13 dog-friendly spooky season hikes in Colorado: Abandoned places, hauntings, cryptid encounters, & more!

Spooky hikes are all around us in Colorado, and they can be enjoyed year-round! If you’re a history love, a fan of cryptids, curious about the paranormal, fascinated by abandoned places, or simply into the weird, wild, and wonderful – You’ll find something in this post to love! Inside are our 13 favorite spooky hikes, along with the creepy stories that accompany them.

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Everything to Love about Spooky Season Hiking

There’s something special about autumn. The earth settles down from the heat of summer, relaxing and exhaling. Things get cozy as leaves change color, curl, and eventually float down to the ground to absorb back into the humus. Fruits swell and ripen, giving way to bounteous feasts for all sorts of critters. The wind starts to blow a little bit chillier, encouraging everything and everyone to settle down a bit. This all crescendoes into a feast for the senses, with earthy scents and rich colors wafting into all corners of life.

Autumn is also a time of death. As plants die off, they offer themselves into cycles of regeneration that will eventually fuel new rebirth. And many cultures celebrate this time of year as a thinning of veils, when the boundaries between life & death blur a bit. Our modern Halloween is an evolution of the ancient Celtic celebration of Samhain – A marking of the middle point between Autumn Equinox & Winter Solstice. It marks the end of the harvest season, and the beginning of the dark time of year.

There’s something beautiful about taking the time to celebrate death, recognizing it as a vital part of the cycle of life. Some might frown upon morbidity, but I like to think about it as recognizing the lives of those who have passed into the astral realm. Spooky season is a time to recognize the changing of seasons in a literal and earth-bound way, but also in recognizing the past lives of our ancestors who helped to shape the world through which we now walk.

Paranormal refers to anything that is beyond the scientific scope of understanding, and autumn is the perfect time to lean in with all of your senses and see what manifests around you. There’s something exhilarating about potentially making contact with the energy of a spirit, or getting spooked by things that may or may not be figments of our imagination. Fall might be about slowing down, but there’s so much beauty and magic to be enjoyed while hiking during the cooler months. While hiking, taking the time to remember a fallen soul, or imagining the monsters are real can add a layer of mystery and fun to the browning landscape.

The Spooky Hikes

If you’re into all things spooky, the following hikes can each offer you a little something exciting. Some of these trails host known hauntings, some are the sites of cryptid encounters, and some simply offer the shadows of past human energies. Packed with beautiful views, cool weather, smaller crowds, and eerie stories, autumn just might be the best time of year to hit the trails with your puppers!

Related Post: Hiking with your Dog: 12 Tips to Always be Pup-Pared

1. Haunted Historic Site – Red Rocks & Mt. Vernon Cemetery – Morrison, Co

Ok I know – Red Rocks is NOT a place you probably associate with hauntings. But the spirits are there, so why not go for a hike with this lens? You’ll be surprised how you see the place differently!

Red Rocks History

Red Rocks has a long a storied history, having been home to dinosaurs whose footprints are still visible across the street at Dakota Ridge. The Folsom people are the first know humans to inhabit the area around 9000 BCE, followed by the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe peoples in more modern times.

The gold rush brought sweeping change to Colorado in the mid-1800s. Colorow, a Ute Chief, lead resistance to whites, holing up at Red Rocks and in the nearby cavern now called Colorow’s Cave. In 1864, George Morrison, a Scottish stonemason, homesteads what becomes the town of Morrison and opens up quarries to produce the famous Morrison Formation red sandstone used in many Colorado buildings.

The Morrison Civilian Conservation Corps Camp is established to put unemployed 17- to 25-year-olds to work constructing Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre between 1935 and 1941.

Source: RedRocks.com

Mt. Vernon Cemetery History

The area around Red Rocks used to be the town of Mt. Vernon, founded in 1859. It was an important location, used to provide supplies and lodging to gold seekers heading west. Now all that remains is two stone grave markers in the cemetery, although it is believed several more unmarked graves exist here.

Red Rocks Ghost Stories

Red Rocks Park is reportedly home to many ghosts, including:

• A headless lady that may or may not be buried in Mt. Vernon Cemetery, who carries a hatchet and reportedly hassles folks who get too frisky in the shadows of the rocks
• An old timey miner
• Ute people, dancing in traditional ceremonial attire

People have also reported unseen presences in the various buildings. Reports include being whispered to by disembodied voices, objects flying across rooms, and hearing footsteps when no one is around. Doors fly open, door handles jiggle, and flashing lights and floating orbs have all been observed.

