The Haunted Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is known as one of the seven wonders of the world. Some five million visitors embark on Grand Canyon visits each year, all eager to see the breathtaking sunrises, hike the 54 hard trails, and enjoy the majestic charm and awe-inspiring beauty found within the 277 miles of natural amazement. Grand Canyon visits never expect ghost encounters during the journey, although many return home with stories perfect for the campfire.

Ghosts and spirits deep within the forests of the canyon spook selected visitors, a tradition carried on for centuries. Spirits roam from the El Tovar Hotel to the beautiful Havasupai Falls to the South Rim, and out to Peach Springs and through the Canyon’s trails.

No one knows with certainty who haunts the Canyon. Maybe the restless spirits of the Native Americans buried on their land want to send a message. Maybe others who lost their lives at the canyon are not at peace with their endings. What is certain is tales of ghostly figures, dancing lights, and other unexplainable phenomena continue to fascinate so many as they have for decades already.

Native Americans have been living at or near the canyon for the past 4,000 years. When Europeans arrived in 1560, it disrupted the lives of the natives, who hunt and gathered on the lands and lived peacefully in their tribes. Many natives were forced off the lands, causing more tension between them and Europeans. When the national park system founded the canyon as a national park, it further disrupted their lives. It is believed the spirits of the natives linger on in the area of the canyon most significant to their culture and history.

Native American Spirits

The Cavern Spirits at the West Rim is one such account of Native American hauntings. The Ghost Hunters visited the ancient burial lands during one season of its show. The Caverns lie within the boundaries of the Hualapa Indian Reservation, now the location of the remains of their ancestors. The spirits of these tribesmen are said to still wander around the caverns, their presence felt by anyone who dares venture into its depths.

Visitors report feeling a presence surrounding them inside the caverns. Some have watched shadows dance upon the walls as a cool breeze echos chants and prayers. Visitors see apparitions and feel the spiritual energy of times long passed.

The spirits serve as guidance and protection for those who walk on their sacred lands, although sometimes, are not friendly. At the Underground Inn, a hotel inside the caverns, guests have heard spirits moan and have said to have rocks thrown at them.

The Spirit of The Wailing Woman

Another ghost frequently encountered is The Wailing Woman. Hikers meet this ghost on Transept Trail on the Canyon’s North Rim. She earned the name The Wailing Woman because people who see her say she’s always wailing.

The woman, a guest at the Grand Canyon Lodge in 1920, waited for her husband and son to return from a hike on the Transept Trail. Hours passed and the pair did not return. The Wailing Woman searched frantically for her husband and son, crying as she called their names. The man and child had fallen to their deaths, as she soon discovered. Heartbroken, the woman returned to the lodge and took her own life.

The Wailing Woman still walks along Transept Trail, perhaps searching for her family under different circumstances.

Haunted El Tovar Hotel

El Tovar Hotel, featured on the TV show, Ghost Hunters, is one of the Grand Canyon’s haunted hotels. Open since 1905, the hotel sits perched atop a bluff 20 feet from the edge of the South Rim, offering immaculate views of the Canyon and surrounding landscape. Ghosts often haunt guests, a fact that attracts many tourists who book stays at El Tovar and frightens those who aren’t expecting any spirits or ghostly encounters during their Canyon adventure.

The third floor is especially haunted, according to legend.

The hotel founder, Fred Harvey, is said to be among the ghosts lurking around the property. During the holidays, guests have reported seeing Harvey on the third floor inviting them to a Christmas party.

Hotel staff reported seeing a phantom wander across the front stairs of the hotel before suddenly vanishing into thin air.

Dozens of guests have reported feeling a presence in their rooms. Some claim the presence tugs on their clothing or touches them as they sleep. Other guests have reported seeing a gray-haired man peering from the TV set.