much further afield) being kidnapped and brought here before being placed into forced labor – essentially slavery. Those who fell victim to this were said to be Shanghaied.

The men would most often be put to work on the ships that travel to the far east, usually for trade and the transporting of goods. The woman, however, faced an even more harrowing existence, being forced to work as prostitutes.

The procedure was typically a brutal one. Those targeted for a life of enslavement – through labor or prostitution – were often fed drinks or drugs to intoxicate them. Others were simply beaten into submission. However, they incapacitated them, they were then moved into the tunnel system and kept prisoner in cells, each of which was designed for just such a practice.

Perhaps what is most disturbing is that this practice – at least according to local legends – was still continuing right up until the start of the 1940s. Only when the United States entered the Second World War did the practice seemingly cease.

As we might imagine, the region and the tunnels themselves have become a magnet for those with an interest in the paranormal – whether there are merely looking for adventure or whether they are serious paranormal investigators. Even more intriguing, the main tunnels themselves appear to branch off into other passageways which make their way under the city. Indeed, many of these catacomb-like networks remain largely unexplored and undocumented.

What’s more, there are several chilling accounts from those who have seemingly experienced the presence of one of those unfortunate souls who might have found themselves captive here. One of the most popular are accounts of a young boy who was once said to have worked in the tunnels for those who oversaw their grim activities. Others report hearing strange voices, while some have reported seeing a strange lady wearing white.

The short video below looks at this allegedly haunted tunnel a little further.

https://youtu.be/I6QEKTsMFb0

The “Laughing Children” Of The Gold Camp Road Tunnels

A little further east in Colorado you will find Gold Camp Road. This road stretches for around 35 miles and features three tunnels on its route. The third of these have a local legend attached to it suggesting that the tunnel collapsed in the late 1980s, trapping and killing a school bus full of children. Of course, the spirits of this apparent tragedy are said to haunt this third tunnel today. However, there are no records that the incident occurred, at least not the way local legends tell it. While the tunnel did indeed collapse, it appears the claims of trapped school children are more urban legend than a credible haunting.

That being said, many people with an interest in the paranormal still flock to the tunnels of Gold Camp Road. And some have even managed to capture what appears to be the sound of children laughing on video. Even more disturbing are the recordings alleging to show an unseen and unknown presence screaming out of nowhere.

The stories of strange goings-on in the tunnels of Gold Camp Road – especially the third tunnel – continue to captivate some looking to experience proof of existence from the other side. How real those occurrences are, however, is very much open to debate.

The video below looks at these tunnel systems a little more.

The Sensabaugh Tunnel Of Tennessee – More Urban Legend?

If we move a little further to the east to Tennessee and the Sensabaugh Tunnel. And like the alleged ghostly activity in the tunnel of the Gold Mine Road in Colorado, the accounts of the ghosts of the Sensabaugh Tunnel also appear to be straying into urban legend territory.

The basic story as to the haunting of the Sensabaugh tunnel revolves around an apparent attempted burglary at the home of Edward Sensabaugh – who the tunnel was named after. According to the legend, after allowing a homeless man into his house to take shelter, Sensabaugh would catch the man attempting to steal money and jewelry causing him to take out his gun. As a response, the would-be thief scooped up Sensabaugh’s baby daughter and held her against himself forcing the host to backdown from firing. Once the ungrateful homeless man managed to escape the property, however, legends claim that he drowned the infant somewhere inside the tunnel.

Many who claim to have been inside the tunnel claim you will hear strange cries and feel an unknown and ghostly presence. It is even advised that motorists should not under any circumstances turn off their car engines while inside the tunnel. If they do, they will likely find that they can not turn them back on and will have to abandon their vehicles and make their way out on foot.

We should note that there are no official records to back up the claims of Sensabaugh losing a daughter, and it would appear that the story is simply a local legend that has been embellished over time. And while some people insist the tunnel is very much haunted, several paranormal investigations have taken place with all yielding no results to suggest so.

The video below examines the tunnel systems a little further.

Church Hill Tunnel – Haunted By A Vampire?

In the northeast of the United States in Virginia in the town of Richmond is the Church Hill Tunnel, without a doubt, one of the most bizarre and chilling of the alleged haunted tunnels in the United States. What’s more, it is the second time the tunnel opened when the strange activity began.

