Haunted Hikes: Spine-Tingling Tales and Trails from North America's National Parks

by Andrea Lankford

Book Overview

Ghosts Curses Hoaxes Unsolved mysteries Paranormal events Take a walk on the creepy side of North America's National Parks Andrea Lankford, a 12-year veteran ranger with the National Park Service, has written a thoroughly investigated yet often tongue-in-cheek guidebook that takes the reader to the scariest, most mysterious places inside North America's National Parks.

Lankford shares such eerie tales as John Brown's haunting...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1595800093
• ISBN13: 9781595800091
• Release Date: April 2006
• Publisher: Santa Monica Press
• Length: 374 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Haunted Hikes

Truly enjoyed the book by Lankford! This author knows how to wrap a good story around an awesome trail. It was a quick read and full of little tidbits of knowledge. I never knew there was such a thing as the Pupfish, or murderers on the lamb like William Bishop, Jr. The history behind some of this nations greatest hikes is fascinating. Hats off to Lankford for adding mystery, humor, and a sense of wonder to hiking trails everywhere.

The Kids Loved it!

I picked this book up for my family for this Halloween and have already used it! I must say the kids read the book cover to cover before I could. They are quoting the stories and bugging me to take them on more haunted hikes. Apparently, our trip to the Barker Ranch in Death Valley only made them hungry for more. Reading this book while we were there really added to the history and drama of the place. And to see where Manson was apprehended (you have to get the book to know) made it all the creepier! I don't get Schmalz's review? He's DEAD wrong!

A History Lesson

Not just a book of haunted tales, but a history lesson in some of the most unusual occurences in our most popular wilderness areas. What I like about Andrea Lankford's style of writing is her leaving it to the reader to draw their own conclusions. An informative guide to National Parks we may have never considered visiting before. Awakens curiosities never imagined about many places.

Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but ectoplasm

This is a unique book because it combines the utility of a trail guide with the fun and entertainment of a well written history book. The quirky offbeat stories of ghosts, spooky legends, disasters and untimely deaths is followed up with concise directions on how to go out and actually experience the areas where these otherworldly phenomenons occurred. The writer has spiced this book with her acerbic wit and keen insights into being a park ranger (which she was for many years). She has portrayed the rangers and park service in a realistic light, instead of the hagiographic view of selfless sainthood so often seen in other books dealing with the NPS. They are real people working in a large and impersonal bureaucracy. The story dealing with the last Miwok Indian to leave Yosemite due to government regulations and the resulting castrophe was a real scream to read. This is a great trail guide that covers a lot of interesting historical material that you won't find anywhere else. It kept me, the reader, intrigued and excited about going out to see many of these places for myself. I can't wait to visit to Yosemite later this summer so I can go explore some of the places I read about in this book.

WOW! EVERYTHING I THOUGHT IT'D BE ~ and MORE!!

I have been waiting a long time for this book to come out. As soon as it was released I bought it right away. I LOVE THIS BOOK! It is absolutely fascinating!!! This book includes: Ghosts, mysteries, Bigfoot, the unexplained, the hangman's noose in an old cabin at Skidoo Ghost Town (California), Haunted Old Faithfull Inn (Yellowstone), the haunted Stanley Hotel (in Estes Park- right outside of Rocky Mountain National Park), Mt. Rainier, Grand Canyon Lodge, Mesa Verde NP in Colorado, Crater Lake (Oregon), Smoky Mountains, Oregon Caves Chalet ghost, Channel Islands, Everglades, Cape Hatteras, missing persons, mysterious deaths, murders, curses, and much more! This book was extremely well-researched. The author (a former national park ranger)- has so much knowledge and is an expert in her field. A really neat addition is the "fright factor" skeleton icons next to each haunted hike around these bizarre, mysterious and haunted locations: 4 icons = "Gave me nightmares, and I'd rather not discuss them." 3 icons = "I get chills just thinking about it." 2 icons = "Very disturbing, but clowns are scarier." 1 icon = "Makes 7-year-olds giggle." I HIGHLY recommend this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Once you open it up and start reading --- you won't be able to put it down!