In a state as large as Montana (and with such a rich history), there are bound to be some strange happenings and unsolved mysteries. And the Treasure State certainly isn’t without some crazy urban legends – such as the phantom hitchhiker of Black Horse Lake. An especially baffling urban legend, the phantom hitchhiker is said to haunt Cascade County, near the city of Great Falls. If you grew up in the area, you may have heard the story of Black Horse Lake and its notoriously mysterious hitchhiker. It’s one of the best lakes in Montana, but the hitchhiker is the star in the urban legends that surround this place.

This particular tale takes place just off Highway 87 in Cascade County, north of Great Falls in the Black Horse Lake area.
J. Stephen Conn / Flickr
Black Horse Lake is a seasonal lake. It's usually dry except for the spring and early summer.
This area is home to what some call the most aggressive phantom hitchhiker in the United States.
Cameron Birse / Flickr
There have been many stories of phantom hitchhikers in many states, but this is not your average brief glimpse.

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Here's how it typically plays out: someone will be driving down this lonely highway toward Fort Benton, usually at night.
Kevin Dooley / Flickr
Since this is a flat area, visibility is usually good. Someone in the car will suddenly spot a Native American man dressed in all denim on the side of the road.
The man will appear to be hitchhiking. But as the car gets closer, he'll suddenly roll over the hood and across the windshield of the vehicle, as if he's been struck.
Matthias Ripp / Flickr
Obviously, the normal reaction would be to get out of the vehicle and see if the man is hurt, which the driver often does ... but by then, the phantom hitchhiker of Black Horse Lake has disappeared and is nowhere to be found. And of course, there's never so much as a scratch on the vehicle.
This could easily be dismissed as the product of an overactive imagination, except that it's happened many, many times...and every time it happens, the story is the same.
Blake Handley / Flickr
Many people believe that this is the spirit of a Native American man who was struck and killed by a car on this highway many years ago. However, that incident hasn't ever been proven to have occurred.

Have you ever heard of the phantom hitchhiker of Black Horse Lake? Ever been to Black Horse Lake? If so, have you seen the phantom hitchhiker for yourself? Share your spooky story with us!

The hitchhiker of Black Horse Lake isn’t the only urban legend associated with the state. There are actually several others, including these Montana urban legends, which are sure to keep you up at night.

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The Phantom Hitchhiker Of Black Horse Lake

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What are the most haunted places in Montana?

There are several notoriously haunted places in Montana and the Dumas Hotel in Butte is one of them. The famous haunt opened as a brothel in 1890, so it’s got a long and colorful history. It wasn’t just the brothel that attracted unsavory characters to the area, though. The Dumas also served as the entrance to Venus Alley–Butte’s red light district, a notoriously dangerous area that was no stranger to crime. Boasting a past filled with crime and suffering, it should come as no surprise that the historic structure is allegedly haunted. Over the years, a phantom woman has been seen descending the stairs of the Dumas Hotel.

Are there any ghost towns in Montana?

Just like any other state, Montana has its fair share of ghost towns. One of the most popular ghost towns in Montana is Virginia City. As if frozen in time, the town is filled with well-preserved buildings from the past. In the 1960s, Virginia City was designated a National Historic Landmark District. Its historic appeal isn’t the only thing that brings visitors to the deserted town, though. There’s also the fact that it’s purportedly haunted. Stories of the supernatural surround Virginia City. One of the most oft-repeated tales involves a black-robed figure roaming the streets of the town – and that’s in addition to unexplained noises and smells, which are typically experienced near the Bonanza Inn. Some attribute the inexplicable happenings to Sister Irene, a nun who once worked at the Sisters of Charity Hospital, which used to occupy the building that now serves as the Bonanza Inn.

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Black Horse Lake, Montana 59404, USA