West Virginia State Parks (WV Parks) have released a list of parks organizing Halloween activities this year. However, what the list didn’t mention is that many of these parks also have a spooky or haunted history.
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park is offering an evening of Halloween Fun Time on October 27th, including a costume contest and trick-or-treating at the park’s main buildings. The park is also hosting a Full Moon Hike on October 28th.
What the list failed to mention is that the Cass Scenic Railroad trip passes through an abandoned ghost town called Spruce. Spruce was a settlement along Shavers Fork of the Cheat River that served as a base for the Greenbrier, Cheat, and Elk Railroad and later the Western Maryland Railway. However, the town was abandoned in the 1960s, and now only the ruins remain.
North Bend State Park is offering spooky programs for all ages, including a “Skulls and Bones” program and a campground trick-or-treat. Additionally, just a few miles from the park, the Silver Run Tunnel on the North Bend Rail Trail is believed to be haunted by the ghost of a woman who was killed by a passing train. Train conductors reported seeing the woman in the center of the tracks inside the tunnel, leading to its reputation as a haunted spot.
Kanawha State Forest is hosting a “Bat Night Bonfire” to break the stigma surrounding bats. However, the abandoned coal mines in the forest have a different haunting past. During Prohibition, these mines provided hiding places for moonshiners. When the CCC Snipe Trail mine was sealed in 1941, crews discovered 26 abandoned mash barrels used by bootleggers.
Blackwater Falls State Park is using Halloween as an opportunity to educate people about bats with their “Mysterious Moon, Full Moon” program. But the park’s spooky past is based on reported sightings of Bigfoot in the 1970s. Tucker County, where the park is located, has had four reported Bigfoot sightings, some of which are considered credible by the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization. Nearby counties Pendleton and Randolph have also had numerous Bigfoot sightings.
Twin Falls Resort State Park is hosting a campground-wide trunk or treat event. However, the park is rumored to be haunted. TikToks posted by a paranormal investigator suggest that the lodge has two ghosts, and there are sightings of a headless man on the Falls Trail and a cat that was murdered on the Hemlock Trail.
If you’re interested in learning more about the spooky pasts and hauntings at West Virginia State Parks, visit their website.
Source: WV News
