Haunted Road Trips: Eerie Stops for Your Next Adventure
If you’ve ever wanted to combine your love of travel with a taste for the paranormal, you’re in for a chilling treat. Ghost stories, abandoned landmarks, and eerie places line roads across the United States, intriguing travelers for generations. Whether you’re a believer in the supernatural or simply a thrill-seeker chasing your next adventure, haunted road trips offer the perfect mix of history, mystery, and adrenaline. In this guide, we’ll explore some of the most spine-tingling routes and haunted destinations across the country—each one promising unforgettable memories and maybe, just maybe, a brush with the unexplained.
Why Haunted Road Trips Captivate Travelers
What is it about haunted road trips that captures our imagination? Maybe it’s the thrill of venturing into the unknown, or perhaps it’s our fascination with stories that linger long after the lights go out. Haunted travel offers a unique kind of adventure—one that connects us to the past through places that seem alive with energy.
Psychologists suggest that we’re drawn to this kind of “safe fear” because it allows us to experience excitement and adrenaline in a controlled way. Paranormal tourism has grown steadily in recent years, with haunted hotels, ghost tours, and eerie attractions seeing record attendance every fall. According to a 2025 Gallup poll, 39% of Americans believe in ghosts, while other polls go as high as 61%. A YouGov survey found that nearly two-thirds of people claim to have had a paranormal experience. That fascination fuels an entire travel niche: haunted road trips that combine scenic drives with supernatural stops.
How to Plan the Perfect Haunted Road Trip
Before you set out to chase ghosts across the country, it’s important to plan ahead. Haunted road trips are not your typical vacation—they require a bit of research, flexibility, and an adventurous spirit.
Start by mapping out your route. Research historic landmarks, ghost towns, and local ghost tours that align with your travel schedule. Many state tourism boards publish official guides to haunted attractions, which can help you find unique destinations.
The best time to travel is during the fall, especially from September through November. The crisp air, autumn colors, and Halloween atmosphere make everything feel a little more magical—and a little more mysterious.
Pack the essentials: a flashlight, comfortable walking shoes, a portable charger, and if desired, a voice recorder or camera if you want to document any ghostly encounters. Above all, stay safe. Always respect private property, follow tour guidelines, and stick to open, public locations. Many haunted sites are protected landmarks or active businesses that must be treated with care.
Haunted Road Trip Routes by Region
Haunted road trips can take you from misty coastlines to dusty desert highways, each route with its own dark legends and haunting beauty. Here are some of the best routes to explore if you’re ready for a thrill.
New England & The Northeast: Colonial Spirits and Seaside Shadows
New England’s cobblestone streets and centuries-old buildings make it the perfect backdrop for haunted history. Start in Fall River, Massachusetts, where you can spend the night at the Lizzie Borden House. This infamous site of one of America’s most shocking 19th-century murders. The bed-and-breakfast doubles as a museum and offers guided tours for the brave.
Continue north to Salem, Massachusetts, home of the Salem Witch Trials. With ghost tours, historic cemeteries, and witch museums, it’s one of the most atmospheric destinations in the U.S. during October.
Mystic, Connecticut, is a quaint village that hosts the largest maritime museum in the United States. Shipbuilders in Mystic constructed over 600 ships between the late 1700s and the early 1900s. The village’s name comes from “missi-tuk,” a Pequot word meaning “great tidal river.”
Mystic’s long history has also given rise to tales of ghosts and hauntings. Locals and visitors report spirits appearing in old homes, aboard ships, and inside lively taverns. Each ghost in Mystic reflects a distinct piece of the town’s rich past.
Mid-Atlantic: Ghosts of War and Imprisoned Souls
In the Mid-Atlantic, the past feels close enough to touch. Begin your journey in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where Civil War soldiers are said to roam the battlefield still. Ghost walks and historic home tours bring the stories of this tragic site to life.
From there, travel east to Philadelphia to explore Eastern State Penitentiary, a massive 19th-century prison known for its crumbling corridors and chilling atmosphere. Once home to infamous criminals like Al Capone, the site is open for tours year-round.
End your route in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. Harper’s Ferry is renowned for its numerous ghostly tales associated with its Civil War history. Visitors often hear phantom soldiers marching at night or see strange lights along the old streets. A woman called “Screaming Jenny” is said to appear in flames near the train tracks, while the spirit of a priest still roams St. Peter’s Church. Locals also tell of a figure watching from an old house window, guarding secrets long forgotten
Appalachia & The Ohio Valley: Asylums and Abandoned Legends
The Appalachian region holds some of the country’s most haunted sites. In Weston, West Virginia, the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum offers ghost tours and overnight investigations. Built in the 1800s, it’s one of the largest hand-cut stone buildings in the U.S. and a frequent stop for paranormal investigators.
