If your interests run to the dark and mysterious, Washington State has no shortage of macabre sites to send a chill down your spine. From tragic historical haunts to sites steeped in ghost stories, here are 10 must-see creepy places that guarantee goosebumps.
Wellington Avalanche Disaster Site (Iron Goat Trail, Stevens Pass)
Known as the site of America’s deadliest avalanche, Wellington was buried in 1910 under a torrent of snow that killed 96 people. Hikers walking the old railroad grade report hearing phantom voices, feeling oppressed, spotting shadowy figures, and even detecting singing where the doomed town once stood. The tragic energy here remains palpable—especially on foggy days.
Starvation Heights (Olalla)
Once the “sanitarium” of Dr. Linda Hazzard—a quack and serial killer who starved patients to death in the early 1900s—this Kitsap County site exudes true horror. Hazzard’s macabre “treatments” claimed more than 18 documented victims. The property is now private but stories persist of anguished spirits, cries for help, and unexplainable phenomena lingering around the grounds.
Ape Cave (Gifford Pinchot National Forest)
Descending into this two-mile-long, pitch-black lava tube near Mount St. Helens is a creepy adventure in itself. The ever-present darkness, chilling cold, and stories of “ape men” or Bigfoot sightings make it particularly unsettling. Even without the legends, navigating the silent, subterranean world tests your nerves.
Pike Place Market (Seattle)
Beyond fish-throwing and market bustle, Pike Place is home to Seattle’s most storied hauntings—including the ghost of Princess Angeline, longtime vendors, and phantom children. The market’s bones hide a mortuary past, and visitors have reported seeing apparitions, hearing disembodied voices, and feeling cold gusts where no draft exists.
Kells Irish Pub (Seattle)
Set in the Butterworth Building—a former mortuary—Kells Irish Pub is widely regarded as the most haunted pub in the United States. Ghosts of undertakers, playful children, and unsettled souls from its funerary days are regularly reported by staff and patrons alike. Expect shattered mirrors, falling glasses, and the sense of eyes upon you from the shadows.
Port Townsend
This Victorian port town is reputedly one of the most haunted in America. Ghost tours highlight more than 25 sites, from the spirit-filled Palace Hotel to Manresa Castle, Fort Worden, and the Ann Starrett Mansion. Frequent sightings include ladies in blue, mischief-making madams, and otherworldly voices drifting in historic hallways.
Monte Cristo Ghost Town
Nestled in the Cascade Mountains, this mining town was abandoned after fires, floods, and disastrous winters. Modern-day hikers report apparitions of miners and an eerily oppressive atmosphere—a true ghost town in every sense of the word.
Greenwood Cemetery “Thousand Steps” (Spokane)
Famed for its long, haunted stairway, Greenwood Cemetery is the setting of many local legends. Visitors claim to encounter phantom faces, hear ghostly voices, and experience intense unease—few dare complete the climb to the top without turning back.
Northern State Hospital (Sedro-Woolley)
Once housing over 2,000 patients, this sprawling abandoned asylum is now a magnet for ghost hunters. Its crumbling buildings and quiet cemetery are rumored to be haunted by former patients, with tales of apparitions and haunted corridors.
Port Gamble and Walker-Ames House
This Kitsap Peninsula town is considered a paranormal hotspot, with the Walker-Ames House being especially active. Expect children’s laughter, sightings of spectral nannies, and a general sense of ghostly unrest through the Victorian streets and museum.
From historic disasters and abandoned asylums to bustling markets layered with unquiet ghosts, Washington’s creepy and macabre side offers a haunting itinerary for the brave explorer. Pack a flashlight, steel your nerves, and prepare for one of America’s most spine-tingling stateate road trips.
Sources
[1] https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/wellington-ghost-town
[2] https://www.heraldnet.com/news/ghost-hunters-to-stake-out-site-of-1910-train-disaster/
[3] https://www.americanhauntingsink.com/the-white-death
[4] https://seattleterrors.com/dr-linda-hazzard-starvation-heights/
[5] https://www.historylink.org/File/7955
