Spooky Appalachia

Spooky Appalachia

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Spooky Appalachia episodes

  • Hitchhiking Ghost - Gatlinburg, TN

    If you find yourself in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, be sure to check out this beautiful 5.5 mile scenic route: The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, located on the border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. On this route not only will you get a great view of the river and the falls during the drive, you’ll also find the Noah Ogle self-guiding nature trail, as well as a few other trails and historic buildings. You may also encounter Lucy, a ghost rumored to roam the park.


    As the story goes, Lucy was a young woman who died in the area when her family’s cabin burned down. It is said that after her death a man named Foster came across her, barefooted on the side of the road, one cold winter night. He gave her a ride home on his horse that night. After the event he couldn’t stop thinking about her, and stopped by to ask her parents if he could marry her. After hearing the story of how they met, the parents looked pretty surprised. They explained it couldn’t have been their daughter as she had died the year before and pointed in the direction of her headstone. 


    To this very day travelers of this road have been reporting seeing Lucy on the side of the road on the Roaring Fork Motor Trail. People have reported seeing a young woman standing on the side of the road and offering her a ride, then note that during the ride she vanishes.


    Stories of phantom hitchhikers can be found all over the world dating back to before the motor vehicle was even invented. It’s of no surprise that these types of stories exist in Appalachia. Have you ever picked up a phantom hitchhiker? Contact us and let us know about it or any other paranormal stories you have. You can email us at [email protected].


    Source(s)

    My Smoky Mountain Park

    Check out some of our other ghost stories!

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    2 min
  • Possible Mothman Sighting - Jessieville, AR

    For this week’s story, given the popularity of Mothman, I decided to reach out to our friends at The Mothman Museum. This story is the first of about 22 sighting stories sent to us by the museum. The encounter happened in Arkansas, but I decided to go ahead and use it since Mothman is well known to be primarily an Appalachian cryptid, and because everyone loves him so much!


    Another great possible Mothman sighting! Remember if you have a story you would like to submit, be sure to email us at [email protected]

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    6 min
  • The Story of The Moon-Eyed People

    If you ever visit the Cherokee County Historical Museum in Murphy, North Carolina, you’ll find tons of Cherokee artifacts, tools, and dolls. If you head to the museum’s basement, you’ll notice a strange statue inside of a glass box. Two strange conjoined figures, standing at about 3 feet tall and with alien-looking faces, will stare back at you through the glass. Unearthed sometime in the 1940s, this statue is apparently of a local legend: the moon-eyed people.


    Most believe that the Cherokee moved into the area around Murphy, North Carolina, sometime around 1100 or 1200 AD. According to local Cherokee folklore, there was already a race of people living in a village in the area where the Hiwassee and Valley Rivers converge. These people were short, with very pale/white skin and blue eyes. Their eyes were so blue that they couldn’t see during the day, so they only came out at night. The Cherokee called them the moon-eyed people.

    When I first heard about this story, I found it fascinating! A lot of people say that these moon-eyed people are aliens. The description does seem very similar to those given by many people in alien encounter stories. Looking at the statue, who wouldn’t think of aliens at first glance?


    One similar encounter I thought of was the Kelly-Hopkinsville Encounter in 1955. Reports described these creatures as silvery-skinned and between two and four feet tall. However, these creatures had large yellow eyes with a sensitivity to light. I’ll likely cover that story another day in another post.


    One popular theory is that the moon-eyed people were Welsh settlers that landed in Alabama in 1170 and eventually settled in the Murphy area where they were seen by the Cherokee. They had never seen people with pale skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes, so it makes sense that they may have thought these people were very strange looking!


    What do you think these moon-eyed people really were—Welsh settlers, aliens, or something else entirely? Let us know in the comments!

    Do you have a paranormal story? We would love to feature it. Email us at [email protected].


    Source(s)

    https://www.strangecarolinas.com/2019/10/the-moon-eyed-people-effigy-murphy-nc.html

    https://northcarolinaghosts.com/mountains/moon-eyed-people/

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    3 min
  • Haunted Garage in Christiansburg, VA

    A fan from Christiansburg, Virginia, reached out to me recently and said that he believes his garage is haunted. He told me that when he bought the house in 2020, it had been on the market for a while. After buying it, a neighbor informed him that the lady who previously lived in the home had died there.


