If you're going hiking and the weather is still warm where you are, be sure to protect from the real fright in the forest - ticks! Otherwise, if you want a scare by immersing yourself in the Halloween vibe while getting your 10,000 steps in, here's some hikes that either have a dark history, lead to a creepy place, or visually are terrifying - 

Iron Goat Trail - Granite Falls, WA. In 1910, a train with 100 passengers went through the Cascades when a lightning storm approached, lightning hit the hillside, sending a cascade of snow upon them, killing almost all the crew and passengers.

Ghost Loop Trail, Maynardville, TN. A family graveyard along the trial was the resting place of a +family that lived there. The remains of the old house still stand. The woods are said to be haunted with voices being heard and apparitions being seen. 

Devil's Tramping Ground, Bear Creek, NC.

This mysterious clearing in the woods has quite the reputation. Nothing grows on the spot. And, it is said that when white men came there, the local tribe did war dances upon the circle area. Another legend says two warring tribes fought there, one of their chief's dying and being buried there. One can camp there with permission. 

If you're interested in taking photos or exploring abandoned sites in the woods - 

Corpsewood Manor, outskirts of Trion, GA. Two men built this brick castle-like home in the North Georgia hills. They erected a pink gargoyle above the entrance. There were signs among the locals that these guys might be dabbling with the devil. It seems most neighborhoods have that one house that everyone ponders... And the place came to be known as Corpsewood Manor because so many trees around it died. Some locals claimed the men guarded the woods with guns and machetes, that they drove a jeep into town that had a pentagram on the side of it. After several serial killings in the area, people began to blame the strange men in the manor home. Ultimately, grizzly murders occurred there. The place is forever cursed. 

Doll's Head Trail, Constitution Lakes Park, DeKalb County, GA. This 2.5 mile trail is a blast if you are creeped out by dolls. Dolls heads in an artistic display are left along the path for hikers to catch sight of their weather-worn creepiness. 

The Batona Trail, Pemberton to Little Egg Harbor, NJ. This trek takes you through the Pine Barrens, the infamous location of the supposed Jersey Devil. I'll admit, the Pine Barrens have the oddest vibe. They are seriously ancient and holding secrets. Listen for the twigs snapping on your path....

TNT bunkers trail, Point Pleasant, NJ. The WWII bunkers area of Point Pleasant was associated forever with the Mothman sightings of the mid century. Admittedly, I've hiked in there and the vibe is hardcore bizarre. 38.929768, -82.076155

Bridgewater Triangle, Hockomock Swamp in SE MA. This region has quite the reputation, from feelings of being watched, apparitions, Indian haunting grounds, missing people, Bigfoot, UFOs. You name it! 

No matter where or why you hike this fall, consider embracing the spirit upon the forests as the leaves begin to change. Photograph mushrooms, changing leaves, dappled light, rotting fallen tree trunks, crunchy leaves mixed with muddy footprints, and all the delightful moods of the forest. Take a picnic break along the way and tell some scary woods-related stories of escaped maniacs and lurking dogmen. 

No matter where you decide to hike, be open, curious, and don't let your mind put you in flight mode. Question the actual threat. Be honored to observe and archive a rare encounter.