Buckle your seat belt and, if you dare, drive the 35 miles to the quaint town of Avella. Defined by winding country streets and a rolling landscape, Avella is home to what some say is one of the areas most haunted roads. Driving down this haunted road near Pittsburgh, if you believe in the paranormal, just might give you nightmares.

Flickr/Jon Dawson
Shades of Death, the name of this allegedly haunted road near Pittsburgh, immediately evokes dark connotations. But, where the name comes from, isn't known for certain.
Flickr/Hornbeam Arts
Local lure, however, asserts that the road darkened, even during the day, in the 1880s because of the towering hemlock trees. As a result, early travelers, before the days of street lights, had to find a way to light their path as they traveled Shades of Death Road.
Google Maps
Perhaps it is because of the ominous name that Shades of Death Road has become the backdrop for numerous terrifying stories and urban legends. One story tells of miners who, in 1922, became trapped deep underground in a mine. Some versions say the miners' bodies were never recovered while others state their bodies were buried in unmarked graves on Shades of Death Road.
Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain
Regardless of whether the miners were buried or remain entombed in the forgotten mine, their spirits are said to roam this haunted road near Pittsburgh, startling drivers with their darting shadows and terrifying bellows.

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Flickr/Albert Casanovas Padrós
Another tale tells of a man strolling down Shades of Death Road on a moonless night when he stumbled over a log. As he fell to the ground, he discovered a dead body. Some say the spirit of that dead body remains on Shades of Death Road.
Flickr/MarLeah Cole
Many who have traveled down the road assert that they have heard cries for help and screams of pain.
Flickr/Nate
Some drivers claim to have seen a shadowy figure darting across the road, causing them to lose concentration and to crash.
Flickr/roujo
In some versions, the driver has seen an apparition in glowing white.

Who haunts Shades of Death Road in Avella remains murky. But, one thing is clear. Those who have traveled down this ominously-named road tell tales that just might send chills of terror down your spine.

Have you heard these tales of this haunted road near Pittsburgh? Drive down Shades of Death Road, if you dare, then check out 10 of the most haunted places in Pittsburgh.

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