The Creepiest Hike In Washington Takes You Through The Ruins Of An Abandoned Railroad Tunnel
You’ve heard about Washington’s many haunted hotels, haunted theaters, and creepy ghost towns. But did you know we also have a few haunted hiking trails? Sometimes when tragedy strikes, some eerie evidence can get left behind.
We aren’t sure if the six-mile Iron Goat Trail is actually haunted, but it’s definitely creepy. And once you hear about the horrifying events that occurred here, you’ll understand why.
The trail itself is fairly easy to navigate, so if you're capable of walking six miles, the hike won't be a problem.
At that time, it was considered the best engineered of the transcontinental railroads.
You'll see other signs explaining the stories of the people that built the railway, so this is a great trail for history buffs.
This is actually the site of the deadliest avalanche in U.S. history, the Wellington Avalanche, and one of the worst tragedies to ever happen in the Pacific Northwest.
During this blizzard, two trains were trapped at the Wellington Depot, an old train station on what is now the Iron Goat Trail in the now ghost town of Wellington.
A huge mass of snow half a mile long fell toward Wellington, and an avalanche crashed into the railroad depot, sending the sleeping train passengers 150 feet downhill and into the Tye River Valley. 96 people died, and the 23 survivors were pulled from the wreckage by railroad employees who were able to get into the area and help. The weather made further rescue almost impossible.
While these spooky happenings are definitely few and far between, it's something you might want to consider before hiking this trail.
Were you aware that America’s deadliest avalanche happened right here in Washington?
Address: Iron Goat Trailhead, Iron Goat Trail, Leavenworth, WA 98826, USA