    He began hearing banging sounds coming from the garage at night and the motion lights would just go off when nothing was there. He hoped it was just some type of animal. When he couldn’t find any evidence of that, he put up a security camera in the garage. It wasn’t long before he started seeing recordings such as the ones included in this post. Several times a month, the camera alerts him to movement that ends up being these mysterious orbs.


    Lastly, he mentioned that whatever is moving in the garage has not bothered anyone or harmed anything. Sometimes, shelves fall off, and he feels like something is watching him. Whatever it is has not stopped.


    Kind of a weird one! I’m no expert on hauntings, but I think long as it’s not bothering anyone, maybe it’s best to leave it alone. What do you all think?

    Do you have a Paranormal story? Let us know we would love to feature it! Email us at [email protected]

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    2 min
  • Black Eyed Kid Encounter - Glade Springs, WV, 2014

    For today’s story I am revisiting the Black Eyed Kids given how much everyone seems to enjoy the subject. What is it that makes the Black Eyed Kids so intriguing? Is it the mystery of them? Or is it just how downright creepy they are? In my case I would say it’s both! Today’s story takes place in Glade Spring, West Virginia back in 2014. 


    I’ll try and keep an eye out for more like this in the future. If anyone has had or knows someone who’s had an encounter please send it to us at [email protected].


    Source(s): Reddit user Kaine1212

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    7 min
  • Weird Experience at the Former West Virginia State Penitentiary 2019

    Today’s story was sent in by a fan who had an interesting experience at the Former West Virginia State Penitentiary Moundsville, West Virginia. The facility officially opened in 1876 and during its 119-year life as a penitentiary the facility held some of the most violent killers, rapists, and other criminals. Many never left the institution alive. It comes as no surprise that this type of environment would leave behind more than a few wandering spirits.

    After the prison closed, the Moundsville Economic Development Council leased the complex for 25 years. Today it serves a dual purpose as a training facility and a tourist attraction. Today’s story takes place during a tour of the facility.


    I grew up thirty minutes south of the former West Virginia State Penitentiary. My Grandfather worked there for a bit when he moved back to the area. My Father’s first haircut was given to him by an inmate that was serving time for murdering his wife and mother-in-law by tying them up and pushing them into a wood stove. Because of my proximity to it growing up I probably toured the Penitentiary a half dozen times, each time I just had an uneasy feeling while touring it. Fast forward to 2019 I get an opportunity to tour and get some pictures with my then new camera. 


    I was ready for a great tour, I had my camera, two backup batteries I had charged that morning, and a couple different lenses. The tour was going great until the guide let me go into the kitchen area. Typically it’s off limits for tours due to the roof leaking and the wet floors being a liability issue. They made an exception because I was the only one on this tour. The guide told me I could explore the kitchen and freezer areas and when I was done all I had to do was take a left and I’d be back in the cafeteria. I took some pictures in the kitchen and started down the hallway the freezers are in.  


    The hallway was pretty dark and when I attempted to take a picture my camera gave me a message that the object I was trying to photograph was too close to be focused on. I tried taking another picture and it tried to focus but then gave me the same message. I gave up and tried changing to my low light lense. When I tried taking another picture it didn’t even try to focus, it just gave me the same ‘too close to focus’ message. I turned and took a picture of the kitchen from the hallway, that picture was perfectly fine. I turned back around and got the same focusing message. I turned it out of auto focus and forced it to take a picture. For some reason it was super grainy and the lighting was weird. I tried to take another one and my screen went black- no error, no low battery warning- it just went black. I tried swapping out batteries for one I had charged that morning, it was dead. I tried the other backup battery, also dead. Eventually I made my way back around to the tour guide. He asked me if I got any good pictures. I told him my batteries died, and he looked completely unphased. All he asked was ‘how much power does your phone have?’


    I pulled out my phone that I had charged on my way there that had been 100% when my tour started an hour prior; it was now down to 8% and in power saving mode. When I told him about that he just shrugged and told me that was why he no longer goes into the kitchen area. Apparently it’s pretty notorious for draining electronics. I still haven’t been able to explain what happened and since then I have taken pictures in darker places without having a similar issue.


