Search for human-eating demon on Lost River State Forest trail

Mysterious creature allegedly
haunts Minnesota woods

Those with a taste for the supernatural can day hike through woodland where some say a mysterious monster that eats human flesh resides.

The wendigo has been reported for centuries on the plains of Canada and northern Minnesota, first by Native Americans and then residents of the small U.S. town of Roseau. A 1.5-mile out-and-back trail runs through prime wendigo country in the Lost River State Forest.

Owls and demons
To reach the trail, from Roseau, take State Hwy. 310 north. In a little more than six miles, the road enters the state forest. About 2.4 miles after crossing Sprague Creek, turn the next left/west onto a dirt road. Watch for dirt trail on the left running southwest, in about 900 feet from the intersection. Park off the road on the shoulder.

The trail runs about 0.75 miles through flat woodland. Paths in the 54,915-acre state forest are unnamed, so for the sake of reference, I’ve christened this route the Section 2 Trail, named after the designation of the grid it runs through on topo maps (Sort of like how “Area 51” received its name based on its Air Force topo map designation!).

Only a couple of miles south of the Canadian border, tamarack and black spruce dominate the bog-laden state forest. It is a birders paradise, with more than 200 species found here, most notably the great grey owl.

But the creature to really keep an eye out for may be the wendigo. It is described as thin and standing over 15 feet tall, and sporting sallow yellow skin, glowing eyes, long fangs, and an inhumanly long tongue. The demonic creature can live hundreds of years.

Cannibals?
For centuries, Native Americans as far north as the Arctic have told of the wendigo. Inuit names for it roughly translate to “evil spirit that devours men.”

Wendigos used to be just like you and me – except one day tragedy forced them to turn to cannibalism to stay alive. The eating of human flesh transformed them into a monster…and their appetite for people as food remains. Native Americans blamed the wendigo for the disappearance of many who walked into forests.

For forty years from 1880-1920, a wendigo frequently appeared in Roseau. After each report, an unexpected death occurred soon thereafter.

While wendigo sightings have dropped off during the past century, they still do occur on these northern plains.

The best time to hike the Section 2 Trail is late summer or early fall when the ground is driest. Be sure to bring mosquito repellent.

Find out about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Day (er, Night) hike sand dunes haunted by murdered woman’s spirit on Lake Michigan

Indiana Dunes State Park. Photo courtesy of Visit Indiana.

Apparition seen at Indiana park along Lake Michigan

The otherworldly, massive dunes in Indiana constantly shift and ripple about as if an apparition, but the next ghost-like form you see there may not be a sand but the spirit of a murdered woman.

Believers in the supernatural say the spirit of Alice Marble Gray, a daughter of one of Chicago’s most powerful families, makes her home at Indiana Dunes State Park along the Lake Michigan shore. A 1.25-mile foray into the park will allow you to enjoy the beautiful dunes – and provide an opportunity to experience the scare of your life.

To reach the dunes, from Interstate 94 take the Indiana Hwy. 49 exit in Chesterton. Head north on Hwy. 49 into the park. After passing the park office, turn right. At the next junction, go right once more. Drive past three more road junctions until coming to the North Picnic Area. At the fourth junction, turn left, parking at the nature center.

Diana of the Dunes
The trailhead for the Nature Center Trail is on the parking lot’s east side. Heading in that direction, you’ll soon reach the sand dunes, which line three miles of spectacular beaches along Lake Michigan’s southern shore. Sand dunes here can rise as high as 200 feet.

The Nature Center Trail serves as the stem for a lollipop trail through the dunes. Go counterclockwise on the trail. This places you on Trail 10 as you pass a marsh. Lake Michigan is to your left beyond the dune field.

During the 1910s, local fisherman began telling the tale of Diana of the Dunes, so named because they often reported a naked woman with the body of a Greek goddess frolicking about on the dunes and swimming in the lake. One man investigating the case soon discovered the woman was none other than Alice Marble Gray, who lived in a small lakeside cottage.

As the trail veers away from the marsh, Trail 10 breaks off and heads northeast, paralleling the lake. To make a loop, instead stay on the trail going north toward the lake.

