A 230-Mile-Long Trail Takes You Through the Adirondacks' Haunted Spots - ThrillistSkip to main content Like Thrillist on Facebook.Follow Thrillist on Instagram.Follow Thrillist on Twitter.Follow Thrillist on Snapchat.Subscribe to Thrillist on YouTube.Follow Thrillist on TikTok.SUBSCRIBEGo to NavigationNew YorkNewsLocal News
A 230-Mile Haunted Adirondack Trail Will Take You to Upstate' s Spookiest Spots
The trail hits some of the area' s most famous scary locations
By Serena TaraPublished on 10/12/2022 at 4:59 PM DenisTangneyJr/E+/Getty ImagesEditor's Note: We know COVID-19 is continuing to impact your travel plans. Should you travel now, be sure to familiarize yourself with the CDC’s latest guidance on domestic and international travel as well as local requirements, protocols, and restrictions for both your destination upon your arrival and your home city upon your return. Be safe out there.The best way to enjoy the spooky season is a full immersion of all-things scary. And what's scarier than a 230-mile-long haunted trail in the Adirondacks? Adirondack Wayfinder, which is a tool that helps visitors find and plan themed trails, has put together a Halloween-worthy trail, dubbed the Haunted Adirondack Trail. Those who are brave enough to agree to the scary road trip will travel across nine different stops over the course of 230 miles. Each stop features a truly spooky story, from missing persons to unresolved murders and even ghost sightings. While the trail offers a specific order to visit the stops, it can also be customized according to your starting point and preferences. At the beginning of the journey, travelers will enter the grounds surrounding Big Moose Lake. In 1906, Grace Brown was tragically murdered here and rumor has it that her spirit never truly left, and instead still wanders the lake's shores. If the spirit of Grace Brown doesn't really get to you, maybe that of Jasper Day will. Once you reach Inlet, the next stop on the map, you'll find yourself in a small town of only 300 people. Jasper Day used to be a hermit living in the forest, and according to local folklore, he is still said to be "inhabiting" the bridge that connects the town's lakes. In other words, the bridge is haunted—so you better watch out. Lakes are a returning eerie feature in this trail. The third stop welcomes travelers into Saranac Lake, and this time, it isn't only one spirit haunting its grounds. Back in the early 1900s, the town was a destination for tuberculosis patients, and the ghosts of those who have passed are said to still be wandering the streets. There are also rumors about the Hotel Saranac, where many have reported sightings of a cat ghost wandering its halls. The fourth stop is in the town of Lake Placid, which flaunts not one, but three famous hauntings. Many people have reported seeing "The Lady in the Lake," which is the ghost of Mabel Smith Douglass, a woman who was found at the bottom of the lake 30 years after disappearing. Lake Placid is also famous for its Palace Theater, which, just like the lake, is home to another ghost. This spirit, though, is known to be more chaotic than the Lady in the Lake. George (the ghost's name) is reportedly very noisy, but he is also very friendly. You'll find the last ghost at the Stagecoach Inn. He isn't harmful, but be warned: He likes to move stuff around. The trail will then take travelers to Lake Champlain, which is infamous for over 300 known shipwrecks that happened in its waters. This time, it isn't ghosts you need to worry about. Rather, it's the Champlain Witch, who is believed to be responsible for many of the shipwrecks because of her personal hatred towards sailors. To top it off, there have also been UFO sightings in the area, so watch out for strange objects in the sky. Finally, the trail will take you to the small town of Lake Pleasant on the grounds of the Rhinelander Estate. According to old tales, the owner, Philip Rhinelander, held his wife prisoner on the estate's grounds in the 1800s, and her spirit is believed to be haunting the mansion to this very day. To read more about the stops and plan your own trail, you can head over to the trail's website. Want more Thrillist? Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat.Serena Tara is a Staff Writer on the News team at Thrillist. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.