Next, head to Louisville, Kentucky, to visit the Waverly Hills Sanatorium. Once a tuberculosis hospital, Waverly Hills is now famous for reports of ghostly figures, mysterious sounds, and unexplained cold spots. Finish your route at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, the hauntingly beautiful prison featured in The Shawshank Redemption. Visitors can take guided tours or join after-dark investigations.
The South: Spanish Spirits and Southern Charm
In the South, ghost stories are part of the culture. Begin in Savannah, Georgia, often called the most haunted city in America. Join a hearse ghost tour through the historic district or explore Bonaventure Cemetery. This cemetery is known for its haunting beauty and sculpted angels.
Continue to St. Augustine, Florida, where the St. Augustine Lighthouse offers “Dark of the Moon” tours that let visitors climb to the top at night. Guests report seeing shadowy figures and hearing phantom footsteps echoing through the tower. Round out your journey in Charleston, South Carolina, and tour the Old City Jail—where stories of prisoners and guards who never left still linger.
Route 66 & The Southwest: Deserted Highways and Ghost Towns
If you prefer your hauntings with a side of desert dust, drive Route 66 through the Southwest. Begin in Jerome, Arizona, a former mining town turned artist colony. The Jerome Grand Hotel, once a hospital, is known for its ghostly activity, from flickering lights to strange voices on the upper floors.
Next, visit Flagstaff’s Hotel Monte Vista, famous for phantom bellboys and mysterious phone calls from empty rooms. As you travel east, stop at the Lemp Mansion in St. Louis, Missouri. Once home to a wealthy brewing family plagued by tragedy, it’s now a restaurant and inn where guests swear they’ve encountered unseen residents.
The West Coast: Mystery Mansions and Foggy Legends
End your haunted road trip journey on the West Coast, where ocean mist and old mansions set the mood. Start in San Jose, California, at the Winchester Mystery House. Built by Sarah Winchester, widow of the rifle magnate, the mansion is filled with staircases that lead nowhere and doors that open into walls.
Sarah Winchester bought a modest farmhouse in San Jose in 1886. She expanded it into a sprawling mansion that contains 160 rooms, more than 10,000 windows, and dozens of staircases that go nowhere. She kept building constantly until she died in 1922.
Many people believe Sarah was building to appease spirits linked to Winchester rifles. Historians, however, say she grieved many losses and expressed creativity through architecture. The house then opened to the public and became famous for its strange corridors and ghost stories.
Next, travel north to San Francisco’s Alcatraz Island. Night tours of the former prison are not for the faint of heart, with reports of whispering voices and clanging cell doors long after closing time. Finally, make your way to Long Beach and check into the Queen Mary. This retired ocean liner, now a hotel, is famous for ghostly apparitions and unexplained noises echoing through its decks.
The Science Behind the Scares
Even skeptics can enjoy haunted road trips. Science provides plenty of explanations for the sensations people experience in haunted places. Phenomena such as pareidolia—the human tendency to see faces or figures in random patterns—and infrasound, low-frequency vibrations that cause unease, can make locations feel eerie.
Whether it’s psychology, science, or something otherworldly, these experiences make haunted travel unforgettable. They connect us to history, emotion, and the thrill of the unknown.
Travel Etiquette and Safety Tips
Exploring haunted destinations is exciting, but it’s important to travel responsibly.
- Always follow posted rules and respect restricted areas.
- Ask permission before filming or using ghost-hunting equipment.
- Be mindful that many haunted sites are connected to tragedy—treat them with respect.
- Stay alert, especially at night or in remote areas.
Dare to Discover America’s Haunted Highways
Haunted road trips offer more than scares—they bring history and storytelling to life. Whether you’re visiting a haunted lighthouse, exploring an abandoned asylum, or staying in a historic inn, each destination has a story waiting to be told.
So pack your bags, grab your flashlight, and hit the road. Adventure—and maybe something a little otherworldly—awaits just around the bend.
Looking for a spooky stay on your haunted road trip? Check out our travel blog post about the most haunted hotels across the country! From ghostly guests to flickering lights and mysterious piano music, these eerie spots promise chills, thrills, and unforgettable nights you won’t soon forget. Would you dare to take a haunted road trip? Share your favorite spooky destinations in the comments and start planning your own ghostly getaway today.
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