Spooky Locations by the Sea
Spooky season is here and what better way to get into the macabre mood than with a couple of haunted locations we’d personally be too scared to visit this month! However, if your adventurous spirit calls, check out these spooky destinations by the sea that are not intended for the faint of heart! Whether it’s a tall tale, town gossip or truth? You decide.
Sutro Baths at Ocean Beach
The Sutro Bath ruins are hauntingly beautiful scenery by the sea. Frequented by local San Franciscans and tourists alike, this part of Land’s End park on the westernmost tip of the San Francisco Bay Peninsula is sure to get you into the spooky spirit.
Once completed in 1896, the large swimming pool complex was the getaway destination to the wealthiest families of the Bay Area. Six saltwater pools were filled directly from the pacific ocean during high tide through an elaborate natural pump system and two freshwater pools. After years of renovations and new developments, including an ice rink, the baths finally met their demise during a catastrophic fire in the 1960s. Nothing is left aside from majestic ruins and small pools now covered in graffiti and open to the public.
The Sutro Baths tunnel is said to be one of the most haunted locations in the bay area, where ghostly images appear. It is rumored that many murders or “human sacrifices” (for who and what, we don’t know, nor do we care to investigate) have taken place inside the tunnel. If you’re feeling like testing fate, it is also said that upon nightfall, a light can be seen flickering from the tunnel, and if you approach said light, you will be thrown into the abyss of the Pacific Ocean water. New fear unlocked!
Location: San Francisco, CA
Learn More: nps.gov
Oregon’s Manzanita Beach
It seems like the places with the most history tend to hold the most paranormal activity. Well, at least that can be said for the beaches in Manzanita, Oregon. We’ll need some fact-checking here (these are ghost stories, so really, we don’t care!), but supposedly in the 16th century, Spanish colonizers were shipwrecked close to Manzanita Beach. Seemingly lost and stranded, they then carried a chest of gold up towards the mountains. It is said that in hopes of stopping potential treasure thieves, the sailors murdered a man to be buried with a chest full of gold. It is also rumored that not just one man was murdered, but rather the sailors went on a killing spree of anyone that came near the trail as they made their way towards the mountain.
Fast forward to 2021, the trail from Manzanita Beach leading to Neahkahnie Mountain is said to be haunted. The spirits of those innocent souls murdered by conniving and greedy pirates loom over the beach. Speculations started to circulate after piles of rocks were built seemingly overnight, with no culprits in sight! This has led locals to believe that the trail is truly haunted and those old tales must be true! If you’re in for a treasure hunt or picking up rocks (whatever floats your boat?), head on over and let us know!
Location: Manzanita, Oregon
Learn More: traveloregon.com
Pensacola Lighthouse in Florida
The Pensacola Lighthouse is home to one of the most breathtaking views on the Gulf Coast, but first, you must climb 177 steps to reach the top! This lighthouse is located in Florida, first colonized by the Spanish in the 1500s. Then by the French, British and after much back and forth between those countries, until it finally became American territory. Built-in 1859, this was the first lighthouse authorized by Congress! During the civil war, Florida seceded from the union and confederate troops overtook its control.
So what’s all the buzz about? Not only is this a historical gem, but with its vast history, this lighthouse has seen a million lifetimes. If the walls could talk, they would tell you all about the horrors of slavery, war and death surrounding the conception of our nation. Our dark history festers in the soil. When visiting this location, tourists and locals report hearing their names being called, pulled in certain directions, eerie feelings and unwarranted touches. The spirits do not make themselves unseen. If you visit, you are more likely than not to experience something unexplainable. So much so that this particular spot has been featured in an array of paranormal investigations, including; Ghost Hunters! Check it out, visit and let us know!
Location: Pensacola, FL
Learn More: pensacolalighthouse.org
The Queen Mary
Docked on the Southern California coastline of Long Beach lies RMS Queen Mary. Briefly used as a World War II warship, the boat was used mainly as a luxury ocean liner until the late 1960s. After being purchased in 1967 by the city of Long Beach, the ship has been used as a hotel. The haunted rumors stem from the many deaths said to have occurred within its walls.
Apparently, at least one murder has occurred, a sailor was crushed to death by the engine room door, and an abundance of children have drowned in the pool’s waters. We can only imagine what other tragedies have happened within the walls of each room since then. To this day, the engine room is considered to be the paranormal hotspot. The hotel profits and plays Inheavily into the haunted rumors by offering late-night tours in true Los Angeles fashion during October.