    Thanks to the fan who sent this in!

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    4 min
  • 2011 Bigfoot Sighting - Clingmans Dome, TN

    This is a sighting that stood out to me for two reasons. One, this is an area I have visited before, it is a common and popular hiking destination for folks who are not looking for paranormal experiences. Two, the sighting was not by a lone hiker. In the video you see a large group of people looking at something in the woods. Seeing multiple people looking at something like this makes it seem more legit to me. 


    From what I heard of this story is about a family on vacation hiking in Clingmans Dome, Tennessee. As they climbed the mountain it was very foggy and cold. While walking on a trail someone heard something walking along the trees, so they stopped to take a look. They all spot something in the distance and begin filming as it walks off behind a corner.


    As you can see in the video, the creature stays in the area and a crowd begins to gather. Uphill among the trees you can see a figure, much larger than the local bears, with large hands and more fur. It stands still in the trees like it’s trying to hide, or perhaps observe the crowd. Then, it vanishes.

    I believe I’ve heard in the past that this area is a Bigfoot hotspot. I’ve actually seen a different video of Bigfoot in the same area, but I was unable to find it again. I did discuss this video with my brother-in-law and we both noticed that as the potential Bigfoot walks around the corner that the fur looks a little funny and flares up around its ankles, perhaps casting doubts on the legitimacy of the sighting, but nonetheless this is an interesting video!


    Source(s)

    The video from YouTube

    Paranormal Caught on Camera TV Show

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    2 min
  • The Story of the Devil’s Tramping Ground

    One of North Carolina’s most haunted locations is located in Chatham County. If you follow Devil’s Tramping Ground Road, you will come to a strange clearing. It is perfectly round, measuring 40-foot in diameter, and completely barren. Here, nothing seems to grow. Not grass, not trees… nothing. Even animals seem to avoid the area.


    Beyond its strange appearance, many report that the area is haunted. People have described leaving objects in the circle, only to come back the next day and find it on the outside of the clearing. This leads me to wonder: what is going on here?


    Local legends say the Devil himself spends his nights in this very spot pacing around in the circle, thinking of ways to bring more human souls down to hell. The heat from his hooves kills all vegetation and causes the soil to remain barren. If he finds anything in his path—no matter the weight or size—he uses his immense strength to toss it out of his way.


    Residents have passed down this story through the generations since the founding of Chatham County in 1771. To this day, no one has been able to present a logical explanation for the phenomenon.


    Folks brave enough to attempt spending the night at this location have reported hearing howling sounds and footsteps. They have even reported seeing apparitions. Youtuber Kevin The Custodian Ghost Hunter unknowingly caught an apparition on camera in October 2019. In the video you can see what appears to be a blue, transparent woman walking by.


    Thanks to Kevin for allowing me to share his evidence here. Please be sure to check out his YouTube channel. After looking into it, I found stories of a massive battle between Native American tribes in this exact spot. Could that explain the hauntings? Unfortunately, the area is now fenced in with no trespassing signs posted. Even though I had hoped to check this place out myself, but it doesn’t look like I will be able to—at least for now.


    Do you have a Paranormal story? Let us know we would love to feature it! Email us at [email protected]


    Source(s)

    Kevin The Custodian Ghost Hunter

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    3 min
  • The Story of Mothman Part 2

    This story is one of the more famous ones and is known as the one that started Mothman’s popularity and gave the creature its name. It comes from Point Pleasant, West Virginia, three days after the previous story, on November 15, 1966. 


    Two couples, the Scarberrys and the Mallettes, were driving around the abandoned North Power Plant in the TNT area when they noticed a creature coming from the trees above one of the bunkers. They later described this humanoid creature as bird-like with a large wingspan and piercing, fiery red eyes. The driver put the car in reverse and started driving away from the area. It was then that they noticed a large, dead dog lying on the side of the road. Shortly after the group discovered the dead dog, the creature jumped out at them. The driver of the vehicle floored it. Soon after, the group noticed the creature flying beside the car, screeching like a giant mouse. The creature managed to keep up with the car at speeds up to 100 mph. It then disappeared into a nearby field.


