Spooky Hikes Around Los Angeles

If you're like me, Halloween is every day. You like to get spooked 365 days a year, not just on October 31st. You probably enjoy watching horror movies on a normal weekday and you might have Halloween decor up year round. So perhaps, like me, you also are looking for ways to stretch the spooky season well beyond September to October.

If you live in Southern California, I've got a list of ways to get some fresh air, and perhaps feel a special kind of chill in the air too. My wife and I love a good, not too difficult hike, and through our adventures I have compiled a whole list of creepy hikes you can take year round (as long as the weather permits)

1) The Old Los Angeles Zoo (Griffith Park)

Perhaps the most popular of our spooky hikes, it's still a good one for anyone. No matter how many times I go, I can't help but be drawn to go again. The real horror here is how the animals originally homed here were treated. Walk amongst the old cages and you can see just how tiny and uncomfortable some of the habitats were. It opened in 1912 and was open until it was turned into a park to make way for the current Los Angeles Zoo.

2) Corriganville Park/Movie Ranch (Simi Valley)

Corriganville Park was formerly a working movie studio and western tourist attraction, but it was destroyed by wildfires in the 70s. It was once home to many great television productions from The Lone Ranger to Star Trek. If you visit today, you can still see the foundations of many of the old movie sets, and see the Santa Susana Pass which was seen in many old film and television scenes. Residents of the surrounding area have experienced paranormal activity and the park itself has often been used for dark rituals.

3) Corralitas Red Car Path (Silverlake)

This path in Silver Lake was once home to the red car trolleys until the tracks were taken out in 1955. Since then it has become a popular hike for locals, despite regular battles over the property and what to do with it. The path is reportedly haunted by all of those who lost their lives building the tracks, and apparently figures can be seen along the path when you are walking. The remnants of a bridge still remain, and it's come to be known as Silverlake Stonehedge.

4) Black Star Canyon (Orange County)

I began hearing all about Black Star Canyon when I was a kid growing up in Southern California. It was never good things, only haunting after haunting as well as other horror stories. This is a place where you want to stay on trail because it's been said that locals have shot at hikers they see as trespassing. There was mining in the area in the 1800's which led to conflicts that many believe contribute to the hauntings there. Multiple murders, satanic rituals and even ghosts who will leave handprints on your car....Black Star Canyon isn't for the faint of heart.

5) Thompson Creek Trail (Claremont)

This little hike is a pretty straightforward hike, it's 5 miles (round trip) of pretty easy road. However, as simple as it seems, it definitely has a dark side. Strange noises and shadow people seem to be what is haunting the Thompson Creek trail. People have even reported levitating rocks and bleeding trees. Though most of the strange phenomenons happen after sundown, things have been seen in broad daylight too!

6) Brand Park Trail (Glendale)

This hike leads to a semi-forgotten cemetery. Yep, you read that right. Brand Park was once the estate of the Brand family, and the family still remains in a Pyramid shaped tomb in the small cemetery. Apparently people have witnesses strange things around the tomb, and all through the park and various trails. The park includes a Library, the former Brand home, where some say you can see Leslie C Brand himself.

7) DeForest Park Nature Trail (Long Beach)

Blasts of cold air, floating figures and a woman screaming help me! These are a few of the creepy encounters on this Long Beach trail. Visitors have reported being followed, watched, and even chased by a strange girl who moves like a crab. Multiple people have seen her, and no one knows why she haunts the park, only that something horrible must have happened to her there. Only the bravest of souls choose to visit this park after dark!

8) Solstice Canyon (Malibu)

The remains of a mansion that burned down in 1982 is the star of this haunted hike in Malibu. Some say they have seen and heard the original owner of the home, Fred Roberts, who moans & groans and sometimes disappears in a burst of flames. Though he died before the fire ravaged the property, his spirit still lingers. Others have smelled smoke when none is anywhere to be seen.

9) Cobb Estate Hike (Altadena)

This hike is named for the estate that once stood on the grounds. Built in 1918, there isn't much left of the estate itself, but the stories of hauntings have dated back to the 50s. This property was even once owned by the Marx brothers, and almost became a cemetery before locals fundraised to make it a park. You can continue up the trail to the ruins for White City, once a prominent luxury resort in the turn of the century. You can only image what sorts of spirits linger here.

10) Murphy Ranch Trail (Pacific Palisades)

Murphy Ranch was once the site of a compound built by Nazi Sympathizers Winona and Norman Stephens as a place where their fellow nazis could wait for the supposed fall of America to the Nazi regime. It was raided by rangers in the early 40s and at least 50 of the members were arrested. Though some of the buildings were finally demolished in recent years, still much remains of Murphy Ranch, including the dark energy the Stephens brought to the land.

As always, Remember to follow any trail signs and respect the land you are on! Pick up after yourself and throw away your trash. Leave the trails how you left them.