Trail: Village Walk, Red Rocks, Cherry Gulch, and Morrison Slide Trail

• Length: 5.8 mi round trip
• Elevation Gain: 1,181 ft
• Cost: FREE
• Trailhead: Matthews/Winters Park Trailhead
• Park Hours: 1 hour before sunrise – 1 hour after sunset
• Trail info on AllTrails

This trail is one that goes from Mt. Vernon townsite & cemetery, through the gorgeous scenic red formations that surround the amphitheater, all the way to the road that leads up to the trading post and amphitheater. If you want to take in everything Red Rocks has to offer, just self-navigate up to the trading post & amphitheater when you reach the end of the trail as-listed. However, if you’re not looking for this challenging of a hike, you can easily do any variation of this hike or combination of trails in the park to experience this iconic spot through a spooky lens!

Personal Perspectives on This Hike

We love all the hikes we ever do at Red Rocks! This is such a special area, and Bonnie & Ada don’t mind the slight red tinge that their paws take on after climbing around at this iconic spot. We love the Trading Post Trail when we want to walk through the formations, or Mt. Vernon Creek Trail when we want to enjoy the vistas of the amphitheater. The Red Rocks and Morrison Slide Loop Trail is our favorite for getting a little leg workout, as it has a little more incline as you climb up and through the rock formations. I didn’t even know about the cemetery or ghost stories until I started poking around for spooky season, but the Village Walk, Red Rocks, Cherry Gulch, and Morrison Slide Trail (listed above) might be our new favorite! It really has it all – Historic Cemetery, climbs through the rocks, views of the amphitheater and historic trading post, and is a perfect hike for dusk, when the sun is getting low, and the ghost stories start to feel a bit more real. We’ve never encountered any ghosts here, but there’s palpable energy for sure, no doubt the shadows of all of the humans and animals that have passed through this alluring place over it’s long and storied history.

Map to Trailhead

2. Haunted Gravesite – Griffin Memorial via 7:30 Mine – Silver Plume, Co

Silver Plume & 7:30 Mine Story

Silver Plume is referred to as a living ghost town, a shell of what it once was, and filled with historic architecture. Somewhere around 100 people still live here, however, and there are a handful of businesses, so it’s not completely abandoned.

The origins of the town, founded in 1864, lie in the discovery of a rich silver ore at the summit of Mt. McClellan. Thus, Silver Plume was part of the silver rush, which followed the gold rush by a few years. The 7:30 mine was one of these mines, owned and managed by the Griffin brothers, Heneage & Clifford.

Clifford Griffin Ghost Story

There are some facts and a lot of lore and conflicting accounts when it comes to the story of Clifford Griffin. But the gist of the story is that Clifford came to Silver Plume from England after his fiancé tragically died before their wedding. Known as a quiet, solemn man, he lived in a small cabin near the 7:30 mine, on the hillside directly above town. He rarely socialized, but was known to play his violin every evening from that mountaintop, treating the townsfolk below to musical serenades. Some say he played as an outlet for his grief.

One evening, the violin music stopped abruptly, and a single gunshot rang out. The townspeople rushed up the steep hillside to find him dead by gunshot to the head. Some like to say that he fell into a hole of his own digging, indicating his wishes to be buried in that spot. However, the coroner report indicates that he died in his cabin. It seems likely that he did express his wishes to be buried by his mine, and there now stands an enormous granite monument on the hilltop dedicated to his memory.

Some say that Clifford’s spirit never left the area, and violin music can often still be heard drifting down the mountain in the evening. There also seems to be a formal consensus that his death was a suicide. However, questions are still being asked by locals and lore enthusiasts about whether his brother actually murdered him to claim full ownership of the mine.

You can read more about the Glifford Griffin Story here.

Trail: Griffin Memorial via 7:30 Mine Trail

Bonnie on the trail

View of the trail

View of the tailings from mining

Ruins of Clifford Griffin’s cabin

Ruins of Clifford Griffin’s cabin

Abandoned open mine shaft – DO NOT enter!

Spectacular views

Bonnie admiring the views

Clifford Griffin Memorial

Bonnie standing in front of the memorial for scale

Monument inscription

A pilgrimage up to Clifford Griffin’s final resting place and memorial makes for a perfect spooky season hike with your pup!

• Length: 3.6 mi round trip
• Elevation Gain: 1,210 ft
• Cost: FREE
• Trailhead: 7:30 Mine Trailhead
• This trail has no listed hours, so sunset/night hikes are possible if you dare
• Trail info on AllTrails

Note: There is no parking at the trailhead itself, so you have to park along main street in town and walk a couple blocks up to it.