    The group later went to the police station and reported the event. The deputy at the police station didn’t believe them at first, but, after seeing how truly terrified the couples were, decided to check it out. The deputy, along with the couples, drove around the area. Here, they noticed strange static noises coming from the radio. Also, the dead dog they had seen before was no longer there.


    The next day, the sheriff and the couples held a press conference at the city courthouse to share the story. Due to the description of the creature and, at the time, the popularity of the Batman TV show, newspapers coined the name “Mothman”, inspired by the popularity of the Adam West Batman show.

    News of the creature eventually spread outside of Point Pleasant, and it changed the town forever. 


    Today, if you visit, you’ll see a town enriched with Mothman culture. There’s the world’s only Mothman Museum as well as several shops selling merchandise. Local restaurants have Mothman-themed food items, such as the Mothman Pizza from a local pizza shop and the Mothman Burrito from the Mexican restaurant a few blocks away from the museum


    Do you have a Paranormal story? Let us know we would love to feature it! Email us at [email protected]


    Source(s):

    Jeff Wamsley Director Mothman Museum and Mothman expert

    appalachianoddity http://www.appalachianoddity.org/

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    3 min
  • The Story of The Brown Mountain Lights

    Not far from Morganton, North Carolina, there is an overlook you can pull over for with a sign titled “Brown Mountain”. It’s a great view no matter what time of day you stop by, but you’ll notice a lot of people pulled over at this spot during the nighttime. These people are trying to get a glimpse of the legendary lights of Brown Mountain. In today’s post, I will be giving you an eyewitness account along with some evidence they sent over. For more evidence check out Ark Adventures on YouTube.


    I’ve been up there probably 7 or 8 times and have seen the lights every time I’ve gone. I first went as a teenager with my father and friend on a camping trip. My father knew about the lights and told me and my friend. So of course we wanted to see for ourselves. On that first trip, I didn’t have a camera, but all three of us saw many strange lights down in Linville Gorge. We even saw a bright orange light hovering off the left side of Table Rock Mountain.


    After this initial trip and experience, me and my friend went back several times specifically to try and see the lights. During these next few trips, I came prepared with a Canon DSLR camera, a 75mm to 300mm telephoto lens, and a tripod. We would hike around the area in the evening to kill time till it got dark out, then head to the Wiseman’s View Overlook to try and catch a glimpse of the lights.


    At about 9:00 p.m. (or when it was dark out) I would set my camera up on the tripod and wait for a light to appear somewhere in the gorge. Whenever we would spot one, I would try and frame it in my viewfinder, zoom in as far as I could, and focus on the light. Then I would typically take a 20-30 second exposure. The exposure had to be this long to get any amount of light due to how dark it was outside.


    I would repeat taking pictures until the light disappeared or a more interesting one popped up somewhere else. There were a couple of occasions where later in the night, I took a picture and waited 30 seconds for it to complete. Me and my friend would look at the picture on the camera and get so spooked that we freaked ourselves out and left for the night. We would be very excited to get home and look at the pictures in detail on the computer though.


    There is one story that stands out above all when it comes to experiences at the gorge though. It’s one of those stories that sounds too crazy to be true but me and 3 friends all witnessed the same thing so I know it happened.


    On one trip to Wiseman’s view, me and 3 friends went to see the lights as we’ve done multiple times. Unfortunately, the night was very inactive, and we just weren’t seeing any lights at all. What a bummer. After a couple of hours of looking and waiting, we decided to pack our stuff up and go home. As soon as I turned my camera off and went to take it off the tripod, what can only be described as a spotlight shot up into the sky out of the middle of the gorge. Way too powerful to be any flashlight. The light moved around quickly and then turned and shined directly on the four of us standing at the overlook. Just as quick as it was there, it was gone. We all froze in shock for a couple of seconds, then grabbed our stuff and got back to the car as quickly as possible. It’s an event I will never forget and will swear by its truth till the day I die.


    Wow, that was a great story, and the photos are incredible! Thank you Ark Adventures for the story and photos!

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    4 min

About Spooky Appalachia

From the publisher's feed

Deep in the heart of the world’s oldest mountains lies a silence that isn’t empty.

Welcome to Spooky Appalachia, the podcast dedicated to the eerie, the…