Alta Ghost Town OHV Trail
Telluride
Easy, 10 miles out and back
One of the most famous ghost towns in Colorado, Alta sits high in the San Juan Mountains. During its boom, the town roared with raucous, newly rich miners, but when the mill burned to the ground, Alta residents left their cabins to crumble. The walls of some still stand, and in their windows, you may spot a flicker of candlelight and the shadows of those long forgotten.
Black Forest Loop
Black Forest
Easy, 2.2-mile loop
You take a gamble when you buy a cabin in the woods. Charming, or unquestionably haunted? Unfortunately for Steve Lee and his family, their new abode was the latter. Upon moving in in the early ’90s, they began witnessing paranormal activity — flickering lights, footsteps on the roof, slamming doors and a sharp chemical odor. In October 1995, a crew from the paranormal show Sightings visited the home, capturing similar disturbing occurrences. A medium present during filming confirmed that multiple spirits reside on the property. Maybe you’ll encounter a few in the aptly named Black Forest.
Carter Lake Sundance Trail
Loveland
Easy, 5.9 miles out and back
Having some of the best campgrounds near Denver, Carter Lake draws summer crowds. Though perfect for cookouts and lakeside fun, what drifts alongshore may urge you to keep the kids close. Local legend says that a man by the last name of Bennet lived near the reservoir, but over an unknown dispute, his neighbor shot him dead. Recent hikers have seen his apparition, though his timid soul quickly vanishes. Other encounters, perhaps more sinister, have involved visitors being grasped in the water. Safe to say, Carter Lake might not be one of the most peaceful places to paddleboard.
Gold Camp Road
Colorado Springs
Moderate, 14.3-mile loop
During the Pikes Peak Gold Rush, the short-line railway transported minerals and miners from Colorado Springs to Cripple Creek. Freight cars would wind through the mountains, passing through narrow, dark tunnels to reach their destination. The route later opened to vehicle traffic, but in 1988, the third tunnel collapsed. According to urban legend, the incident crushed and killed a school bus full of children. In recent years, visitors to the area have reported hearing children’s laughter and screams, and seeing small handprints on their foggy car windows.
Helen Hunt Falls
Colorado Springs
Easy, 0.1 miles out and back
You hear about search-and-rescue missions in Colorado’s backcountry, but rescues on a 0.1-mile walking path? At Helen Hunt Falls, this is a common occurrence. Year after year, visitors slip and plummet down the 35-foot cascade — and not all make it out alive. Though heavily trafficked during the day, nighttime hikers have heard strange voices, perhaps belonging to those whose lives have been lost. If you’d rather not antagonize the dead, check out these less spooky waterfalls near Denver instead.
Brush the color of bruises seen along Village Walk.
Unsplash / Justin Wang
Kokopelli Trail to Horsethief Bench
Fruita
Moderate, 8-mile loop
From hiking to mountain biking, whitewater rafting, and canyoning in Colorado, Horsethief Canyon is famed for its outdoor recreation. It’s also famed for its brutal murder: In the days of the Wild West, horse smugglers would travel within the remote canyon, but on one fateful escapade, a local woman was trampled to death. Now, visitors catch glimpses of her wandering the desert landscape, alone for eternity — unless you care to join her.
Oil Creek Tunnel Trail
Cripple Creek
Moderate, 4.4 miles out and back
Drive along the Pikes Peak Highway to reach Elk Park Trailhead, an infrequent hiking area with a chilling past. Fueled by greed and hoping to strike it rich, prospectors blasted the Oil Creek Tunnel in 1899. The incident resulted in the death of two miners, a needless tragedy that resulted in zero profit. Their restless spirits haunt the passageway and surrounding area, littered with abandoned equipment and battered cabins.
Old Glendale Stagecoach Station
Penrose
Easy, 1.8 miles out and back
One of the creepiest places in Colorado, Old Glendale Stagecoach Station is said to be haunted by the ghost of Kathleen Cooper. She stands in the shadows, colorless, with gray skin draped in a worn white wedding dress. Legend has it that her soul waits for her lover, Julian LaSalle, a gold miner who was robbed and murdered while heading home. He won’t return to her, but maybe she’ll greet you on this haunted Colorado hike.
Village Walk, Red Rocks, and Cherry Gulch Loop
Golden
Moderate, 6-mile loop
In the mid-1800s, Mount Vernon was a frequented depot that serviced miners on their way to Black Hawk and Central City. Now, all that remains is the Mount Vernon Cemetery. Set near Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Dinosaur Ridge, trail runners and tourists overlook it daily. But a short spur trail off Village Walk leads to the weathered tombstones and crosses. Only two graves are marked: Reverend I.R. Dean’s reads, “I am at rest,” and James H. Judy’s reads, “Aged 21 years 8 months 15 days.”
Woodglen Bike Path
Thornton
Easy, 1.5 miles out and back
"Boys will be boys," likely shrugged their suburban parents. No one expected a prank to become a violent tragedy. Locked in a bathroom by those whom they called friends, two teens burned to death in Woodglen Park. Since the 1980s incident, some who frequent the park have reported hearing the screams of the boys, begging for help. Others have felt their stalking presence, looking behind their shoulder to see no one there.