After being shut down in 1902 after being in operation for 29 years, the tunnel was reopened once more in the early 1920s due to the increase in population in the region and the need for more transport. However, before it could be fully operational, a clean-up operation had to be implemented, as well as thorough checks for safety to accommodate up to date rail vehicles.

However, during these operations within the tunnel, with almost 200 workers inside, the ceiling suddenly collapsed. What made the situation worse, though, was that the rubble fell straight on top of a steam train that was parked in the tunnel. This caused the red-hot steam from the boiler section to escape as the train itself collapsed. Several workers were injured in the incident, including at least two who lost their lives. Legend states, though, that a small number of those involved in the tunnel’s collapse were never recovered.

In the years that followed, many people in the tunnel would claim to hear the pained voices of the spirits of the workers who were trapped inside the chaos on the October day in 1925. What makes these accounts even more interesting are the claims that those who were trapped in the tunnel and ultimately not recovered fell victim to the Richmond Vampire.

One rescuer at the time claimed that during the search they discovered a strange man knelt over one of the injured workers. When the mysterious stranger turned around, there was blood all around his mouth as if he had been feeding on the dead or dying man. Legend claims the vampire-like creature was chased out of the tunnel shortly after.

Some legends today even state that the tunnel is actually home to several vampires, perhaps those workers who were trapped and became victims of the Richmond Vampire. It certainly adds an extra element of dark intrigue to the accounts of the Church Hill Tunnel.

The video below looks at this area in a little more detail.

Big Bull Tunnel – Further Hints Of Vampires In America’s Tunnels?

Also in Virginia is the Big Bull Tunnel which has several legends that surround it. And, while there are accounts of workers who lost their lives in the tunnel, many legends seemingly surrounded it for years prior.

The tunnel perhaps first gained its reputation, though, in 1905. On the day in question, a train carrying cargo suddenly suffered engine failure right before it was about to enter the tunnel. Unable to move the train or fix the problem, the concern grew that a train approaching in the other direction would suddenly come speeding out of the tunnel and turn the situation into a disaster.

One of the engineers on the train was given a set of flags and asked to run through the tunnel and place them on the other side to alert any approaching rail vehicles. However, he would retune a short time later with a look of grey concern on his face. In fact, he was seemingly completely terrified.

He would inform the two other engineers that he had heard the most awful sounds coming from the tunnel. There was, however, no one there. The sounds were similar to a person who was apparently in great pain. Despite his fear, the man agreed to go back in the tunnel with the other two engineers. When they were around halfway in, all three of them heard the strange and harrowing sounds.

One of them would call out to the voices. All three of them were shocked when a reply came back asking them to take the “awful weight from my body”. This prompted the men to begin looking for cracks in the walls to see if they could find anywhere where the mystery men might be trapped. However, when one of the men claimed that “they are drinking my blood” that real fear ran through the three men.

They would quickly vacate the tunnel, eventually telling of the story to a journalist for a Pennsylvania newspaper. Might it be that the “drinking my blood” comment means there is a connection between the claims of vampires at the Church Hill Tunnel in nearby Richmond and the Big Bull Tunnel? It is certainly an intriguing thought. And would sit nicely with the local legends of vampires in the region.

The video below looks at the Big Bull tunnel a little more.

“The Bloody Pit” – The Hoosac Tunnel

The Hoosac Tunnel in Massachusetts opened for business in 1876, and by that time it was already known among those who had constructed it as “The Bloody Pit”. A total of 195 people lost their lives during the construction of the tunnel – something which took almost a quarter of a century to complete. Many of these were general accidents that we might expect for the era the tunnel was constructed in.

However, the worst arguably occurred just under a decade before the construction was complete in 1867. On that October day, leaking gas fumes were set alight by a naked candle which caused an explosion that ripped through the tunnels and killed 13 people outright. What perhaps made this particular incident even more harrowing was that the explosion eventually caused the destroyed part of the tunnel to flood. This sent the dead bodies rushing to the surface on a particularly macabre display.

