Clinton Road, New Jersey
On the Astonishing Legends’ blog we are no stranger to covering haunted roads. We’ve covered roads from Florida to England, and many spaces in between. And, tonight we head to another haunted road rife with activity: Clinton Road, in West Milford, New Jersey.
As if New Jersey isn’t haunted enough, what with the Pine Barrens and the New Jersey Devil, it also has haunted roads. Clinton Road in New Jersey is said to be a particularly busy road, and not just because of traffic. There are several haunts and superstitions that roam the road. It is a desolate, back road of about 10 miles that includes sights both visible and invisible. One of the strangest is the remnants of a large stone furnace and the remains of a former castle. Oh, and did I mention there are allegedly some jungle animals in the area?
Yes, you just read that right. There was a safari-themed tourist attraction named Jungle Habitat that operated for several years before closing down in the 1970s. Its remnants are just off the road, and though all the animals were said to be moved there have been reports of strange creatures lurking in the forest…perhaps the ghosts of former residents?
Another famous tale is that of the death of a young boy on Dead man’s Curve, a treacherous part of the road. It is said that a young boy died at dead man's ghost and haunts the bridge below. People often throw coins for good luck, and the boy responds sometimes by tossing the coins back up at the people throwing them.
Like any good haunted road in America that is slightly forested it is also said that satanic rituals and witchcraft happens in the woods by the road. It is said they worship near the old castle and the stone furnace and if you catch them they will chase you out of the woods. Others highlight strange cars that tailgated them until they were pass the stretch of road and then would mysteriously turn around or stop following them.
There have been a handful of other oddities: UFO sightings, complete loss of phone signal for no reason, and weather that seemed to only take place on Clinton Road. Perhaps this road was built on a ley line.
This blog image is not of Clinton Road and not directly related to the blog. It is entitled The Lonely Mailbox and was taken by Flickr User Joseph Vadella. It is in the public domain.
Thanks to @THESILKENWHIP for submitting this Blogstonishing Suggestion!