Rather than rely on her family’s fortunes, Alice worked several years as an editorial secretary for Woman’s World. Upon amassing a little wealth, she moved to the lakeshore. Then, after five years of being alone, she met Paul Wilson, a drifter. In 1922, the corpse of a brutally beaten man was found near their cottage, and police questioned them. They quickly moved away to get out of the public eye.

A happier place?
In about an eighth of a mile from where Trail 10 broke off, the loop intersects Trail 9. Go left/southwest, making the opposite side of the loop.

Three years later, Alice died – from complications arising from repeated blows Wilson had suffered upon her. Wilson fled with their children. He later was found in a California prison, but no one knows what became of their offspring.

Shortly after Alice’s death, visitors to the dunes began seeing the ghost of a beautiful nude woman. Descriptions of her bear an uncanny resemblance to the young Diana of the Dunes who was so at peace with herself. Apparently Alice’s spirit has gone to the one place where her mortal self experienced true happiness.

In about 0.4 miles, the loop junctions with the Nature Center Trail. Go right/west, returning to your vehicle.

Find out about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Day (er, Night) hike trail through Midwest’s most haunted swampland in Wisconsin

Bird's-eye view of Chippewa River bottoms
along Chippewa River State Trail northeast
of Meridean; photo courtesy of WI DNR.

Drowned girl seeks to lure you into
watery grave on Chippewa River

The spirits of children, a dead high school prom queen, and hellhounds await night hikers on a segment of the Chippewa River State Trail in west-central Wisconsin.

Tucked in the southwest corner of Dunn County may be among the Midwest’s most haunted regions. A 5-mile round trip hike through the Chippewa River swamps offers just a small sample of those specters.

To reach the trail, from Wis. Hwy. 85 between Eau Claire and Durand, turn north onto County Road O. Upon entering the crossroads town of Meridean, continue past 160th Avenue onto the dirt Ferry Road. Park at its terminus, the site of the former Meridean boat landing.

Mary Dean
The spirit of a young girl named Mary Dean, who the village is named after, allegedly haunts the landing. She died on a ship traversing the river and was buried nearby. These days, the girl’s ghost allegedly tries to encourage passersby to save her. Like the Greek Sirens of old, though, her goal is to lead you to a watery grave.

Topo map, Chippewa River State Trail, Meridean section.

Walk Ferry Road back to the Chippewa River State Trail, turning left/northeast into farmland. Should the local farmer have planted corn, listen closely for the sound of laughing children. Several stories have been told of ghosts of children playing in corn fields across the area.

And when entering wooded areas, keep a watch for hellhounds – ethereal, black dogs with glowing red dogs – whose snarls and howls allegedly have been heard here.

At the 1.7-mile mark, the trail veers east, paralleling a back channel of the river. Keep a lookout for headlights gazing up at you from the water. An intoxicated high school prom queen allegedly drowned in the river after driving her car into it.

Ghosts of running children
Atop the hill across the river is Sand Hill Cemetery. About 20 graves there is the last resting place of people who died on nearby Meridean Island. Ghosts of running children have been seen in the fields around the cemetery. Others have reported balls of light hovering over the cemetery or hearing their names called from it. And those hellhounds are there, too.

Among the other supernatural legends in the area are a schoolhouse haunted by a boy who allegedly froze to death there and of a haunted church in nearby Caryville where a priest hung himself. Both of those stories appear to be apocryphal, however.

At 2.5 mile mark, the trail comes to shoreline of backchannel for the Chippewa River. This marks a good spot to return back.

Be careful when driving back to civilization, though. Remember that drowned prom queen? Sometimes she plays chicken with drivers, her phantom headlights heading right for you then disappearing just before smashing into your vehicle.

Learn more about Chippewa Valley day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of the Chippewa Valley guidebook.

Day hike Area 51 2.0 in haunted walk at Wisconsin recreational park

After sunset, watch the skies for UFOs at the Richard Bong State
Recreationa Area near Burlington, Wis.

Halloween hikers can walk atop what some believe is a secret government base where UFOs can land in Wisconsin.

Rumors have long swirled about an underground base at the Richard Bong State Recreation Area near Burlington. Even if the base doesn’t exist, UFO sightings are plentiful in the area.

To reach the recreational area, if in Burlington, take State Hwy. 142 east six miles to SRA; if in Kenosha, take same highway 17 miles west. Turn south into the park at the entrance station, then take the first right. Park in Lot C.