Personal Perspectives on This Hike

This hike is a thigh burner for sure! It’s short, but quite steep. I usually get up to the first switchback, and consider turning around. Once we tried to hike it on a sunny, summer day, and Ada laid down in a shadow and refused to move, so we abandoned the plan. Was it the heat? Or the ghostly vibes? I’m not sure. But I’ve made it to the top a couple times with Bonnie, and it’s just a matter of taking it slow, drinking lots of water, and stopping for sniff breaks often (sniff breaks for Bonnie = breath-catching breaks for me!) We’ve never done this hike at sunset, and I’ve never heard any ghostly sounds or felt Mr. Griffin’s presence, but I do aspire to sit up top as the sun is setting someday, and invite him to visit me.

Map to Trailhead

3. Spooky Hotel Ruins on a Mountainside – Rattlesnake Gulch Trail – Eldorado Canyon State Park

History of the Crag Hotel

The Crag Hotel, which sat atop Eldorado Canyon, was short lived. Built in 1908, it burned down in 1912. It was accessible from Denver aboard the Moffat Railroad. The railroad tracks, viewable from the hotel ruins, is still in use today. There was also a road leading to the hotel called Crags Boulevard, and a tram also was affixed to the mountainside to carry passengers between the hotel and the canyon below. It remains a mystery today what caused the fire that burned down the hotel, and only a fireplace and stone foundations remain today.

Trail: Rattlesnake Gulch Trail

• Length: 2.9 mi round trip
• Elevation Gain: 728 ft
• Trailhead: Rattlesnake Gulch/Crags Hotel Trailhead
• Cost: Keep Colorado Wild Pass ($30/year for all Colorado State Parks), or $10/vehicle day use fee, payable at entrance kiosks
• This trail has no listed hours, so sunset/night hikes are possible if you dare
• Trail info on AllTrails

Personal Perspectives on This Hike

As you can tell from the photos, we like to hike this trail in the winter in addition to autumn. Honestly, Eldorado Canyon is stunning in every season, but there’s something special about visiting this particular spot in the fall. The fall colors pop in the canyon, and the story of the short-lived hotel is captivating. Bonnie & Ada love it!

Map to Trailhead

4. Bigfoot Encounter Site – Ben Tyler Trail – Bailey, Co

Bigfoot in Colorado

While the most reported Bigfoot sightings in the US come from the Pacific Northwest, most notable the Mt. Rainier area, Colorado is home to its fair share of sightings. According to multiple sources, the Rampart Range and Pike’s Peak area is the most dense with sightings, but reports have been made around the state. Sighting data is available here.

Bigfoot Encounter Near Bailey

From Ghosts & Legends of Colorado’s Front Range:

Around noon on April 3rd, Jack and his pitbull Babe parked at the Ben Tyler Trailhead near Shawnee Colorado. It was a beautiful, warm day as Jack and Babe began their ascent. When they turned the corner on the 4th or 5th switchback, Babe uncharacteristically hit reverse gear and backed up between Jack’s legs; He had to grab her to keep her from heading back down the trail. kneeling down,he looked back up the trail to see what had so frightened her, and got the shock of his life. Standing in the middle of the trail (no more than 50 ft ahead) was a large, hairy creature – standing and staring directly at Jack. Jack’s first thought was “what am I looking at?” Then as he watched, the creature took a deep breath and blinked its eyes. Jack stared in disbelief and rapidly mounting terror. What he remembers: It was covered in reddish brown hair. The creatures seem to have low breasts and a paunchy stomach, giving the overall impression of an old man. it appeared to be six and a half or perhaps 7 ft tall. What struck him most of all were the dark, fierce looking eyes.

As the story goes, Jack and Babe immediately turned and ran for their lives, not thinking to try to take a photo, despite the fact that Jack had an iphone in his pocket. He knew of the Bailey Outpost Sasquatch Museum, and went there to ask if they sent people out into the woods in Bigfoot costumes, convinced that this is what he must have seen. However, the folks at the Sasquatch museum emphatically denied that they ever did this, citing potentially life-threatening risks for anyone silly enough to attempt such a stunt – they would be likely to get themselves shot. 

Stories of Bigfoot sightings are strangely consistent, recounted from people of all types, and of varying familiarities with Bigfoot stories before their own encounters. If you’re curious about bigfoot, feel compelled to walk in their footsteps, or potentially have an encounter of your own, check out the following trail.

Trail: Ben Tyler Trail (From Jack & Babe’s encounter, detailed above)

• Length: 11.7 mi round trip
• Elevation Gain: 3,385 ft
• Trailhead: Ben Tyler Trailhead
• Cost: FREE
• This trail has no listed hours, so sunset/night hikes are possible if you dare
• Trail info on AllTrails

Note: This is a long and difficult trail. Jack and Babe’s bigfoot sighting happened at the “4th or 5th switchback”, near the beginning of the trail. So you can choose your own adventure on this trail, hiking as long as you wish. Just be sure to keep your eyes and ears peeled!

