Creepy Stories from the Appalachian Trail

In 1988, a man was hiking along the trail when he underwent an awful experience perhaps more frightening than a ghostly encounter. He was hiking on the trail when he noticed a bright light coming from the forest next to him. Not wanting to bother anyone, he didn't investigate, but set up camp somewhere close by. 

He awoke in the middle of the night to find a man standing over his hammock. Startled, the man quickly fled and yelled to unseen people that the hiker was awake. The hiker was terrified and quickly packed up to put as much distance between them as possible.

A few days of non-stop hiking finally allowed the hiker to relax a little bit, but that night, he was sleeping in his hammock when suddenly he was cut down, wrapped up, and dragged away. He was beaten mercilessly while the people shouted at one another as they were preparing something. Luckily, The hiker was able to cut through the hammock and escape. Even though he made it back to civilization, police inquiries into finding the people who kidnapped him came back with nothing. 

A young couple was hiking on the Appalachian trail in the southern part of Virginia when experienced something they could not explain. While they were asleep in their tent one night, they suddenly woke up to the sound of rustling and odd noises coming from outside their tent. The man went out to investigate and managed to scare off some figures he saw lurking around. He almost chased after them, but then decided against it.

Children usually make everything creepier, and that's what makes this man's tale even more frightening. By his account, he was backpacking along the Appalachian Trail with a few people, when something bizarre happened. He and his group awoke one morning to find their campsite surrounded by a thick mist. As they were packing up, they started to hear children's laughter coming from all around them.

In May 1972, a hiker saw a ghost from another time. The hiker was walking alone and noticed a heavy ground fog had started to surround him. He looked up and saw a person walking with a heavy coat and wide-brimmed hat. The man slowly staggered about, looking at the ground as if he was looking for something he had lost. The man started walking toward the hiker, still looking down at the ground, so the hiker moved to avoid him.

A man was hiking along Pierce Pond in Maine when he experienced a fright that he'll never forget. One night, he was enjoying his campfire, when he suddenly spotted a figure walking a short distance away from his campsite. It was ghostly in appearance and looked like a woodsy outdoorsman type with what appeared to be fishing gear. It wasn't long before the figure faded into the night.

The man didn't know what to think of it, but the next night, the ghostly figure returned, only this time, it stopped to stare at the hiker. Getting the message, the hiker abandoned his camp and ran off into the forest. He hid behind a tree and waited until morning to return, pack up his stuff, and get out of there quickly. 

In 1862, three major Civil War battles were fought over different passes on what is now the Maryland section of the Appalachian Trail. Many lives were lost in the bloodshed and carnage. The death count was so high that it seems some spirits still remain. People hiking over the passes report seeing ghost soldiers, odd campfires, and the sound of cannons blasting in the distance.

On top of that, near the farm of a man named Daniel Wise, the bodies of 58 soldiers were tossed down an old well. This has caused reports of ghostly figures wandering around Wise's property.