With Halloween just around the corner, most of us are busy gathering candy and carving pumpkins. But for the truly daring, there’s a different kind of thrill awaiting – a dip in one of the world’s most unsettling bodies of water. These ten haunted waters promise a night of shivers, mystery, and stories that will make you think twice before taking a midnight plunge.
Why These 10 Haunted Waters Capture Our Imagination
10 Lower Yellowstone Falls—Wyoming
Waterfalls can be both breathtakingly beautiful and downright terrifying. They offer a calm, almost meditative backdrop, yet the thought of plummeting over the edge is enough to send a chill down anyone’s spine. Back in 1870, a squad of five American militia members accompanied by their Crow guide ventured deep into Yellowstone’s canyons. Overnight, a local tribe had pilfered all of their horses. The militia pursued the tribe and caught up just as the natives were attempting to cross the river near the Lower Falls.
The tribe’s makeshift raft was no match for the fierce currents. While the horses managed to swim across, the men and women on the raft frantically paddled as the vessel began to sink, inching ever closer to the precipice. They started chanting a death‑song as the waterfall loomed nearer. Legend says they raised their hats in salute just before the raft went over the edge, and at that very moment, two screeching eagles swooped overhead. Today, visitors claim that if you stand near the falls, you can still hear the distant echo of that haunting chant.
9 Dallas, Texas
White Rock Lake opened its gates in 1911, quickly becoming a beloved spot for hikers, cyclists, picnickers, anglers, and event‑goers. By 1929, it officially became a Dallas city park. Yet, a lingering legend keeps many locals on edge: the Lady of the Lake. Stories about this specter date back to the 1930s, but the first documented encounter surfaced in 1953 when Guy Malloy, a former Neiman Marcus displays director, gave a ride to a young woman near the lake. She claimed she’d been in a car accident with her boyfriend nearby. Malloy offered her a raincoat, but when they drove to the address she gave, she vanished without a trace.
Since that eerie night, countless others have reported picking up a similarly dressed lady. Her appearance varies – sometimes a nightgown, other times a wedding dress – and the tales of her death differ: a boating mishap, a suicide, or a murder‑suicide. What remains constant is the chilling ride. The Lady typically appears on the road beside the lake after dark, beckoning drivers to give her a lift. She prefers the back seat, her wet dress clinging to her, and she remains silent, weeping throughout the journey. At the destination, she either disappears or leaps from the vehicle. Those who later trace the address discover it belonged to a former lake‑owner who drowned years earlier, a spitting‑image of the phantom.
Haunted Rooms America runs monthly tours that let brave participants learn more about the Lady’s legend and perhaps catch a glimpse of her ethereal presence.
8 Saco River—Maine
The Saco River winds its way for roughly 50 miles through Maine, from Lovewell Pond all the way to Saco Bay on the Atlantic. In 1675, three white men disembarked from a vessel and began rowing upstream. They soon spotted a Native American woman paddling a canoe with her infant son. In a drunken stupor, the men, acting on a bizarre myth that newborn Native children could swim unaided, seized the baby and tossed it into the river. The mother dove after her child, but the infant died a week later. The baby’s father turned out to be the chief of a local tribe.
Enraged, the chief cursed the waterway, demanding that the spirits claim the lives of three white men who dared to venture into the river each year. While statistical data on yearly male deaths in the Saco is scarce, the legend has certainly discouraged many from taking a dip, and the river remains shrouded in a foreboding aura.
7 Australia
Over the past six decades, at least fifteen men have met their end at Devil’s Pool in Australia. The prevailing legend attributes these tragedies to a tale of forbidden love. According to the story, a young Yidinji woman named Oolana married a respected elder of her tribe, Waroonoo. Yet, she soon fell passionately for Dyga, a man from a neighboring tribe. The two fled together, only to be captured. In a desperate bid for freedom, Oolana hurled herself into the pool, screaming for Dyga to follow. He obeyed, but the waters claimed Oolana, her body disappearing among the jagged rocks and roaring currents.
Today, warning signs caution visitors to stay clear of the treacherous rocks and swift currents. Those who ignore the advice swear they can still hear Oolana’s anguished cries echoing across the water, a reminder of love lost to the depths.
6 New Jersey
Psychic author Craig McManus has spent years cataloguing the ghostly activity that haunts Cape May’s Higbee Beach. He often reports feeling, and occasionally seeing, a spectral figure—a man in a long coat strolling with a black dog. The Higbee family erected the Hermitage Hotel near the beach in 1823. Both Higbee brothers died in the 1870s, and their niece, Etta Gregory, took over the establishment. Thomas Higbee, one of the brothers, left explicit instructions regarding his burial, demanding an undisturbed final resting place. When Etta passed away in 1937, her last wishes required that Thomas be exhumed and re‑buried alongside her in a different cemetery.
McManus believes the restless spirit of Thomas, possibly upset about the relocation, roams the shoreline at dusk, accompanied by his loyal black dog. Witnesses describe the apparition appearing briefly before vanishing when approached, adding an eerie layer to the beach’s already haunted reputation.
5 Long Island, New York
In the 1600s, a Setauket Indian princess named Tuskawanta fell hopelessly in love with a white woodsman named Hugh Birdsall, who returned her affection. Their romance was forbidden by Tuskawanta’s father, who barred any contact between the lovers. Undeterred, Tuskawanta spent seven years carving love letters onto tree bark, hoping they would drift across the lake to reach her beloved. When no reply ever arrived, she fell into despair, rowed out into the lake’s center, and stabbed herself through the heart.