Personal Perspectives on This Hike

I just learned about this hike when I stopped on a whim at the Bailey Sasquatch Outpost. 11 mile hikes are not really our jam, but I do plan to get up there and do a couple miles on the trail. I don’t know how I’d feel about seeing a bigfoot, or how the pupper gals would respond. But I’m always on the lookout for tree breaks, and unusually large footprints, because I’m a believer, and I’m not opposed to an encounter!

Map to Trailhead

5. Haunted Lakeshore – Carter Lake Sundance Trail – Loveland, Co

Carter Lake History

Carter Lake is the second largest reservoir in northeast Colorado. it is It is approximately three miles long, with twelve miles of shoreline, a maximum depth of 180 feet, and a capacity of 112,228 acre-feet. It was built in 1950, on land that was previously wetlands, and was created by three dams. It was built to supply water to the northeast plains, after the dustbowl created large concern about the future of the area, and was part of the Colorado-Big Thompson Water Project, along with Horsetooth Reservoir to the north. The lake and surrounding open spaces are managed by Larimer County.

Carter Lake Ghost Story

According to some, Carter Lake is the most haunted lake in Colorado.

The story goes that a man named Bennett, who lived near Carter Lake, got involved in a land dispute, and was murdered. According to some, he never left. There is little in the way of historical documentation of this man, or this incident. However, there are multitudes of stories online that report encounters with a man dressed in old timey clothing, carrying a suitcase or canvas sack. According to these reports, he is quiet, and either just stands in place, walks along the shore, or follows hikers. They all claim that when trying to approach or confront the man, he disappears. Other reports involve passing through unusually cold spots in the woods, and seeing strange lights at night.

Perhaps this is one of those hauntings that occurs because this person just loved this place so much, and couldn’t bear to leave it in death?

Trail: Carter Lake Sundance Trail

• Length: 5.9 mi round trip
• Elevation Gain: 265 ft
• Trailhead: Sundance Trailhead
• Cost: $10/vehicle day use fee, payable at kiosks throughout the park
• Park Hours: 1 hour before sunrise – 1 hour after sunset
• Trail info on AllTrails

Personal Perspectives on This Hike

We’ve hiked this trail several times, and have never had anything other than a beautiful & serene experience. It’s a go-to for us if we want to get up north of Denver, but don’t feel like doing a hard hike. It’s long enough to make a lovely day outing, and we love to sit in the forest, watch the boats and paddle-boarders, and observe the seasonal beauty. Personally, I’ve never seen or heard from Mr. Bennett, but he seems like a relatively kind ghost, so before we hike here, I always let him know we’re coming, and that he’s welcome to show himself to us. Maybe one day he will!

Map to Trailhead

6. Haunted Ghost Town – Oil Creek Tunnel Trail & Ghost Town Hollow – Colorado Springs, Co

Oil Creek Tunnel Story

The hike to Oil Creek Tunnel takes you past many rusted and abandoned artifacts, remnants of mining operations past. The dilapidated cabins and machinery is now known as ghost town hollow, the site abandoned because mining this area did not prove to be as lucrative as hoped. This operation was also plagued by accidents and bad luck, with several miners dying tragically in a variety of horrific accidents.

The eeriest part of this hike, however, is the abandoned Oil Creek Tunnel, also known as the Cincinnati Mine. Today it stands abandoned, emitting cold air, as the sounds of howling wind and dripping water blow down the mountainside. Many claim that the restless spirits of the dead miners still inhabit this area.

Trail: Oil Creek Tunnel Trail

• Length: 4.4 mi round trip
• Elevation Gain: 944 ft
• Trailhead: Elk Park Trailhead
• Cost: FREE
• This trail has no listed hours, so sunset/night hikes are possible if you dare
• Trail info on AllTrails

Personal Perspectives on This Hike

I am determined to do this hike this year, but we’ve not made it there yet. When we do, I’ll offer some updated thoughts. If you get up there, I’d love to know how you like it, and if you feel those ghostly vibes!

Map to Trailhead

7. Plane Crash Memorial Site – Wichita State Plane Wreck – Loveland Pass, Colorado

Plane Crash Story

It was the 1970’s, and the management of air traffic was not as regulated as it was today. The story of this plane crash involves an inexperienced pilot, hired to fly the Wichita State football team from Denver’s Stapleton airport to Salt Lake City for a game. According to reports, the pilot flew very low over the I-70 corridor, wanting to show the incredible scenery to his passengers. He underestimated, however, what would be needed to get up and over Loveland Pass, and sadly crashed into the mountain directly across from the Loveland ski area.

Of the total of 40 on board, the death count was 31, which included 27 passengers, the captain, and flight attendant.

