Returning this autumn, the West Virginia Paranormal Trail challenges travelers (and more daring family travelers) to explore the state’s legendary haunts, from historic asylums to hotels, battlefields to abandoned amusement parks.
Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum © West Virginia Department of Tourism
And new this year to the trail is Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park, one of West Virginia’s most significant Civil War battles and, according to many, unexplained activity still reported today.
What other places can you expect to visit on the trail? Head over to Harpers Ferry, a historic town best known for the rebellion led by abolitionist John Brown before the Civil War; West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville; and the abandoned rides of Lake Shawnee Amusement Park near Rock.
Mothman © West Virginia Department of Tourism
If these places still can’t satiate your family’s love of grim stories, you can also visit Seneca Caverns in Riverton and see for yourself if reports of unexplained footsteps and spectral whispers at Carnegie Hall in Lewisburg are true.
The state’s best-known legends are also featured on the trail, including Point Pleasant’s Mothman, the mysterious winged creature first reported in the 1960s near the town’s “TNT Area,” and Flatwoods Monster, a figure reportedly encountered after residents observed an unusual light in the sky.
Glenn Ferris Inn © West Virginia Department of Tourism
The trail is free and self-guided, accessible via digital passport. Check in at each stop and earn prizes along the way. If you visit all 20 locations, you could win an overnight paranormal tour for two at Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.
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