According to legend, the grieving princess vowed to claim a young man’s life each year as retribution. Over the centuries, Lake Ronkonkoma has recorded an average of more than one drowning per year. A former lifeguard, who patrolled the shore for 34 years, recalled 30 male victims among those who perished. Some researchers argue that women and children actually outnumber men in the lake’s tragic statistics. Today, algae blooms have forced the lake to close to swimming, leaving the “Lady of the Lake” to find new ways to fulfill her macabre promise.
4 Braley Pond—Virginia
The George Washington National Forest in Virginia houses the tranquil Braley Pond, a spot popular for trout fishing, hiking, and biking. Tragedy struck in May 2003 when a violent gang murder occurred on its banks, and the surrounding forest has also been the scene of multiple suicides. Visitors to the campground frequently report sudden bouts of nausea, disorientation, and an overwhelming sense of dread that seems to appear out of nowhere.
Shadowy silhouettes and the sound of children’s laughter have been reported, especially around the pond itself, which appears to be the epicenter of the most intense activity. In 2006, the Shenandoah Valley Paranormal Society investigated the area. One member recounted feeling a slime‑like presence cling to his skin after leaving the pond, a sensation that lingered for days. Rumors even suggest that a researcher involved in that investigation later took his own life.
Paranormal researcher Shea Willis recounts a chilling encounter with Braley Pond. She and a friend, accompanied by a group of teenage enthusiasts, felt an immediate wave of anxiety upon arrival. Two teenagers soon fell ill, prompting Willis to abort the investigation. Later that night, despite the dread, they returned. As they approached the water, a glowing green orb hovered above the pond. While attempting to capture the phenomenon, the water’s sounds grew louder, and Willis’s companion was suddenly hurled into the air and splashed into the water. Willis felt a strange, crawling sensation on her back, yet no physical evidence was found. Over subsequent months, she made several return trips, each time encountering strange, non‑human presences. Her unsettling experiences serve as a stark warning to anyone considering a visit to Braley Pond.
3 Tennessee
America’s first hydroelectric dam, Hales Bar, rose in the early 20th century, but its foundations were laid upon cursed ground. The 1775 Treaty of Sycamore Shoals, negotiated between Daniel Boone and several Cherokee leaders, sparked outrage in Dragging Canoe, who vowed the land would forever remain “dark and bloody.” The surrounding waters were already sacred to the Cherokee, who believed the whirlpools could draw the souls of their ancestors down into the depths.
Construction of the dam proved disastrous. Accidents plagued the site, and racial tensions among workers led to further tragedy. Historians estimate that hundreds of laborers perished during the building phase. Soon after completion, the dam began leaking, prompting officials to flood the area beneath it—an action that washed away an old cemetery.
In the 1960s, Hales Bar was finally decommissioned, replaced by the Nickajack Dam, which itself was named after a historic Cherokee village, only to flood that very settlement. Today, visitors who venture near the old Hales Bar Dam report encounters with Cherokee spirits, the ghost of a murdered woman, restless workers, and even a demonic presence lurking in a subterranean tunnel. Apparitions, disembodied footsteps, and the sounds of children’s voices crying or shouting are common. Those who wander too close to the whirlpool sometimes describe phantom hands grasping at them, adding an unsettling physical dimension to the hauntings.
2 Long Beach, California
The Queen Mary, once a grand ocean liner that crossed the North Atlantic from the 1930s through the 1960s, now serves as a historic hotel in Long Beach. Its reputation as one of the nation’s most haunted hotels centers around the First‑Class Swimming Pool. Two women are believed to have drowned there during the ship’s operational years, and their spirits continue to haunt the water’s edge.
Today, guests report seeing only female apparitions: an adult woman and a young girl named Jackie. Jackie is said to play hide‑and‑seek with unsuspecting visitors after dark. Others describe wet footprints mysteriously appearing around the pool’s perimeter, as if someone had just emerged from the water. The lingering presence of these spectral swimmers adds a chilling layer to the ship’s storied past.
1 Canada (The SS Kamloops)
If you’ve ever watched the eerie submarine thriller “Below,” you’ll recognize the same goose‑bumps that the SS Kamloops story evokes. In the late fall of 1927, the freighter Kamloops battled a fierce storm on Lake Superior. The captain of a nearby vessel, the Quedoc, spotted an enormous wave forming and altered course toward Fort William. His warning never reached the Kamloops, and the ship vanished without a trace. After three weeks of frantic searching in brutal winter conditions, the effort was called off.
When spring arrived, rescuers discovered the remains of nine crew members and a lifeboat on a small island, alongside a makeshift fire pit. The Kamloops joined the ranks of the Great Lakes’ “ghost ships,” vessels that disappeared without explanation. Decades later, the ship was finally located on the lake’s frigid floor, where near‑freezing temperatures preserved it remarkably well. Food supplies remained intact, and the crew’s cabins looked eerily lived‑in.
Only the most seasoned divers have dared to explore the wreck’s depths. Those who have descended report encountering a lone crew member they nickname “Grandpa.” At times, he lounges on a bunk, watching the divers explore; other moments find him performing routine tasks as if still on duty. The most unsettling accounts describe Grandpa following swimmers, occasionally reaching out to touch them. Divers also uncovered a remarkably preserved body in the engine room, its flesh frozen in an icy mummified state. They believe this is the same “Grandpa” whose spirit now roams the wreck, offering company but never harm. The true cause of the Kamloops’ sinking remains a mystery, leaving its ghostly occupants to linger beneath the waves.
About the Author: Hello, internet wanderers! I hold a B.A. in film from UC Berkeley and an M.F.A. from the Academy of Art University. My early career included production work on films like “Bee Season” and “Milk,” followed by a stint in live‑game television for the Pac‑12 Networks. Over the past five years, I’ve penned film reviews for the Concord/Clayton Pioneer, and recently I’ve branched into comic books and online writing. I’ve also spent two decades as a swim coach, which explains my fascination with haunted waters.