There is a roadside plaque listing the names of the victims westbound Interstate 70, at Dry Gulch at milepost 217 (39.6965°N 105.8736°W), about two miles (3 km) east of the Eisenhower Tunnel. In addition to the formal memorial, a makeshift memorial has been created at the site of the crash, which can be found via a short climb up the mountain. Mourners have left mementos, photos, and notes in honor of the fallen passengers.

Trail: Wichita State Plane Wreck

• Length: 2.9 mi round trip
• Elevation Gain: 620 ft
• Trailhead: Dry Gulch Trailhead
• Cost: FREE
• This trail has no listed hours, so sunset/night hikes are possible if you dare
• Trail Info on AllTrails

Personal Perspectives on This Hike

This hike is intense! I have to admit it was morbid curiosity that made me want to do it in the first place. And as I hiked up the short, steep trail with Ada, I felt a heaviness as soon as I made the halfway mark switchback that starts the ascent up the mountain and into the woods. As I approached the clearing where the wreckage holds vigil to the tragedy, I felt uneasiness. I kept looking back over my shoulder, questioning every creak and crack in the forest. As we emerged into the clearing, I felt a tremendous sense of peace come over me. And the peace was immediately replaced by sadness. While I always carry a respectful solemnity when I visit cemeteries, I don’t cry. This scene, in contrast, immediately sprang tears into my eyes. They leaked down my cheeks as I walked quietly through the wreckage, covered in mementos, memorials, and tributes left by visitors over the years.

I stayed for quite a while, reading every rotting paper with a story on it, left by a family member of one of the victims. I looked at every photo, many barely visible through dusty, yellowed frames. We walked from one end of the scene to the other, and as I turned to say a final goodbye, I knew I was privileged to witness this place, and felt 100% certain I’d never be visiting again. I’m not sorry I went – It’s the kind of place that deserves to be visited, in order to keep those poor kids alive in the minds and hearts of the living. But it’s also a place that I knew I should leave behind for their families and friends to tend to.

Map to Trailhead

8. Ghost Town – Irvin Homestead – Estes Park, Co

History of Homestead Meadows

Settled via the Homestead Act of 1862, the ruins of 8 homesteads can be viewed in Homestead Meadows. The Homestead Act allowed settlers to claim up to 160 acres of land to eligible individuals. Once settled, acquiring the title required the land to be improved upon – The land inhabited at least 6 months of the year, a house built, a portion of the land be cultivated, and some type of income generated from the land. After the first six months, the land could be purchased for $1.25 per acre, or if the property was managed for a full five years, the title could be purchased for $15. 

The 8 families who settled this area, developed a variety of livelihoods, although many practiced some form of ranching or trapping, since the soil did not prove robust for growing crops. The life was hard, with the nearest resupply town (Lyons) being about 15 miles away, reachable by hiking or horseback.

Though the population had already been dwindling, the Great Depression spurred a sharp abandonment of the area. The homesteads were consolidated as the inhabitants sold off their parcels, and the entire area was sold to the US Department of Agriculture in 1978. The area is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

Trail: Homestead Meadows to Irvin Homestead

• Length: 6.6 mi round trip
• Elevation Gain: 931 ft
• Trailhead: Homestead Meadows Trailhead
• Cost: $10/vehicle day use fee, payable at entrance kiosk
• Park Hours: 1 hour before sunrise – 1 hour after sunset
• Trail info on AllTrails

Personal Perspectives on This Hike

This hike has been on our to-do list forever, and I’m determined that we will hike it soon. When we do, I’ll offer some updated thoughts. Have you been here? If so, let me know how you like it!

Map to Trailhead

9. Ghost Town & Abandoned Mine – Iowa Hill Trail – Breckenridge, Co

This is a short and sweet trail, filled with interpretive signs, old buildings, and historic artifacts that tell the story of mining in this area. I’m not aware of any specific hauntings, but anytime there was a lot of human history in an area, particularly activities related to an industry that was so dangerous and unregulated, there’s residual energy that can be felt.

Trail: Iowa Hill

• Length: .7 mi round trip
• Elevation Gain: 187 ft.
• Trailhead: Iowa Hill Trailhead
• Cost: FREE
• This trail has no listed hours, so sunset/night hikes are possible if you dare
• Trail info on AllTrails

Personal Perspectives on This Hike

This is an awesome little hike when you don’t have a lot of time, but want to do something that packs a punch. We visited right when the aspens were changing in Breck, but before the leaf-peeping crowds had arrived. It’s really cool to see the historic relics left in place, and even better that the city has done some really nice interpretive work along the trail, so you can understand the context of what you’re seeing. When I hiked this trail with Ada, she loved hopping around on the trail, and seemed particularly intense about her sniff breaks, no doubt those miners left lots to smell! The little cabin at the top of the hill felt a little spooky, for some reason I felt a little apprehensive when I leaned in to peek in the windows. It was locked up, so I knew there was no one in there – or at least no one in our earthly realm. It was a boarding house in the mining days, and perhaps there are some paranormal energies from travelers past who were taking a bath or having a cup of tea.