It was around this time, even before the tunnel was open to the public, that reports of ghosts and strange activity began to surface. Many people, for example, would report that regularly heard cries of someone in severe pain. Many would even find the experience too much for them altogether and refused to work in certain areas of the tunnel, if at all. Not all of the ghostly occurrences took place in the late 19^th century, however. One of the more (relatively speaking) recent accounts goes back only to the 1970s when a workman in the tunnel claimed that on two separate occasions, strange voices from out of nowhere warned him of danger approaching on the tracks.

Perhaps the most unnerving account connected to the Hoosac Tunnel, though, took place in 1865, two years before the disaster that killed 13 workmen. The incident involves three explosives experts who were working in the tunnel together. One of them – by the name of Kelley – seemingly set his explosives off too early which resulted in his two colleagues becoming buried and killed. Interestingly, Kelley himself was found strangled to death shortly after. And what’s more, the murder remains unsolved. Local legend claims that Kelley was dispatched by the spirits of the dead explosives engineers.

The short video below examines this intriguing tunnel a little further.

The Moonville Tunnel In The “Ghost Town” Of Moonville, Ohio

In Moonville, Ohio is the Moonville tunnel. And unlike our previous stops, this one has perhaps more of an air of credibility in genuine ghostly activity and is very much worthy of a longer examination. Perhaps the fact that it sits in the “densest wooded area” of the state of Ohio and no a literal “ghost town” in that it has remained unpopulated for over half a century makes it all the more alluring to those looking for interaction with a ghost or spirit.

In fact, the only reason that Moonville existed at all was due to the rail network and the tunnel that was built for it. A local man who owned land in the region that was abundant in coal and clay offered the use of this land for the rail network that Marietta-Cincinnati Railroad was seeking. The only condition was that it purposely went right through his land in order that he could make use of it to transport the coal and clay that was mined there.

The town grew up around this – mainly a population of miners. However, within half a century by the early 1900s, the coal and clay had run out and the town slowly began to lose its residence and passing trade. By the late 1940s, it was completely abandoned. However, the chilling and unsettling legends still remain.

For example, one such legend speaks of a local worker who, after a night of drinking and cardplaying, made his home through the tunnel. As we might expect, though, an oncoming train was coming the other way and hit the drunken local head-on. Some accounts even state that he was even decapitated by the impact. Those who claim to have witnessed his ghostly presence since state that they have seen the apparition waving his lantern in front of, frantically trying to alert the train driver to his presence.

An Official Response To Sightings Of Ghostly Lights

Perhaps even stranger about this apparent haunting, though, is the fact that there was an official response to it. Although the town had long since been abandoned, the rail network itself remained in use for several decades after. In 1981, after hearing of multiple occasions when a train driver had put on the emergency brakes in order to avoid crashing into someone waving a lantern, a sign was placed outside the tunnel telling drivers “not to pay attention” to the strange flashes and continue on with their journey.

There are also other apparent backstories that make this particular tunnel one of the most intriguing for paranormal investigators. Another incident – said to have happened around 1905 when the coal mines had ceased operating – features the tale of a young lady said to have used the tunnel to meet up with an illicit lover. However, on one such evening, she was also struck by a train and killed. Once more, this tale insists that the victim was decapitated as a result of the collision. What’s more, her ghost is said to roam around the rail network “looking for her head”. Incidentally, once this particular part of the rail line was removed in the 1990s and replaced with a bridge, the apparent sightings of the roaming lady ceased. At least for now.

Another similar account tells of a conductor on the line who was seemingly romantically involved with the wife of one of the engineers. When the engineer in question discovered the relationship, he apparently put a deadly plan into motion. He would stop the train in Moonville and request that the conductor checked the brakes claiming there was a problem with them. When he did so, the engineer immediately sent the train forward and so crushing the conductor to death. As we might imagine, many people claim to have seen the apparition of the conductor over the years.

Definite Signs Of Ghostly Activity Captured

As if that wasn’t enough, many other people have lost their lives in the tunnel throughout the 20^th century. And what’s more, when paranormal investigators have arrived to carry out research into the credibility of the claims they have left with some interesting results.

Many claim to have captured strange electrical readouts in the region which might suggest otherworldly activity. Some have even managed to capture recordings of Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP), as well as capturing images of strange orbs and shadowy figures. Other reports from similar visits by paranormal investigators tell of a sudden drop in the temperature, as well as a feeling that someone is standing right next to them.