The trail leaves from the lot’s south side, heading about 5.75 miles across a flat prairie that makes much of the southern Wisconsin landscape. Summer offers the most scenic time to walk the trail, as the grasses will be green, as opposed to autumn, when most plants are brown and withered.

The real sights, however, might be in the sky. Since summer 2004, fireballs and other brilliant lights have been spotted in the Burlington area. In one report, U.S. fighter jets were seen chasing two UFOs.

Secret UFO base?
For the first half-mile, the trail is due east of the alleged secret base. The trail runs southeast, passing between two ponds then goes due south. It then crosses a hiking path and about 2200 feet from the trailhead reaches a trail junction. At that intersection, go right/west.

During the 1950s, the U.S. Air Force chose this site – which at the time was Bong AFB – for an airstrip from which Strategic Air Command would launch bombers against the Soviet Union in case of a nuclear attack. While a two-mile long airstrip for taking off and landing was bulldozed, concrete never was poured. Still, even after all of these decades, satellite maps of the recreational area clearly show the airstrip. Some say the airstrip project was just a cover story for construction of the secret UFO base.

During the next quarter mile, the trail meanders past a pond then turns north, heading straight for the would-be airstrip. When the trail veers northwest, you're on the strip, marked as a "special use zone" on park maps. The UFO base – if it exists – is below you.

Why build a UFO base in Wisconsin, especially so close to the Chicago and Milwaukee metro areas? Because a vortex that serves as an intradimensional portal for extraterrestrial craft to travel through exists above Burlington, believers say.

For the next two miles, the trail parallels the airstrip’s south side. After passing two ponds, the trail turns north.

Alien abuduction
In 1974, the state of Wisconsin bought the former air force base and renamed the 4,515-acre property the Richard Bong State Recreation Area. Today, campgrounds grace the land aboveground, and model rocket launches, appropriately enough, sometimes are held in the “special use area.”

You may want to think twice about camping overnight, though. At least one alien abduction report has been made in the Burlington area since 2004.

Upon reaching parking lot J, follow the road back; it parallels the airstrip’s north side. Along the way, you’ll pass the shorelines of two ponds, the latter of which has an observation platform. It’s a good way to get a bird’s eye view of the pond…or a little higher ground for spotting flying saucers.

The trail leads to the road that was used to drive into lot C. At that junction, turn right/southeast and walk road back to your vehicle. And check your watch for missing time.

Find out about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Search for ghosts of orphans on Charley Western Trail in Iowa

Children allegedly
died in train fire

Do the ghosts of orphans who died in a fiery train wreck haunt a hiking trail on the plains of northeast Iowa?

That’s the legend surrounding the fairly new Charley Western Trail in Charles City, Iowa. The largely urban trail encircles three-quarters of the town; you can day hike a spooky 0.9-mile round trip segment of it to see for yourself if the specters are real.

To reach the trail, take U.S. Hwy. 18 into Charles City (Where it’s aka Fifth Avenue.). Go north onto J Street then turn right/east onto Eighth Avenue; park along this street between J and L streets. The trail runs going north and south across Eighth Avenue.

Crying children and smoke
Heading through a wooded area, you’re walking what used to be the Charley Western Railroad. When constructed in 1910, the rail line looped Charles City with spurs to the neighboring towns of Colwell and Marble Rock.

Like the oval of a child’s train set, the trail curves left/west. To your right/north is the former White Farm site. According to a local urban legend, a train crashed here in the 1920s, and unwanted orphans in a wooden passenger car were burned alive.

Since then, some using the trail report that the sound of crying children and the smell of smoke – despite that there are no children or fires – appear on the farm site and its aptly named Iron Hill. They’ve even see the ghost of a young girl, in a white dress, walking through these woods. Others say they’ve heard their names called though no one was there.

When you reach F Street, the trail ends. Go right/north on the street to the intersection of 11th Avenue. Before you is the allegedly haunted site. Do not go on the property, however, as it’s privately owned.

No record of train
While the reports of apparitions are verified, the legend behind them appears to be made up. There is no record of an orphan train – or any other railroad cars – burning in Charles City.