Map to Trailhead

10. Trail Along the Most Haunted Road in Colorado – Riverdale Road – Thornton, Co

Riverdale Road Ghost Stories

It’s an unassuming stretch of road, serving as a border between Thornton and several rural communities. The giant rotting cottonwood trees, the mixture of farmfields and suburbia, the ditches overgrown with unruly wild plums and sunflowers in the fall – the road has this eerie mix of beauty and chaos – beautiful decay. If you ask a local – they know – It’s home to some of the most haunting ghost stories in the Denver Metro area.

Some of the stories include:

• The ghost of a Camaro driver (and his car) will try to coax you into racing to your death
• Phantom dogs
• Ghostly children playing on the side of the road
• Phantom jogger, who may have been killed in a hit and run
• A roaming lady in white
• Bodies hanging from trees during a full moon

There is a story of a man who once lived along the road, who went insane and burned down his house with his family inside – although with a historical deep dive, you can find documentation of a house that burned down but no nefarious story to accompany the accident. The road, however, is winding and not well lit, so there have been many documented automobile accidents along it, which certaily could result in residual energies.

Multiple ghost hunters have felt presences along the road, Redditors love to pontificate on paranormal activities, and every year around Halloween, stories emerge, from witchy gatherings, to new apparitions appearing to locals. Is there merit to any of it? You’ll just have to check it out to see!

Read more about the legends here.

Drive the Road

Riverdale Road itself is an 11 mile length of road with few sidewalks or streetlights, so if you are game to explore, you can drive it. Just be careful not to get lured into any street races by phantom drivers, lest you end up a ghost story yourself!

Trail: Pelican Ponds Loop

The Pelican Ponds Open Space Area is one of the few places directly off Riverdale that is reserved for recreation. This area has several trails, some paved, some gravel, and is a wonderful place for fall walks. The cottonwood trees and prairie grasses become fiery in appearance, and the cattail-filled ponds are gorgeous. There is a really nice nature playground for littles, and plenty of space for puppers to romp. Just be careful around sundown, and keep your eyes and ears open for hauntings!

• Length: 1.8 mi round trip
• Elevation Gain: 39 ft
• Trailhead: Pelican Ponds Open Space
• Cost: FREE
• This trail has no listed hours, so sunset/night hikes are possible if you dare
• Trail info on AllTrails

Personal Perspectives on This Hike

The Pelican Ponds Trail, as a hike, is easy, flat, and typical shortgrass prairie landscape. It’s lovely, but nothing particularly jaw dropping. We live nearby, so it’s a nice place to walk the pupper gals when we’re after a spot close to home, and don’t have time to get over to the mountains. Bonnie and Ada love it, because it’s filled with small critter smells, and they can splash their feet in the water. For spooky season, the trail is really just a way to take a nice walk along the most haunted road in the US! Personally, I didn’t know about the Riverdale Road hauntings until recently. But I can attest to having an ominous, kind of confusing, little bit dark feeling every time I drove on it – even before I knew. I’ve never seen ghosts here, but I can honestly say I’ve felt spooked, both on the road and in the park. Let me know if you have any stories!

Map to Trailhead

11. Ghost Town & Abandoned Cemetery – Caribou Hill – Nederland, Co

Caribou City Story

Caribou City, near present day Nederland, was a thriving silver mining town in the mid-1800s, and at its peak in the 1870’s, there were reported to be around 3000 people living there. It boasted a church, three saloons, a brewery, and a town newspaper, the Caribou Post. As the silver boom busted, the town slowly faded away, but there remains ruins of a couple stone buildings, ruins of one cabin, and tons of stone and wood foundations for other buildings if you look really hard.

Caribou Cemetery

Caribou has a cemetery, though it is in a state of disrepair. A local group of historians and residents, however, has begun a multi-year plan to restore it. Below is a map of where the cemetery sits, and how to find it, which is not along the Alltrails route. Of course be careful, and pay your respects kindly to the departed residents who still call this area home.

Read more about the cemetery restoration here.

Trail: Caribou Hill Trail

Since the town’s road infrastructure remains, this area is wonderful for hiking. In the summer, it’s a spectacular wildflower hike, and in the fall, the aspens golden glow lights up the hillside. The site sits on forest service land, and there are many offshoots that you can take to explore the area even deeper. Use the map below to navigate to the cemetery, as it is not along the listed Alltrails route.

