10 Most Haunted Forests In The World

Forests are biggest contributors towards the Earth’s gross primary productivity. From time immemorial it has been a constant source of resources for mankind. We all know this very well, but they can also be a breeding ground for some next level spooky incidents. The vastness and the darkness that surrounds the forest is what adds to the spookiness. This article is going to cover a few such forests that are present all around the world and have managed to garner a lot of notoriety. Here, we have come up with the 10 most haunted forests in the world that have somehow grabbed the attention of the world and oppressed the locals.

10. Bear Creek, United States

Bear Creek

There is a peculiar camping site in the Bear Creek called as the Devil’s tramping ground which is a 40-foot ring. It is haunted by a Devil that has ensured that nothing grows in the circle and brings about strange events to those brave enough to spend the night within the boundary.  Apparently, nothing has grown in it for over 100 years and lore has it that the ring is where the devil would walk around in circles to bring his evil into this world. There have been instances of people’s camping sites moved overnight and melodic music erupting to lull anyone who decides to stay awake and observe the spot. There is also another legend who states that the reason why anything inside the spot gets moved is for the devil to be able to dance in merry.

9. Pine Barrens, United States

Pine Barrens

Pine Barrens situated in New Jersey is a dense forest covering an area of 1.1 million acres. The presence of a devil by the name Jersey Devil is what makes this place a haunted location. Legend has it that the Jersey Devil was born to Deborah Leeds as her 13th child with leathery wings and a goat’s head and hooves. The devil apparently flew out of Leed’s chimney and has been thriving on killing livestock.

Additionally, this has creeped out the residents of the area. The consequent panic that stemmed from the creature frequenting the forest and surrounding areas caused schools and businesses to be shut down. The Philadelphia zoo even put out a reward of $10,000 for a sample of the creature’s excrement. Further, a lot of videos have surfaced on the internet with sightings of the jersey devil, but they are yet to be verified by parapsychologists and voodoo practitioners.

8. Freetown-Fall River State Forest, United States

Freetown Fall River State Forest

Freetown-Fall River State Forest is a publicly owned forest that spans to more than 5,000 acres of land in the state of Massachusetts. There have been numerous reporting of an alien landing, UFO presence, black helicopters, and strange disappearances. Apparently, the forest is home to Pukwedgies that are troll-like beasts capable of causing mayhem and death to human beings. Even though it comes across as a spooky folklore, there are numerous visitors who have spotted these creatures and think are the ones responsible for the unusual number of people falling from the cliff.

7. Dering Woods, United Kingdom

Dering woods is commonly known as screaming woods because of the countless times’ people had reported hearing terrifying screams during night and whispers in the morning time. The forest is particularly haunted by the ghosts of people who get lost in it. The most prominent spirits are those of that of an army colonel and a highwayman who was captured by the locals and was beheaded. Despite all the ghostly presence in the area, it has been a great platform for researchers in the field of parapsychology. The forest is situated in Pluckley village and is considered to be the most haunted village in the UK. It would definitely not be a wise choice to test the credibility of this information considering the spirits that roam around in the village, as the forest is not known to be friendly.

6. Dow Hill Forest, India

Dow Hill Of Kurseong

Kurseong is a picturesque hill station located in West Bengal, India. Dow hill is a part of the Kurseong series of hills and is famous for being the most mysterious place in India and is a breeding ground for tons of paranormal activities. The portion of the Dow hill that stands out the most is the small stretch of road between the forest office and the Dow hill road. Here is where the woodcutters have witnessed a young headless boy roaming around. The list of encounters are endless and there have been instances of people going crazy after experiencing the forest.

5. Pembrey Woods, United Kingdom

Pembrey Woods

Dense forests are usually a breeding ground for paranormal activity, but the rumors spread would be intense if the forest has been in existence before Christ. Pembrey is one such forest and the stories that surround this place are endless. Located in the village of Whales, UK, the woods has garnered a lot of attention for the sightings by multiple people, especially the ones that go camping here. There have been reporting of camper’s gear being moved around and cooking material being tossed far away from where the camp was pitched by spirits from different eras. There is a folklore where the ships were deceived into anchoring at Pembrey as a safe spot. But due to rugged conditions, the ships would get stuck, the survivors would be murdered and the ship would be eventually ransacked. The apparitions mostly belong to the people who were brutally murdered.

4. Elfin Forest, California

Elfin Forest
CREDIT

California not only houses Silicon Valley but is also home to a lot of natural attractions. The Elfin Forest is a small residential community located in the foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains. Legend has it that it was once occupied by occult gypsies and ancestors of the Northern Diegueno Indians lived in the Harmony Grove area. Some of the gypsies were slaughtered by the nearby town folks. And mythology suggests that the gypsies cursed the forest as well as the surrounding land. There have been reporting of ghostly apparitions, and that has obviously restricted people from the area. It is believed that the forest is a cornucopia of artifacts and efforts have been put by conservation groups to preserve rock carvings and metates. This would eventually give some insight into the existence of the ancestors from Northern Diegueno Indians.

3. Clapham Woods, United Kingdom

Clapham Woods

Located in West Sussex, England, the Clapham Woods Forest range has been in the middle of numerous investigations not just for spotting spirits but has been the cynosure for a lot of UFO activity too. Between 1960 and 1970, there was extensive research that was carried out to understand the truth about the UFO sightings, but none of them bore any fruit. In addition to UFO sightings, the place is also rumored to be accountable for cult and criminal activities. Some of these activities include strange disappearances of pets and the discovery of an unidentified girl’s body. The police officer who was in charge of leading the investigation of the girl’s death as well fell into the pit of horror, who eventually was killed anonymously. No wonder this place is classified as one of the most haunted forests in England.

2. Epping Forest, United Kingdom

Epping Forest

Epping Forest is a dense forest located in Essex, East of England. The entire 5,900 acres of forest land is managed by the City of London Corporation. The vastness of the forest has made it a popular hideout for criminals and people indulging in illegal activities.  Numerous bodies have been found in the woods since the 1960s, and it is not surprising to know that the forest has developed a reputation for being a place where spirit presence could be felt. Trees in this forest haven’t been cut for close to 2 centuries, and that has resulted in them having a bulbous structure which adds on to the creepiness. Edward Buxton, a conservationist, played a pivotal role in saving the forest for public use and even when the distance of writing a book on the forest which was published in the year 1884.

1. Aokigahara, Japan

This forest thrives on Mount Fuji; located in Japan. The entire range of forest sits on hardened lava which was a result of the last major eruption of the Mt Fuji that dates back to 864 CE. The Aokigahara forest is also commonly known as the Sea of trees or infamously the suicide forest. The forest spans over an area of 30 square kilometers and has the historical reputation of being the home to ghosts of the dead. There is a grim folklore about how during the famine, to reduce the number of mouths to feed, the oldest family member was led to the forest to die off dehydration, starvation, and exposure.

Further, some believe that the ghosts of people who die like this haunt the place the most. The geography of the place is such that it provides visitors extreme solitude from the busy city life and time. Additionally, it has been a spot where numerous people have committed suicide. It is apparently the most preferred and popular location site for suicide in Japan. Due to this, forest officials and journalists carry out annual searches for bodies.