Get Spooked: Haunted Hikes, Ghost Towns, and Spooky Sites

Hang out with Mt. Rainier’s most well-known ghouls and ghosts

Head out on a goosebump-rising adventure in the shadows of the famed Mt. Rainier. Beyond the serene lakes and peaceful trails, this region is home to its fair share of phantom-filled spots. Whether you’re hoping to find a haunted hike, an abandoned ghost town, or an eerie special event, the spooky sites near Mt. Rainier definitely won’t disappoint.

Head Out on a Haunted Hike

If you’re looking for a haunted hike near Mt. Rainier, the Camp Muir Trail is at the top of the list. Even without the spooky factor, this hike is difficult, covering nine miles and 4,788 feet of elevation. It easily takes the most advanced hikers a full day to finish and is often the first leg of Mount Rainier summitting trips. The story of Camp Muir’s haunted reputation begins with a Nisqually Native American legend about Mount Rainier. As the tale goes, Tahoma, the spirit of Mount Rainier, would devour mountaineers into her “cave-like stomach.” It’s safe to say that no member of the Nisqually tribe wanted to take that risk – even when the first potential Rainier mountaineers asked for their help in 1870. Nowadays, thousands of avid hikers take to the Camp Muir Trail every single year – both for its incredible views and its haunted history. And if you’re up for the challenge, you can join their ranks! Just be sure to check the weather and conditions before venturing out.

Pay a Visit to a Ghost Town

The beautiful Alder Lake sits somewhere between a haunted natural landmark and a spooky ghost town. Once upon a time, Alder Lake was a completely dry logging and mining town known as Alder. But in 1942, the entire town was evacuated for the Nisqually Dam Project, which then created today’s Alder Lake. While the people of Alder left town safe and healthy, the buildings and other artifacts were left behind. Now, when Alder Lake reaches its lowest water level, hikers can walk on the remnants of this nearly forgotten town via the Alder Lake Loop. Add the swirling morning mist into the mix, and you’ll see why this eerie lake is one of the spookiest sites near Mt. Rainier.

Old Alder. Click photo to see more images.

While the ghost town of Alder flies under everyone’s radar, the ghost town of Melmont is front and center.

Established in the early 1900s as a thriving coal mining town, Melmont had everything a town could need, including a school, a post office, a saloon, a train depot, and even a hotel! But within the next decade or two, the mines began to close down, and Melmont slowly but surely was abandoned. When a forest fire swept through the town soon after, not much remained of the now ghost town.

Today, you can hike your way to this Mt. Rainier ghost town.

Depending on what route you take (most ghost seekers opt to take the trail on the Carbonado side of the Fairfax bridge), it can take anywhere from an hour and a half to four hours to reach the abandoned remnants of Melmont. While it might take a bit of searching, you can find the old schoolhouse walls, railroad tracks, and even the remnants of an old bridge at this spooky Mt. Rainier attraction.

Melmont to Fairfax bridge foundations. Click photo to see more images.

Experience a Spooky Special Event

If talk of ghosts and ghouls give you goosebumps, consider leaving the haunted sites behind and heading to one of the spooky special events in the Mt. Rainier area instead. Grab your gals for Witches Night Out in Enumclaw, where you can participate in a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt, meet Krampus, and don your coolest witch costume. Or bring the kids along to Hoot ‘n’ Howl at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Eatonville, where the whole family can walk along through spookily lit paths, do a little trick-or-treating, and keep an ear out for nocturnal animal noises.

So are you ready for a little spooky fun near Mount Rainier? Grab your Halloween costume or your hiking boots (whichever’s appropriate) and have a happily haunted time!

Written by Sarah Etinas