The most supernatural places in our superbly natural state

Text by Kristian DePue

Editor’s note: These are the creepy Colorado places to visit. Read our companion piece to find the creepy Colorado tales to tell.

Scroll these photos to read about some of the most haunted places in Colorado.

Helen Hunt Falls, North Cheyenne Cañon Park

There’s a lot of mystery that surrounds this region. In 1904, on a cold winter’s day, the desecrated body of a woman was found on the nearby Mt. Cutler. However, nothing comes close to the haunting of Helen Hunt Falls. Some say she herself, poet Helen Hunt Jackson, haunts the falls. Others say they can hear screams and disembodied voices.

Miramont Castle, Manitou Springs

An 1895 chateau nestled in a hillside of Manitou Springs houses many claims of the paranormal. Originally built as a private home for Father Jean Baptist Francolon, a French-born Catholic priest, the Miramont Castle is located in the historic district of Manitou, and included in the National Register of Historic Places.

Many spirits come and go through this stunning chateau, with the most activity reported in the chapel. A 1999 report from a former employee notes witnessing the specter of a woman in a white sleeved gown with a lace bib descending a staircase — except above her bib was nothing. She was headless.

Red Mountain, Manitou Springs

Dubbed “The Lady of Red Mountain,” Emma Crawford had tuberculosis and had been sick since the age of seven. In 1889, she and her mother moved to Manitou in the hope the Front Range’s natural water springs and fresh mountain air would cure her ailments. Emma loved Red Mountain, and as a spiritualist, Emma talked often about a Native American apparition that beckoned her to the mount. On Dec. 4th 1891, she sadly succumbed to tuberculosis. In 1929, due to years of erosion, her casket slid down Red Mountain. Since 1995, the City of Manitou Springs has held a macabre, annual coffin race that takes place near Halloween. Emma Crawford is now buried in Crystal Valley Cemetery.

Riverdale Road, Thornton

Riverdale Road isn’t for the faint of heart. This eleven-mile stretch is home to many ghost stories: a phantom Chevy Camaro with a single headlight, a faint heartbeat, or ghostly footsteps. You may be met by spirits said to have been awakened by witches. All that may be, but legend says a mansion along the drive was set ablaze by the owner after going mad. Nestled behind the iron gates, the mad man’s wife and children were still inside the home. Supposedly, the wife can be seen walking Riverdale, looking for her children — and many report seeing her in their rear view mirror at night.

The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park

Dubbed “Disneyland for ghosts,” The Stanley Hotel is a paranormal hellscape — and was the inspiration for The Overlook Hotel in Stephen King’s The Shining (later adapted into movies, a miniseries and even an opera). In 1903, F.O. Stanley moved to the Rockies after being diagnosed with tuberculosis.

Within a couple months, despite his doctors assuming his death was imminent, Stanley was in great health. He hiked five miles a day and lived to be 91. He was determined to make Estes Park a resort — and by 1907, The Stanley Hotel had been completed.

The stairs between floors in the lobby are considered “The Vortex,” a portal for spirits to pass through. This stunning hotel is no stranger to unexplained footsteps, voices, orbs, and many apparitions.

Black Forest

This forest is home to one of the most documented haunted houses in the Centennial State. In 1990, Steven Lee, his wife Beth and their two children moved into their new home. Almost immediately, the family began to experience paranormal events: unexplained noises, the smell of chemicals, orbs and shadows. Black Forest is considered one of the most haunted places in the world.

Brianne Keefer is a Colorado native and a portrait photographer. She enjoys drawing, hiking, and writing poetry. “I started this haunted series to get people excited about Halloween, and I have a fascination with the paranormal,” said Keefer. “I grew up in a haunted house in Black Forest, not far from the Lee house. As a child, I told my mom I’d see the figure of a woman covered in miller moths enter my room late at night. There were unexplainable footsteps, whispers and apparitions. To this day, Black Forest still chills me to the bone — but this subject is my bread and butter.”