The Definitive Guide To All Things Haunted And Creepy In Colorado
When most people think of the Centennial State, they think of the mountains and mediocre sports teams, so they are often surprised to hear that Colorado is plagued by the paranormal and home to countless creepy and downright haunted places. From regular haunted houses complete with elaborate costumes and over-the-top stage makeup to a former-prison-turned museum to the actual Gates of Hell, there is something for every paranormal preference, many of which are available to explore year-round. If you are ready to delve into the world of the paranormal, disturbing, and sometimes graphic, read on as we explore a few of Colorado’s most terrifying and haunted places.
With a name like the Black Forest, one would think that the tiny Colorado Springs suburb would be dark and creepy, right? Despite the scary-sounding name, Black Forest is actually both charming and beautiful, minus a sinister house that was featured on the show "Sightings" after the owners complained of unexplainable noises, foul odors, and flashing lights. Do you dare learn more about this undeniably haunted house where spirits roam and haunt?
The Most Haunted Road In Colorado (And Maybe America)
Do you remember when I referenced the “Gates of Hell” in the intro? While one might think that this morbid entry would be found in a cemetery or something of the like, it is allegedly accessible via the haunted Riverdale Road in Thornton. According to legend, Riverdale Road is home to numerous deaths, including the lynching of enslaved people and the gruesome murder of a family at the hands of their seemingly doting father, as well as the roaming ghost of a deceased Camaro driver who met his demise along the road. Would you ever take a drive down this creepy street?
1. The next time you’re visiting Colorado Springs, be sure to visit Gold Camp Road, which is arguably the vilest and most terrifying place in all of Colorado. As per legend, one of the tunnels at Gold Camp Road is said to have collapsed atop of school bus full of orphans, in turn, trapping and killing them. If you visit today, keep your eyes and ears peeled for the sound of screaming and the sight of tiny, dusty handprints all over your parked vehicle...here's why.
2. It may be the largest and most popular lake in Colorado, but there are morbid legends surrounding beautiful Grand Lake, too. As the story goes, Ute women and children were placed on rafts and sent to the middle of the lake during a historic battle, which resulted in their deaths after a violent storm capsized their boats. Be advised: If you go boating today, you may still hear their screams and cries.
3. Sadly, the most haunted places in Colorado seem to deal with the tragic deaths of Native Americans, as is the case with the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site. On November 29, 1864, tensions between Colorado’s white settlers and Native Americans over territorial disputes came to a head, resulting in the annihilation of 70-160 men, women, and children either killed or ambushed and their village ransacked. Because of these senseless murders at the hands of the Colorado Territory militia, the area has been deemed terrifying, thanks to the sounds of screams that still plague the innocent-looking prairie. Learn more here.
It may no longer be a working prison, but the former Women’s Correctional Facility-turned Museum of Colorado Prisons is most definitely haunted. Located next door to the Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility in Canon City, the Museum of Colorado Prisons pays homage to the former women’s institution via several exhibits and displays. However, it is also rumored to still house the spirits of many deceased inmates who were put to death during their stay. Do you dare explore these mysterious coughs, screams, and smells?
You have heard the ads on the radio and have seen the billboards, but is it true? Is the 13th Floor really the scariest haunted house in not only Colorado but in the country? The short answer is yes: the 13th Floor Haunted House is the scariest and best haunted house in Colorado…and just wait until you see why. (Note: The 13th Floor Haunted House hosts a few different haunted houses a year, all of which are gruesome and intense and are not suitable for children. Please be advised.)
Corn mazes can be a fun and delightful way to spend a fall day in Colorado, but if you are looking for a corn maze that is both haunted and heart-pounding, check out the Haunted Field of Screams, which just so happens to be located along Riverdale Road. Open every weekend in October, the Haunted Field of Screams pays homage to legends surrounding Riverdale Road and features both the “walking dead and violently psychotic,” making for a night you will surely never forget. Will you survive your trip through the Haunted Field of Screams?
If you thought Colorado’s alleged hauntings were coming to an end, you are gravely mistaken, as the Centennial State is even home to haunted hikes via Carter Lake. Located just south of Loveland, Carter Lake is a popular recreation area that is home to trails, fishing, boating, and rock climbing as well as… ghosts? According to past visitors, when you visit Carter Lake, you may encounter the spirit of Bennet, who was killed nearly 100 years ago but still walks the area. Do you wish to see the shadow of a man in old fashioned clothes? Learn more about why this haunted hike in Colorado will send you running for the hills.
Would You Spend A Night In This Colorado Haunted Hotel?
When you hear the words “haunted hotel” and “Colorado,” which place comes to mind? Let me guess: the iconic Stanley Hotel, right? Made popular by Stephen King’s timeless “The Shining,” the Stanley Hotel is said to be home to flickering lights, the sounds of children running up and down the hallways, and sightings of the original owner, making it the #1 best haunted hotel in America (via USA Today’s 10Best). Are you brave enough to hear what started the hauntings at the Stanley?
A lightning storm over an abandoned house on the Eastern Plains.
5 Creepy Facts About Colorado
1. Colorado is home to the notorious United States Penitentiary, Florence Administrative Maximum Facility (or USP Florence ADMAX), which has housed the likes of Timothy McVeigh (the Oklahoma City bomber), Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (one of the Boston Marathon bombers), and Ted Kaczynski (the Unabomber).
2. One of the most infamous cannibals in American history is Alferd Packer, the Colorado Cannibal. To survive a harsh Colorado winter, Packer was alleged to have eaten 5 of the men he was traveling with, though nobody knows if he murdered them beforehand or if they had passed away due to the elements.
3. The Emma Crawford Coffin Race & Parade is one of Colorado’s most beloved festivals but do you know where it got its start? Just as the “Coffin Race” part of the title implies, a Manitou Springs resident by the name of – you guessed it! – Emma Crawford slid down the side of Red Mountain and into town after the ground housing her coffin endured years of rain and other harsh weather conditions.
4.Cheesman Park may be one of the most popular parks in Denver, but it is arguably the most haunted, as it was built over a cemetery. How you ask? Once known as the Prospect Hill Cemetery, the City of Denver hired E.P. McGovern to exhume the bodies, place them into new coffins, and then move the coffins to a new location, which he managed to bypass by purchasing multiple child-sized coffins, chopping up the bodies to make them fit, and throwing dismembered body parts around the grounds.
5. If you think the government is corrupt today, you have never heard the story of the Ludlow Massacre, in which then-Colorado governor Elias M. Ammons called in the Colorado National Guard to open fire on miners and families of Colorado Fuel and Iron, who had been on strike for several years due to unsafe and sometimes deadly working conditions. On April 20, 1914, 11 children, 4 women, and 4 men were killed at the hands of the Guard, leading to the Colorado Coalfield War where mining union members attacked the guards at other Colorado camps and set fire to company buildings, resulting in the death of 30 more. After the 10-day Coalfield War, President Woodrow Wilson sent in Federal Troops to disarm both sides and end the bloodshed.
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