10 Most Haunted Roads and Bridges in the USA

Nothing rearranges your nerves quite like a two-lane road at midnight, the kind where the trees lean in close and your headlights only reach so far. I have a strange fondness for that feeling. The half-second where your brain swears something just moved at the edge of the dark.

All across America there are roads and bridges that locals insist are haunted, and every one comes with a legend worth chasing. Phantom hitchhikers in white dresses, a goat-headed shadow, a bunny suit swinging an axe. The stories are half the reason to go.

Below are ten of the spookiest roads and bridges in the country, the tales people love to tell about them, and exactly where to find each one. Bring a brave friend, roll the windows down, and maybe leave the radio on.

1. Emily’s Bridge, Vermont

Tucked into the woods near Stowe, this weathered covered bridge goes by a second, spookier name: Emily’s Bridge. It is one of New England’s most beloved ghost stories, and one of its prettiest crossings too.

As the tale goes, a heartbroken young woman named Emily met a sad end here long ago. Ever since, visitors claim to hear creaking ropes, feel sudden cold spots, and find mysterious scratches on their cars after driving through.

By day it is pure Vermont postcard, weathered timber and a burbling brook below. By night the whole mood flips. Come at dusk, walk through slowly, and see whether Emily decides to say hello.

The bridge sits on a quiet dirt lane just outside town, easy to find and free to visit. Bring a friend who scares easily, if only for the entertainment value.

Where: Gold Brook Covered Bridge (Emily’s Bridge), Covered Bridge Road, Stowe, Vermont.

2. Sachs Covered Bridge, Pennsylvania

Built in 1854, this hundred-foot wooden covered bridge near Gettysburg carried both armies across Marsh Creek during the famous battle. Pennsylvania once named it the state’s most historic bridge, and that heavy history is exactly why ghost hunters adore it.

Visitors describe cold spots on warm nights, disembodied voices, and the sudden smell of pipe tobacco drifting through the timbers. Legend says three Confederate soldiers were hanged here, and a few people swear they still linger in the rafters after dark.

Gettysburg draws paranormal investigators from all over, and this bridge is one of their favorite stops. On a foggy morning, with mist rising off the creek and the old walls creaking, you hardly need a legend to feel a shiver.

Bring a camera either way. The bridge is genuinely photogenic, all weathered red timber and dark water, ghosts or no ghosts. Come at dusk and you will likely have the place mostly to yourself.

Where: Sachs Covered Bridge, Waterworks Road, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, just southwest of the battlefield.

3. Bunny Man Bridge, Virginia

Officially it is the Colchester Overpass, a narrow railroad tunnel in Clifton, Virginia. Almost nobody calls it that. To everyone in the area it is Bunny Man Bridge, and on Halloween the crowds arrive hunting one of America’s strangest boogeymen.

The tale involves a figure in a white rabbit costume who supposedly swings a hatchet at anyone who lingers too long. It grew from a couple of genuinely bizarre 1970 sightings of an axe-waving man in bunny ears reported around Fairfax County.

A wilder version claims an escaped patient from a long-closed asylum haunts the spot, and no amount of missing proof has ever slowed the story. Teenagers still dare each other to stand under the overpass and call his name three times.

By daylight it is a plain little tunnel under the tracks, which somehow makes the after-dark reputation even funnier. It is a short, easy walk from the road, which is exactly why the Halloween crowds keep coming.

Where: Colchester Overpass, also called Bunny Man Bridge, on Colchester Road, Clifton, Virginia.

4. Old Alton Bridge, Texas

Texans know this 1884 iron truss bridge outside Denton as Goatman’s Bridge, and it is the state’s most gleefully spooky river crossing. The King Iron Bridge Company built it to span Hickory Creek, and the goat legend seems to have moved in almost immediately.

Cross at night, honk three times, and locals say a horned, goat-headed figure might just answer from the darkness. Visitors report low growls, hoofbeats on the old planks, and firm knocks on their car windows when nobody is there.

The old bridge is closed to traffic now and sits beside a newer crossing, which somehow makes it creepier. Paranormal shows film here often, and plenty of Denton locals treat the goatman like a slightly embarrassing town mascot with a good story.

It is an easy detour if you find yourself anywhere near the Dallas area, and worth it for the moonlit walk alone. Just do not be surprised if your bravest friend suddenly wants to turn back.

Where: Old Alton Bridge, Old Alton Road, Denton, Texas, near the Copper Canyon line.

5. Sensabaugh Tunnel, Tennessee

This narrow concrete tunnel near Kingsport dates to the early 1900s, and thrill-seekers love to drive through it with their headlights switched off just to test their nerve. It is short, dripping, and gloriously creepy.

The legend centers on old Ed Sensabaugh, whose story locals have embroidered for a century. People claim they hear a baby crying in the dark, that engines stall out halfway through, and that something chases cars back toward the daylight.