An orphan train did once stop in Charles City, though it was in 1917. From 1853 to 1929, authorities across New England and New York state placed orphans and minors who were incarcerated or institutionalized on trains and sent them west where families could adopt them to work on farms.

Perhaps the ghosts are of orphans who fled the train and later died. Or possibly they passed from this world in another town but their specters stayed with the train until coming to the pastoral woods of this beautiful small Iowa town.

After taking in the White farm site, return the way you came. And if you hear a little girl singing merrily form the woods, don’t be surprised if she can’t be seen.

Find out about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Look for Bigfoot while hiking Minnesota trail

Dago Lake Day-Use Area, General C.C. Andrews
State Forest, Minnesota; photo courtesy Minnesota DNR

Area near Willow River
a hotspot for sightings

Does the legendary Bigfoot stalk Minnesota’s Northwoods? Your best bet for spotting one might be a hike through General C.C. Andrews State Forest, an epicenter of Sasquatch sightings since the 1970s.

With more than 7700 acres of jack and red pine woodland, the state forest near Willow River marks the perfect place for Bigfoot to hide. A 1.6-mile round trip trail is roughly equidistant to several major sightings over the years.

Albino Bigfoot?
To reach the state forest, from Interstate 35 take Exit 209, heading east on Laketown Road/County Road 46E. The road curves around Sturgeon Lake. On the lake’s south side, turn right/south onto Pumpkin Seed Road, which angles west. Upon coming to State Forest Road 340E, go left/south onto it. Take the very next right, heading west into the state forest. You’ll pass four more road junctions; at the last of these, turn right/north into the Dago Lake Day-Use Area and park in the gravel lot at road’s end.

Hike back to the gravel road from which you turned to find the parking lot. Go left/east on the road, and in about 300 feet, take the (unnamed) sand ATV trail heading southeast. This pathway heads through a wooded area of gently rolling terrain and sandy soil.

Bigfoot sightings in the area date to August 1972 when a witness reported two white creatures – one nine feet tall, the other seven feet – in an open field just south of the state forest. The witness said the two creatures froze mid-stride like deer caught in headlight glare. During that time period, reports of a white Bigfoot were filed across the region from Duluth to Webster, Wis.

Strange vocalizations
More recently in February 2007 on a gravel road south of Sturgeon Lake, immediately east of the state forest, a driver spotted a large black, human-shaped figure in the middle of the road. The creature was so tall that it appeared like a large person from a quarter mile away.

Later that summer, several residents living south of Sturgeon Lake were awakened in the middle of the morning by strange vocalizations. One man who heard the screams later said it sounded exactly like the famous recording of a whoop-howl allegedly made by a Bigfoot in 1973 near Puyallup, Washington.

Other Sasquatch sightings have been made north of the state forest near Moose Lake.

Presuming you don’t spot one of the giant hominids and run in terror, in about 0.8 miles from the parking lot the trail reaches Willow River North Road, which runs north and south and marks the state forest’s boundary. At the road, turn back for your vehicle.

Read more about day hiking Northeast Minnesota in my Headin’ to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota guidebook.

Hike to top of continent’s tallest sand dunes

Great Sand Dunes National Park. 

Map of the Great Sand Dunes.

Families can day hike to the top of a sand dune that would reach half-way up the Empire State Building at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado.

The national park boasts North America’s tallest sand dunes. Star Dune reaches 750 feet when measured from base to crest while High Dune is 650 feet high.

Perhaps most amazing is that the entire national park sits at least a full 7500 feet above sea level. That’s taller that five Empire State Buildings stacked on top of one another.

Because of the high elevations, summer marks the best time to visit the park. However, the sand can reach temperatures of 140 F beneath the sun, so plan to hike the trail in early morning or evening.

If with children, go for High Dune, which is a 2.5 mile round trip. If older teens are with you, set out for Star Dune, which is 6 miles round trip.

To reach the national park, from Alamosa drive east on U.S. Hwy. 160 then turn left/north on Colo. Hwy. 150 into the park. Pass the visitor center and turn at the first left, parking at the Dunes Parking Lot on the shores of seasonal Medano Creek. Look for the trailhead sign to High and Star dunes.

Follow ridgelines
Because of the shifting sands, technically no trail exists. You can’t miss your destination, however: Star Dune is the highest, pointed sand dune on the horizon with High Dune the second highest and right in front of it.

