While venturing through new towns on your family vacation, sharing spooky stories about each area is a fun way to enjoy the long drive. In fact, traveling with your family on a roadtrip is the perfect time to tell creepy, goosebump-inflicting urban legends! Every city has its own eerie legends, and Denver is no exception.
Buffalo Bill and Lookout Mountain
The historic frontier forager, Buffalo Bill, died in 1917. His body was buried on Lookout Mountain and many people in Denver have seen a spirit which resembles a cowboy in this area. There are also reports that souvenirs within the gift shop of the museum will fly off the shelves.
The Stanley Hotel
Denver’s most infamous hotel, the urban legend surrounding this 1909-built building has extended into movies! While lots of rich and famous folks have stayed at the Stanley Hotel despite its legendary reputation for ghost sightings in many guest rooms and a grand piano in the ballroom that plays on its own, undoubtedly the one guest most influenced by his eerie experience at The Stanley is author Stephen King ~ who wrote The Shining shortly afterwards! While urban legends often tend to scare people away, this hotel’s reputation draws people in. The Stanley Hotel plays the uncut R-rated version of The Shining non-stop in every guest’s room on Channel 42!
The Ghost of Heritage Square
There is a ghost story in Heritage Square about star-crossed lovers. Long ago, a tribe of Native Americans traveled through this area and a beautiful girl caught the eye of a young man in the town. After her tribe passed through, the young man commandeered a horse-drawn wagon and followed behind them. On the outskirts of town, he was found dead and it is unknown whether his death ended in macabre or if it was an accident. Galloping footprints are said to be heard, along with a voice that exclaims, “Wait!”
Riverdale Road
Twisted Cottonwood trees resembling deformed street sentries line this spooky road where there is a tale of a phantom Camaro and a ghost dressed in white. The driver had no idea that the eerie street of Riverdale Road would turn out to be a drive of death. Legend has it that if you travel this road on late night jaunts, you’ll see the image of a Camaro with only one working headlight. There are also reports of a girl in a white dress who walks down this road. People who have offered her a ride say that she vanishes before ever getting inside of the vehicle.
The Ghost of Jogger's Hill
There's a horrific tale of a jogger who was accidentally hit by a car at the crest of this Denver hill. The driver of the automobile drove off and left the jogger to die alone on the hill. This spooky ghost story is the tale of that jogger's shadowy specter, which aggressively looms over this area. People who have come late at night to enjoy the view on top of the hill have reported violent beatings on their cars and handprints on the windows. The legend comes with a warning: if the ghost of the jogger ever comes to the driver side of the vehicle it will kill you.
There are many tales in Denver of urban legends which will send chills down your spine and make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. While you certainly hope the legends aren't true and while most people don't want to experience them personally as they travel through these infamous areas of Denver, it's still creepy to hear them!
Image Credits
Shining Hallway by Christopher Kray
From Lookout Mountain by Chelsea Nesvig
Haunted Stanely Hotel by congvo
