Strange things happen in the woods—vanishing figures along backcountry paths, eerie noises half-heard near urban pathways, pungent and undefined smells blanketing forest trails. Science falls short of explaining these phenomena…

Haunted Hikes tells the stories behind 100 spooky and sinister areas across the country—from the Ghost House Trail in Big Ridge State Park, Tennessee, where photographs of the cemetery yield silhouettes of families laid to rest there, to the Transept Trail at Grand Canyon National Park, where a wailing woman in a white dress with blue flowers is often seen pacing the rim.

This book pinpoints the trails and reveals their unnerving histories. Within these pages are also basic hike specifications like distance and difficulty, as well as the trailhead GPS where applicable. The book won’t take you on a mile-by-mile journey—you’re on your own for that one, if you dare…

Maren Horjus is the destinations editor at Backpacker magazine. An avid outdoorswoman, she has written for a variety of publications, including Skiing, Mountain Magazine, and Squaw Magazine. She lives in Boulder, Colorado.