In truth it is just an old drainage tunnel, which is the strange charm of these places. Concrete, water, and a hundred years of teenagers daring each other to walk it end to end. Bring good shoes and a friend who does not scare easily.

Locals are used to headlights creeping through at odd hours, so you will hardly be the first to test the dare. The echo of your own engine does half the haunting for you.

Where: Sensabaugh Tunnel, off Christian Bend Road, Kingsport, Tennessee.

6. Archer Avenue, Illinois

Archer Avenue winds southwest out of Chicago through the town of Justice, and it belongs to Resurrection Mary, the most famous ghost in all of Illinois. She is the textbook vanishing hitchhiker, and drivers have reported her for decades.

The story goes that a young woman in a white dance dress was killed heading home in the 1930s. Ever since, motorists say a pale, blonde figure asks for a ride along Archer, then disappears near the gates of Resurrection Cemetery.

Cab drivers have sworn for years that they picked her up and then lost her from the back seat. Some describe a girl who darts into the road near the cemetery, then simply is not there. Keep half an eye on the passenger seat.

The dance hall she supposedly left that night is long gone, but her legend has only grown with every retelling. Even people who laugh at the story seem to ease off the gas along that stretch.

Where: Archer Avenue, Justice, Illinois, past Resurrection Cemetery southwest of Chicago.

7. Moonville Tunnel, Ohio

Deep in the woods of southeast Ohio sits the Moonville Tunnel, the last real landmark of a railroad town that has all but vanished. It is a favorite haunt for hikers and ghost hunters alike.

Legend says a railroad brakeman lost to the tracks still walks the line, swinging his lantern in the dark. Others tell of a lady in lavender who drifts near the tunnel mouth. The graffiti-covered stone portal only adds to the atmosphere.

Getting there is half the fun, a walk along an old rail-trail through the trees to the tunnel itself. The temperature seems to drop the moment you step inside, legend or no legend.

Bring a flashlight and watch for that phantom lantern bobbing in the black. It makes for one of Ohio’s spookiest and most rewarding little hikes.

Where: Moonville Tunnel, Moonville Road, near McArthur, Ohio.

8. Hoosac Tunnel, Massachusetts

Boring straight through the Berkshire hills, the Hoosac Tunnel is nearly five miles of dark, dripping railroad history. Locals have swapped ghost stories about it for well over a century.

Railfans and workers have long reported strange voices echoing in the black, lights that appear and vanish, and a shadowy figure said to wander near the tracks. Few tunnels in America carry a spookier reputation.

It is still an active rail line, so admire the mossy stone portal from a safe distance rather than wandering inside. Even from the mouth, the cold air rolling out is enough to raise the hair on your arms.

Time your visit for a misty autumn afternoon, when the Berkshire foliage frames the portal. It is equal parts beautiful and unsettling, which is exactly the point.

Where: Hoosac Tunnel, off River Road, near North Adams, Massachusetts.

9. Roseman Covered Bridge, Iowa

You might recognize this graceful red bridge near Winterset from the movies, but Roseman Covered Bridge had a ghostly reputation long before Hollywood ever showed up. It is one of Iowa’s most photographed landmarks.

The story goes that a county jail escapee, cornered on the bridge in 1892, rose straight up through the roof and let out a wild laugh before vanishing for good. Visitors still report an unexplained cold spot right in the middle.

It is a lovely spot in daylight, all red timber and green fields, with a quiet creek slipping by underneath. The setting is so peaceful that the legend catches you off guard.

Linger until the light fades and the crowds thin out, then listen for that laugh. Even skeptics tend to walk a little faster on the way back to the car.

Where: Roseman Covered Bridge, Elderberry Avenue, near Winterset, Iowa.

10. Bridgeport Covered Bridge, California

Spanning the South Yuba River in California’s gold country, Bridgeport is one of the longest single-span wooden covered bridges anywhere. It is beautiful, historic, and just a little bit haunted.

Visitors have long whispered about an eerie hush inside, footsteps on the old planks, and glimpses of a woman in old-fashioned dress near the far end. Whether it is gold-rush ghosts or just creaking timbers, the place has a mood all its own.

The restored 1862 span sits in a state park laced with easy trails and swimming holes below. In daylight it is a gorgeous spot for a picnic and a wade in the river.

Come for the scenery, then linger a little past sunset to test the legend. The old wood seems to whisper more the longer you stand on it.

Where: Bridgeport Covered Bridge, Pleasant Valley Road, Penn Valley, California.

Plan Your Own Haunted Road Trip

Here is the best part about haunted roads and bridges: you do not have to believe a single word to enjoy the ride. These are the campfire stories towns tell about themselves, passed hand to hand for so long that they start to feel true.

So pick a moonlit night, round up the bravest people you know, and go find one. Toss a coin off the bridge, honk three times, watch the passenger seat closely.

Featured image: Hannah via Old Alton Bridge