A Quick Ghost Guide to North Carolina

Now, who doesn’t love a good ghost story? As someone who has been interested in the paranormal my whole life, I’ve always had a special place in my heart for haunted locations. Luckily, growing up on the East Coast of the US, there is no shortage of haunted locations. So, going back to film my show there only seemed natural!

One thing is pretty certain when dealing with the paranormal world- the older a location, the more history it has. A longer history provides more chances for the paranormal to emerge and for hauntings to take place. That’s why, according to most, the east coast of the US has much more of a haunted history than the west coast. One of the most haunted places that we’ve found in the US (let’s face it- we have much less history than most of the world) is North Carolina! I recently went across North Carolina for Weird World Adventures with some paranormal pros, and we found some strikingly haunted and/or paranormal locations. And we’re here today to discuss 3 of the best! I give you a quick Ghost Guide to North Carolina. If you find yourself in North Carolina and are looking to go on an epic scary road-trip across state, be sure to check out the following places.

The Devil’s Tramping Ground

The Devil’s Tramping Ground is a mostly-baron spot of land in North Carolina that reminds me heavily of a druid circle. It’s a circular area within the forest where no large trees will grow in. Found in Bear Creek, North Carolina, it’s the perfect location to stop in if you’re heading down from Virginia into North Carolina, as it’s close to the top of the state. This area has been the target of local legend and lore since the late 1800s. And, while we found some scarce vegetation growing there, it was true that no large trees were flourishing within this circle. Supposedly, this is the spot where the devil, himself can rise from the depths of hell to wreak havoc on the world. Glowing red eyes have been spotted there, and supposedly no animals will cross through that area, as they sense the evil.

While I was there, we felt a lot of movement (most likely from critters) circling around us in the tree-line. The IR lights on both of our cameras shut off and turned back on at the same time at random, and we got a few interesting responses on a spirit box. It’s definitely a place to visit (and even camp at) if you’re up for a spooky night. It’s also a great way to indulge your paranormal itch while also getting reconnected with nature, as it is a very natural and elemental spot. All in all, it’s worth a drive by if you’re passing through the area.

Asheville, North Carolina and Helen’s Bridge

Every city and small town have their local legends, but Asheville, NC takes the cake. Everyone I’ve spoken with who has been to Asheville has told me all about how haunted it is. And Asheville lived up to its name! While also being a super artsy and hip place (We had a lot of fun there.) it was also one of the most haunted locations I’ve visited overall in the US. Specifically, we homed in on Helen’s Bridge when deciding on a haunted spot to check out. Helen’s Bridge is only three and a half hours from the Devil’s Tramping Ground, after all and only an hour and a half away from Wiseman’s View (where you can see the Brown Mountain Lights).

At first glance, Helen’s bridge feels like a silly spot the teens all talk about and visit at night. Cars will drive under the bridge with its passengers screaming “Helen!!” So, it was no wonder why our spirit box kept yelling, “Helen” at us. However, it feels more like Helen is an imprint on this place in time rather than a real ghost haunting this location. In fact, there’s no record of a Helen ever existing. On the contrary, there was a man named James who did kill himself nearby the bridge, so you may want to try and speak with James if you visit this bridge. You may be surprised at the results.

The Brown Mountain Lights

The Brown Mountain Lights are a series of ghost lights that can be seen near Brown Mountain. Just an hour and a half away from Helen’s Bridge and 3 hours away from the Devil’s Tramping Ground, this is a place you don’t want to miss out on seeing. One of the best places to witness this phenomena is at Wiseman’s View. You should note that you will want an SUV or a vehicle with 4-wheel drive to get there, and if you pick a night with heavy fog, it will be a spooky journey to say the least.

The Brown Mountain lights sightings have gone back to the Cherokee tribe, to settlers, and to Civil War soldiers. They have been provably not created by man, and they are such a point of interest that the US government has investigated them in the past. Scientists think that they could be ball lightening, a phenomena that is not well understood at this time. Either way, you should definitely try to witness these ghost lights for yourselves! They have been ingrained in our paranormal lore and history so much that they are worth a visit.

All in all, you can have a fantastic time driving across North Carolina looking for haunted locations and strange phenomena. So, why not grab your closest friends and take a trip into the unknown?