• Length: 3.3 mi round trip
• Elevation Gain: 793 ft
• Trailhead: Caribou City Townsite
• Cost: FREE
• This trail has no listed hours, so sunset/night hikes are possible if you dare
• Trail Info on AllTrails

Personal Perspectives on This Hike

I LOVE this area, and have been fascinated with this area since I first hiked it a few years ago. Known for being a wildflower hotspot in the summer, I came for that reason, only to be completely enchanted by the stone building and cabin ruins. As I looked intensely at the ground for various blooms, I noticed the remains of building foundations, and also noted that the trail was a dirt road. Upon returning home, I did a deep dive on the history, and have been back several times. It’s completely fascinating to me that this town was so large, yet so totally gone – though not invisible. When you look closely, you can find remains everywhere of hard, scrappy lives lived well in this valley.

When I found out there was an abandoned cemetery up here this past summer, my fascination was renewed, and Bonnie was the perfect little companion to help me search for it. It took me 3 different tries to find the exact location of the cemetery, and full disclosure – the cemetery is on land that says private property. I’m not sure if/how this is regulated, but I personally don’t believe that a cemetery such as this should be gatekept by private property signs. No one can own these people’s stories, and no one (outside of family) should be allowed to own their remains. The fact that no one had been maintaining this place means there are no active family/friends of the deceased to who are carrying their legacy. This means it’s up to the community. Their lives and legacies are honored by people who dare to make the trip to stand before their graves – marked or not – and whisper words of recognition into the wind. Do you agree?

Map to Trailhead

Map to Cemetery

You can find directions to the site, by clicking on the Alltrails link above, then navigating to the trailhead. Once there, you can find the cemetery using this map.

12. Haunted Area & Spooky Trail – Lake Gulch Trail to Castlewood Canyon Dam – Castlewood Canyon State Park

Castlewood Canyon State Park encompasses 2,628 acres of the unique Black Forest region of Colorado, an area rife with history & legends. Rock shelters and other artifacts in the canyon date back 5,000 years, showing evidence that this area has long been inhabited by humans.

This history is visible throughout the park today. Perhaps the most notable eerie landmark is the ruins of the Castlewood Dam, built in 1890 in an attempt to transform the flood-prone Cherry Creek into a reliable irrigation source. The creek, however, claimed that area back. A massive flood burst the dam on August 13 in 1933, sending a wall of water and debris crashed toward Denver, and flooding the city for days. Unsubstantiated reports place a bigfoot carcass in the flood remains, but that seems like just a fun little side story.

Ghost Stories

Strange occurrences have been reported by park employees and visitors for years – Crashing down furniture in the visitor center, strange banging, radios turning themselves on and off on their own, doors slamming, equipment mysteriously moving around.

There are two theories about who the ghost may be. One theory centers around Roger Floth, a 26 year old drifter that was found murdered under the canyon’s arched bridge in 1965. The other centers around Conrad Moschel, killed in 1864 along a gravel road near the park.

Moschel’s story is both mysterious and unsettling. He was a soldier in the Colorado Cavalry, and is reported to have been killed by Native Americans while retrieving a herd of cattle. He is said to have been buried in place, then memorialized by a giant carving in the cliff overlooking his grave, holding that he was “massacred by Indians”. Sad as any death is, this event is reported to have been a triggering factor in Colonel Chivington’s decision to carry out the deplorable Sand Creek Massacre. Other reports, however, postulate that Moschel was really killed while working on a nearby ranch, and upon burial, the monuments were added, blaming Native Americans, in order to justify the Sand Creek Massacre.

There is no documentation of the factual story, but the bottom line is that a man named Conrad Moschel is buried in this site. He may or may not have been in support of the devastating massacre of innocent life that his death was used to justify. And his spirit may or may not still roam these beautiful hills.

No matter who is responsible for the reported hauntings at Castlewood, park employees speculate that the spirit is there because they loved the land so much, they couldn’t bear to leave. And it’s easy to see why when you visit this beautiful area.

Trail: Lake Gulch Trail to Castlewood Canyon Dam

• Length: 2.6 mi round trip
• Elevation Gain: 328 ft
• Trailhead: Lake Gulch Trailhead
• Cost: Keep Colorado Wild Pass ($30/year for all Colorado State Parks), or $10/vehicle day use fee, payable at entrance kiosks
• Park Hours: Sunrise – Sunset
• Trail info on AllTrails

Personal Perspectives on This Hike

We hike here often, and all the trails are splendid. We love the Rim Rock Trail for beautiful views, and viewing the broken dam is always a haunting reminder of the power of nature. Bonnie and Ada love to hop around on the rocks, and splash in the creek at the bottom of the canyon. I didn’t learn about the stories of hauntings until recently, but honestly, I’ve always felt this place had some spooky energy. The Lake Gulch Trail is an autumn paradise. Scrub oaks line the whole path, steeping you in shades of butterscotch, chocolate, and scarlet, and the bright rusty bluestem grasses and ruby wild rose leaves paint this canyon in so many autumnal shades, your head spins a bit. So whether you come for the hauntings, or simply the beautiful fall vibes, you won’t be disappointed!

