We’re all probably familiar with New Jersey’s Clinton Road, which many have called the most haunted road in America. While Clinton Road is surrounded by supernatural tales, it isn’t the only New Jersey street with paranormal proclivities. With such a chilling name, you can be sure that Shades Of Death Road has a story to tell. This road runs through Warren County, past the equally ominous Jenny Jump State Park and Ghost Lake. It is known to host several specters and the area is even linked to several real-life murders. Here’s the story behind Shades of Death Road in New Jersey. Read on — if you dare…

Shades Of Death Road
Wikipedia/Mortadello2005
First, I'll begin with the folklore. The reasons for this road's name are unknown, though some speculate the seclusion of the area made it a popular spot for highway robberies. Others say that many Native Americans were drowned in nearby Ghost Lake and their spirits still walk the street. A third theory is that a malaria outbreak in the area which killed hundreds led to the road traveling though the town to be given the foreboding name.

Other possibilities include roaming wildcats in the former swampland mauling travelers along this path, the danger of the dark and winding road, and frequent lynchings of criminals on the trees surrounding the street.

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Ghost Lake
Flickr/Nicholas A. Tonelli
While there may be truth to some of these tales, several sources confirm multiple murders along the road in the 1920s and '30s. The first was death by bludgeoning in the course of a robbery. The second was the unsolved murder of Bill Cumins, who was shot in the head. The third story is the most gruesome. A woman murdered and beheaded her husband. She went on to dismember his body, burying limbs on either side of the road.
Ghosts?
Image/YouTube
The road is said to be haunted by numerous ghosts and an eerie presence looms in the air when traveling Shades Of Death at night. The street was featured on an episode of Haunted Highway and the results were chilling. It appears as if two spirits spawn from the lake and there is a very clear capture of what appears to be an ethereal man standing among the trees. Many locals explore the spot as well, this footage was captured by YouTube user Karl Doerrer.

Did this footage freak you out? Do you have any Shades of Death ghost stories of your own? Did you know the history of Shades of Death Road in New Jersey? Let us know in the comments below!

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Shades of Death Road New Jersey

Sarah M. | September 04, 2022

Is Shades of Death Road the only haunted road in New Jersey?

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your appetite for the spooky), Shades of Death is not the only haunted road in New Jersey. We’ve all heard of haunted homes, haunted hospitals, haunted hotels, heck, even haunted bars. Clearly, many people believe spirits will linger in a certain place. But could a whole 10-mile stretch of road be cursed? It can, and it is. This haunted place is also known as Clinton Road by West Milford, New Jersey. If you believe the legends, this stretch of road, quite desolate and primarily in the forest, has a seriously dark energy. We’re talking everything from rumored druids practicing rituals in the surrounding woods, serial killers allegedly burying bodies, ghost trucks driving along, bizarre humanoid animals crossing the road at night, and, most famously, a little boy haunting the waters underneath a bridge. Gulp.

What are some other haunted places in New Jersey?

The haunted places in New Jersey are many, and seemingly around every corner or road bend! Some of the most notoriously haunted places in New Jersey are Devil's Tower, Red Mill Museum, Princeton Battlefield, the Hindenburg Crash Site, Burlington County Prison Museum, Flanders Hotel, Battery 223, Grenville Hotel, Allaire Village, and the entire town of Cape May.

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