REGIONAL TRAILS & BYWAYS

The Haunted Trail

If camping at the Devil’s Tramping Ground or patrolling for ghosts on a battleship sets your heart racing, come to North Carolina. With the new First in Fright campaign, Visit NC has designed a Haunted Trail that leads from the cloud-shrouded mountains to the Graveyard of the Atlantic with a host of hotels, attractions, and other points of paranormal interest.

Start your journey at NCFirstInFright.com. Tune into the immersive podcast for inspiration or save the stories for the road as you travel from one spooky setting to the next place that might offer an encounter between living souls and figures (real or imagined) from other realms. You can opt to focus on Mountain Mysteries, the Paranormal Piedmont or Creepy Coast, or zoom in on Spooky Stays. Horror film fans can scout for locations where horror films were shot with the Wilmington area as a prime target.

Among the featured places:

The Devil’s Tramping Ground, a strangely barren clearing near Siler City. Curious campers can reserve a spot near the perfect circle of a site that some say is cursed by the devil himself.

Battleship North Carolina, a well-decorated World War II vessel moored in Wilmington. Frequent paranormal reports have emerged: hatches mysteriously opening, lights switched on and off, and the appearance of a young sailor in the washroom. Beyond regular tours, travelers can watch for special events such as those offered this fall by Haunted Rooms of America.

Madison Dry Goods, a shop in downtown Madison that owes its popularity in part to its museum, which occupies a former funeral parlor space on the second floor. Hauntings tied to a family’s murder in 1929 have been reported.

Lydia’s Bridge, an old railroad bridge in Jamestown where a young woman in white (known as Lydia) died in a car accident. Drivers report picking up a hitchhik-ing Lydia who vanishes upon reaching the bridge.

Unsuspecting guests at inns across the state have reported sharing space with beings – or former beings – from other worlds. Sometimes it’s an unexplained cold spot or the fleeting sound of footsteps. Other times it might be flickering lights or the sight of children playing. Most of the inns have layers of history to tap, and some have a good idea of whose spirits have yet to check out.

At the Carolina Inn, which is owned by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the resident ghost is believed to be the jovial Dr. William Jacocks, a long-time resident of Suite 252 (now Room 256). At the Green Park Inn in Blowing Rock, the spirit is linked to Laura Green, the founder’s owner, who reportedly died after her husband-to-be left her at the altar (take your chance with Room 318). At the Roanoke Island Inn in Manteo, former lighthouse keeper Roscoe Jones is often spotted gazing out the window or strolling through the garden.

While there’s no guarantee of a ghostly encounter, odds favor unforgettable experiences for those who take to North Carolina’s Haunted Trail. ■