9 Haunted Forests That Are Home To Ghosts, Cryptids, And UFOs

By Kaleena Fraga | Edited By John Kuroski

Published October 30, 2024

Devil’s Tramping Ground: The Haunted Forest In North Carolina

opus2008/FlickrDevil’s Tramping Ground in North Carolina, the patch of haunted forest where the devil purportedly “tramps.”

The origin of the name “Devil’s Tramping Ground” is self-explanatory. This circle of land, located in the pine woods of Bear Creek, North Carolina, is allegedly where the devil “tramps” about as he muses over his evil deeds.

But everything else about this haunted forest is a mystery.

For starters, how did this oddly barren circle of land — where nothing seems to grow except for tough, stringy grass — first develop? And why does it seem to swallow anything that visitors leave within its 40-foot diameter?

opus2008/FlickrA closer look at Devil’s Tramping Ground, believed to be one of America’s most haunted forests.

No one knows for sure, but there have been plenty of guesses. Aside from the devil’s nightly strolls, some have speculated that the Devil’s Tramping Ground was formed by horses at a former molasses mill on the site. Others claim that it was once used for Native American dancing ceremonies. And some suspect that it’s somehow linked to the lost colony of Roanoke.

According to the Encyclopedia of North Carolina, scientific studies at the site have proven one thing: the soil within Devil’s Tramping Ground has a high level of salt, which is probably why nothing grows.

Curiously, however, laying down salt is one method that believers might use to stop malicious spirits from entering their homes.

author

A senior staff writer for All That's Interesting since 2021 and co-host of the History Uncovered Podcast, Kaleena Fraga graduated with a dual degree in American History and French Language and Literature from Oberlin College. She previously ran the presidential history blog History First, and has had work published in The Washington Post, Gastro Obscura, and elsewhere. She has published more than 1,200 pieces on topics including history and archaeology. She is based in Brooklyn, New York.

editor

Based in Brooklyn, New York, John Kuroski is the editorial director of All That's Interesting. He graduated from New York University with a degree in history, earning a place in the Phi Alpha Theta honor society for history students. An editor at All That's Interesting since 2015, his areas of expertise include modern American history and the ancient Near East. In an editing career spanning 17 years, he previously served as managing editor of Elmore Magazine in New York City for seven years.

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Fraga, Kaleena. "The 9 Most Haunted Forests Around The World, From Transylvania To New Jersey." AllThatsInteresting.com, October 30, 2024, https://allthatsinteresting.com/haunted-forests. Accessed July 31, 2025.