It is certainly a place most would not want to venture into alone. And is arguably one of the most interesting of all the tunnels and networks we are examining here. It also remains a place of intense interest to those researching the paranormal.

The short video below examines this most intriguing if unnerving tunnel a little more.

Sightings Of Shapeshifters In The American Wilderness?

Many of the areas associated with high rates of disappearances also share sightings of Bigfoot or even “shapeshifting” creatures. Whether these are responsible for the actual disappearances or are indicative of some kind of “portal-type” activity is open to debate.  A report from Idaho in 2004 is interesting as the unnamed witness – a firefighter supervisor – claims to have seen such an entity. And what’s more, this sighting took place in perhaps the aptly named, “Hell’s Canyon”.

The firefighter unit was responding to an emergency call from the region. The report said to expect to be at the scene for some time, possibly all night. As the unit set to work, the supervisor would drive along some of the logging roads, looking to see what the situation was like ahead of them. As he was doing so, he suddenly noticed what he thought was a bobcat crouching right in the middle of the road. He reduced the speed of the vehicle, expecting the creature to run into the trees. Instead, however, it simply remained where it was, staring back at him. Then it let out a screech, the likes of which he had never heard before. It then ran off, seemingly climbing up a nearby tree.

More than unnerved by the strange encounter, he quickly moved along his way, now eager to get back to the unit. Before he could do so, though, he would discover a grim-looking cabin. It was overgrown with weeds, but even stranger, it was right on the pathway that loggers would use. He couldn’t recall seeing it before. He brought his vehicle to a halt and got out to take a closer look.

Corroboration Of Modern Events Through Native Legends?

He could see immediately that all of the windows had boards up. He could also make out heavy chains on the doors. Anxiety and fear would sweep through him. Thinking better of approaching any further, he would step back inside his vehicle and start the engine. He would back up and head back the way he had come. However, several moments later, in a spot pretty much where he had witnessed the bobcat in the road, stood a Native American woman. He brought the truck to a halt and called out through the open window if she needed help.

In response, the woman screamed back at him. It was the same unearthly scream he had heard from the bobcat. Just as he was about to press the accelerator down as hard as he could, he witnessed the strange woman climbing the tree “faster than any human has a right to be climbing”. Having seen as much as his mind could take he sped away, faster than the treacherous terrain would ideally allow.

Once back with his unit he would speak to one of his staff who was local and familiar with the local legends. He would specifically ask about the strange cabin. It is believed that the creature the firefighter witnessed was a “pumawha” – at least according to Native American legend. It is described as being able to “change skins” – or, as a shapeshifter.

These legends of shape-shifting entities are rife throughout North America, and particularly among the native Americans in the United States. And what’s more, there would seem to be many corroborating sightings of reptilian shapeshifters in the deserts of America. There have also been many similar sightings at the highly-documented Skinwalker Ranch. The video below reminds us of the Skinwalker Ranch conspiracy.

The Result Of Planned Intelligence?

Perhaps the idea of some kind of connection between these disappearances and strange phenomena in the American wilderness isn’t as “reaching” as we might think. Remember, for example, the ranger who stated the heavily-armed “search team” in response to a missing child? Or what should we make of the spooky fact of many of those who vanish happen to have been wearing red clothing at the time? A color that many indigenous tribes local to the area believe to be bad luck. Surely, as much as this seems trivial, it requires further investigation.

Researcher, David Paulides, has made many further apparently bizarre connections. He has, for example, recognized “cluster spots” where many of the disappearances happen. According to his research, there are fifty-two of these apparent danger zones throughout America and Canada. This would perhaps suggest some kind of phenomena causing these disappearances. Or are these spots the habitat of a more physical culprit?

He would also notice some truly strange happenings around the disappearances. For example, in 95% of cases he examined, bad weather would often occur in the immediate aftermath of a disappearance. This would severely hamper search units, in particular, sniffer dogs. This fact, if it is of importance, would suggest some type of intelligence behind the vanishings. As if there was an effort to wipe away as much evidence as possible without drawing attention to it. After all, who is going to highlight “bad weather” as a serious clue? Of the few bodies that do turn up in these spots, they are often missing their socks or shoes. This is a detail in many alien abduction cases, albeit the abductee most often returns alive.

The video below looks at these mysterious disappearances in a little more detail.