Few People Realize This Famous Virginia Trail Is Riddled With Paranormal Activity
By Beth|Published June 24, 2019
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Beth
Author
A lifelong Virginia resident, Beth loves exploring different parts of the world and currently resides in Charlottesville. She holds a degree in English Literature and one of her short stories has been featured in the Shenandoah Review. Other interests include hiking, songwriting, and spending time in the mountains.
The Appalachian Trail is arguably the most well-known trail in Virginia. It spans the entire state and crosses over high-altitude terrain to showcase some of the most breathtaking views on the East Coast. Many a hiker has traversed this famed trail, which is considered to be the ultimate bucket-list activity. Yet many return from the A.T. with more than a few stories of something rather troubling. After dusk, the trail can seem to take on a life of its own, surrounded by ancient forests and perhaps even a bit of the paranormal. Do you think ghosts or otherworldly creatures could haunt this trek?
Spanning one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, the Appalachian Trail is one of the most famous hikes in the U.S. It stretches from Georgia all the way to Maine, with a significant portion of the trail winding through Virginia.
It's not difficult to imagine this trail to be at least haunting, considering the thick fog, dense forests, and the sense of being totally alone on some of the more remote portions of the trail. In fact, several accounts suggest that this famous trek might actually be haunted.
One chilling tale is of a hiker who, when camping on the trail in 2011 near Catawba, was startled awake in the middle of the night by footsteps and a low, grumbling voice.
Later that evening, after nightfall, the same camper saw the figure of a man creep closer to his campfire in an attempt to take his firewood. For a minute, the two beings locked eyes, and the hiker noticed the man's ghostly white eyes and felt totally shaken. Later that night, his tent mysteriously caught on fire, though luckily he awoke in time to escape.
A similarly jarring report from the 1980s tells of a father and his son who were camping near the Appalachian Trail and saw something completely bizarre. Out of the wilderness came a human-like figure that wasn't actually human at all.
Covered head-to-toe in fur, this being was tall and gave off a very menacing vibe. With long strides, it returned into the forest, much like the mythical Big Foot.
One final troubling tale tells of a man hiking the trail on a particularly foggy day. Out of the fog appeared a man dressed in strange, formal clothes. The ghostly man didn't seem to notice the hiker, but when their paths crossed, the spirit looked at him with icy blue eyes. The hiker tried to greet the man, but he eventually just vanished.
What are your thoughts on these mysterious legends from the Appalachian Trail in Virginia? Do you believe that it’s truly haunted? For more in-depth accounts of these stories, click here.
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