The trail begins by crossing Medano Creek, which always is very low and cold. Take your shoes and socks off for the crossing and bring a towel to dry your feet; at worse, your ankles will get wet.

From there, the trail enters the dune field. To help you keep your bearings, the highest dune looming before you is High Dune. The alpine Sangre de Cristo Mountains are to your back.

The best way to walk in any sand dune is to following the ridge lines. Reaching the top of the first ridge will be time consuming, but you’ll have better footing and will experience less resistance once at the top. Zig-zag on the ridgelines, aiming for High Dune regardless of your destination; Star Dune is just behind it.

The sand dunes geologically are quite young, forming about 12,000 years when the sand of dried lake beds began blowing eastward.

Despite the foreboding environment, the dunefield supports a number of animals, such as the Great Sand Dunes tiger beetle, jackrabbits, kangaroo rats, and short-horned lizards. Watch for sandhill cranes and white-faced ibis flying overhead, as they inhabit wetlands to the dunes’ west.

Flying Saucer Central
Definitely keep your eyes to sky if you’ve always wanted to see a UFO. For more than 60 years, numerous flying saucer reports have been made in the San Luis Valley where the sand dunes are located. Among the UFOs reported over the dunes are black triangles, cigar-shaped red orbs, and hovering multicolored lights.

Because of the high elevation – the sand dunes are more than 8000 feet above sea level – altitude sickness is a distinct possibility for those who aren’t acclimated to it. To avoid altitude sickness, move slowly when hiking, drink plenty of water, and avoid caffeine.

Speaking of water, you’ll need it in the sands, which are akin to a desert. You’ll also want to don suntan lotion and a brimmed hat. Boots or shoes are a must; feet will burn in the sand if sandals are worn.

Finally, if a storm approaches, get off the sand dunes. Lightning typically strikes the dunefield.

Learn more about national park day hiking trails in my Best Sights to See at America’s National Parks guidebook.

Day - er Night - hike trail haunted by Wisconsin’s most famous ghost

Wisconsin’s most famous ghost allegedly haunts a segment of the Military Ridge State Trail, which can be day (or night) hiked. The Ridgeway Phantom has been scaring travelers on what used to be the famous Ridge Road since the 1840s.

To reach the trail, from U.S. Hwys. 18 and 151 just east of Ridgeway, turn northwest onto Hi-Point Road, which becomes County Road Hhh. At the County Road H intersection, park in a gravel lot at the junction's northwest corner; follow County Road H about 100 feet to the trail.

Mother's revenge?
Before hitting the tail, however, continue past to the Eastside Cemetery on the road's right side…if you dare. You’ll find headstones there dating to the 19th century.

Head back to the trail, going a right/southwest onto it through the edge of town. Since the late 1800s, travelers on the Ridge Road between Blue Mounds (to the northeast) and Mineral Point (to the southwest) have reported a number of spectres, ranging from a headless man and animals to an old woman and balls of light.

These ghosts allegedly are the different forms that the Ridgeway Phantom took before it attacked travelers. The attacks grew so numerous that for a quarter century many travelers refused to take the road at night or without an armed escort.

The Ridgeway Phantom may be the mother of two teenage boys who suffered gruesome deaths at McKillip’s Saloon in downtown Ridgeway. One night in the 1840s, a bunch of drunken toughs tossed one of the boys into the fireplace where he burned to death. The other teen froze to death after fleeing the saloon. Others believe the phantom is the boy burned in the fire, as he was given a less than respectful burial the next day.

Doc Cutler's scare
After passing downtown, head into a wooded area for the middle third of the trail. Among the most famous sightings on this stretch of the Ridge Road occurred when Doc Cutler of Dodgeville would take his buggy to Ridgeway for a house call. The phantom often jumped on the buggy’s tongue and stared at the doctor – who soon started taking another road to Ridgeway!

Upon reaching the Temes Court road, turn back, following the trail to your parking lot for a 1.2-mile round trip.

Sightings of the Ridgeway Phantom apparently ended in 1910 after the town burned down; apparently the ghost had its revenge. Still, others say the phantom remains out there in the Ridgeway woods, and if you listen carefully, you’ll hear its howl in the chilled night air.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.