This Eerie Lake Is Said To Be The Most Haunted Destination In Yosemite National Park

Known for its cascading waterfalls, ancient sequoia forests, and deep green valleys, Yosemite National Park beckons nature lovers from near and far. Spanning about 1,200 square miles, the stunning California national park is full of spectacular vistas, some that are only reachable by braving some of the most dangerous hikes. While the treacherous trails are lined with natural threats, like wild animals and turbulent waters, the park's supernatural dangers can be just as fear-inducing.

Dating back to the 1800s, the park's long, dark history is checkered with urban legends and campfire-worthy ghost stories. Lurking behind Yosemite's majestic views are tales of Bigfoot sightings, evil spirits, and various paranormal encounters. Both hikers and visitors to the park's historic Ahwahnee Hotel, which is said to have inspired parts of the Overlook Hotel interior in Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining," have recounted their ghostly experiences over the years. But the stories extend to the natural features of Yosemite themselves — in particular, the stories surrounding Grouse Lake, one of the park's most notably spooky spots, have brought a new meaning to the words "hauntingly beautiful."

Like the legends surrounding it, the hike to Grouse Lake is not for the faint of heart. Tucked into Yosemite's southwest corner, the trail leading to the remote lake is nearly 20 miles round-trip from the Bridalveil Creek Campground. Parallelling Chilnualna Falls for roughly 5 miles, the trail then splits off and fades into a lightly trodden path leading to the secluded lake — perfect conditions for seeing spirits.

It was likely this very path that Yosemite's first park ranger, Galen Clark, walked along in 1857 when he had an alleged encounter with the park's oldest documented ghost. Clark reported hearing mysterious sounds surrounding the lake, which he initially mistook for the whimpers of a lost dog from local Ahwahnechee natives. When asking them if they had lost a dog, the indigenous peoples told him that the sounds were not cries from a dog, but from the tormented spirit of a little boy who had drowned in the lake years before.

As legend has it, Clark wrote, the ghost cries out to the living, luring them to the edge of Grouse Lake and dragging them down to the bottom to meet his same fate. Whether or not it's true, the haunting tale is enough to make some hikers steer clear of the lake's dark waters.

As if the creepy little boy ghost wasn't enough to ward off hikers, the path to Grouse Lake is said to be haunted by another spirit lurking in the mists of Bridalveil Falls. Known as Pohono, which translates to "evil wind," the aggressive spirit is believed to be responsible for luring an indigenous woman of Yosemite Valley to her death. As the story goes, the woman was foraging for grass by the creek to weave baskets and slipped on a mossy rock planted by Pohono, plummeting into the perilous falls below. Her body was never found, and her death served as a warning for anyone wandering too close to the ominous mists surrounding the water. It is said that her spirit is trapped by the falls until she lures another victim to their doom to take her place. Another legend, claimed to belong to the Paiute people, attributes this same ghost story to a water nymph residing in the falls.

Beyond the foreboding mists and waters, Yosemite has some friendlier ghost stories. The Ahwahnee Hotel has been the site of countless encounters with the spirit of the hotel's former owner, Mary Curry Tressider. Guests have reported seeing Mary's ghostly apparition dancing in the common room and being tucked into bed by her at night.