Map to Trailhead

Map to Conrad Moschel’s Grave

13. Most Haunted Historic Cemetery in Colorado – Central City Cemetery – Central City, Co

The aspen-filled Central City Cemetery sits on a west-facing hill, with views of several other surrounding cemeteries, framed with dramatic mountains. The cemeteries in this area include: Central City Cemetery, Red Men Lodge Cememtery, Central City Catholic Cemetery, Rocky Mountain Independent Order of Oddfellows Lodge Number 2 Cemetery, & Knights of Pythias Cemetery.

These are all beautiful & historic, and we love to simply find a place to park, and do a long walk, looping through all of them. It’s not hiking exactly, but you can get a good bit of exercise, walking as long or short as you like. This area was ground zero for Colorado’s gold rush in the mid-late 1800’s, thus the expansive cemetery district is the final resting place of so many who came to this valley seeking fortune of one kind or another.

Central City Cemetery Hauntings

There are many known stories of hauntings in this area, and according to VisitCentralCity.com, “The Freemason section of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery has been called one of the most haunted places in Colorado.”

According to US Ghost Adventures:

Visitors to the overgrown cemetery reports visions of bright orbs flitting about the gravestones, and the cemetery has even become famous for its own ‘Lady in Black.’ Tradition has it that the grave of John Cameron has been visited annually on the anniversary of the young bachelor’s death, November 1st. A young woman, dressed in black, is said to visit and leave flowers in the pot in front of his headstone. No one knows who this mourning woman is, or who John Cameron was — all that’s for certain is that he is missed. Could he have been a miner that lost his life deep inside the mine shafts? Perhaps this woman is his widow, no longer living, yet visiting her husband in death.

Visit Central City Cemeteries with your Puppers

Dogs are allowed to walk in all of the cemeteries.

Trail: Choose your own adventure!

• There is no set “trail”, but this area is so sprawling, that you can easily walk a couple miles snaking through the various cemeteries. Explore at will, and keep your wits about you.
• Cemetery Hours: Sunrise – Sunset
• Cost: FREE

Personal Perspectives on This Hike

This is more than just a cemetery – it’s a whole district of cemeteries. Each has their own flavor, their own vibes, their own stories, and it’s really a special place. We love to visit when the fall colors are just beginning to peek out, and you can see mountainsides of golden aspen trees in the distance. Bonnie and Ada have always been perfectly serene here, and I’ve never felt any haunted energy – but we’ve also always visited in the morning. Perhaps a sunset visit would yield more titillating results, and I’ll update this post if that ever happens!

Note: We strongly recommend walking your dog around in a grassy area to encourage them to go potty before stepping into the cemetery. There’s something wholly unsavory about anyone, including pups, peeing on graves!

Map to Cemetery

Sources

• 7:30 Mine History – Clear Creek County
• Cariboucemetery.com
• Central City: Central City Cemetery – 5280
• Colorado’s Mt. Vernon cemetery has two graves and tons of history – 95RockFM
• Ghosthunting Colorado (America’s Haunted Road Trip), by Kailyn Lamb
• Ghosts & Legends of Colorado’s Front Range (Haunted America), by Cindy Brick
• Haunted Colorado: Ghosts & Strange Phenomena of the Centennial State (Haunted Series), by Charles A. Stansfield
• History: Mining in Iowa Gulch in Breckenridge – Summit Daily
• In retrospect: Caribou Cemetery neglected by not forgotten – Boulder Daily Camera
• Mine site on Pikes Peak a mother lode of history – Colorado Springs Gazette
• One of the most haunted roads in the US is just a few miles from Denver – 9News
• Outside: Homestead Meadows offers great hike, history lesson – Longmont Leader
• Red Rocks History – Red Rocks Website
• Spooky Colorado: Tales Of Hauntings, Strange Happenings, And Other Local Lore, by S. E. Schlosser (Author), Paul G. Hoffman (Author)
• Tales, Trails and Tommyknockers: Stories from Colorado’s Past, by Myriam Ackley (Author), Gene Coulter (Illustrator)
• The haunted hike in Colorado that will send you running for the hills – Only in Colorado
• Welcome to the Crags Hotel 1908 – 1912 – Historic marker at site
• Wichita State University football team plane crash – Wikipedia