The Haunted Picnic Table #29 at Griffith Park

Stretched over 4,210 acres, Griffith Park is one of the largest urban parks in North America.

It’s a paranormal enthusiast’s favorite exploring spot as it reportedly has a terrible curse, a number of ghosts, and a creature which witnesses described as a long humanoid that takes huge strides, has a bent back and long neck, and flaunts black eyes and transparent green skin.

The Haunted Picnic Table #29 at Griffith Park

Destruction

Updated 2/10/2020 – However, as reported in this article, none of these is as creepy as the happenings which take place at Picnic Table #29.

The Ghosts at Griffith Park’s Picnic Table #29

Haunted Picnic Table #29

Photo credit: Late for Nowhere

22-year-old musician Rand Garrett and 20-year-old aspiring actress Nancy Jeanson were childhood sweethearts.

While making love at a picnic table #29 at Griffith Park, they were inconceivably crushed by a nearby tree that fell on them.

Their cremated remains were scattered on the table and its surroundings, laying to rest the lovers who died in each other’s’ arms.

To further immortalize the lovers, someone scribbled “RIP 10/31/1976 Rand + Nancy” on the top of the picnic table (the green inscription on the table you see in the picture).

Despite the fact that their ashes have long since blown away, many eerie events tend to take place there, especially around their death anniversary.

This could indicate that the spirits of Rand and Nancy aren’t too far away from the picnic table they had died at.

Further adding to the mystery is the fact that the fallen tree hasn’t rotted over the past 40 years

The Unhappy Lovers’ Hauntings

Table #29 at Griffith Park

Photo credit: Late for Nowhere

Many people who worked at Griffith Park have encountered Nancy and Rand or suffered at their hands.

One of the first incidents was reported by city tree trimmer Morris Carl, who was authorized to clear the fallen tree.

According to the incident report he filed that evening, Carl arrived at the site on November 7 at 11:40 am.

He was entrusted with sawing the branches and trunk of the tree.

However, after starting a routine procedure, he was overcome by a strange sensation.

“In my statement I said that I felt funny.

What happened was I’d sawed off the crown of the tree when from out of nowhere I got hit with these real strong chills so hard it was as if I was coming down with the fastest flu ever.

I tried to shake it off and get back to work, but each time I’d fire up the saw and get near the tree I’d get real cold and hear this weird moaning and crying.

So I’d stop the saw and listen and it would go away.

But then I’d start her up again and it would come back.

Finally, I was freezing so bad I had to go to the truck and get my coat.”

That’s when the tree started shaking violently.

“The tree just went crazy!

Not just lightly shaking, but bouncing up and down as if someone was picking it up and dropping it.”

The tree kept shaking the heavy power saw off the table continuously and only stopped moving when it succeeded.

However, things didn’t end there.

The moaning started again and Cark heard an insistent whisper in his ear:

“Leave Us Alone”.

Griffith Park Haunted Picnic Table Black White

Carl tried escaping, but his engine wouldn’t start.

That’s when the threat got real.

“Next thing is this rubbing sound along the windshield and letters are being written across the fogged up glass.

First there’s an “n” and an “e” and the first word is “next.”

Then there’s a “t” and an “i” and then that ends up being “time.”

Then a “y” and an “o” and a “u.

The last word was “die.”

While they did let Carl off the hook, Nancy and Rand weren’t as kind to his supervisor Dennis Higgs.

Agreeing to a $500 bet to cut the tree after dark, Higgs was found the next morning flat on his back and not moving.

His chainsaw was by his side and, amazingly, its blade was bent in a u-shape.

Now the coroner had listed the cause of death as a heart attack, but those who saw Higgs’ corpse remarked that his hair had gone completely white and that he wore a horrified frozen expression.

The police further revealed that Higgs’ hands were injured and his fingernails were broken.

Investigating further, they deduced that he had struggled against “someone” who dragged him along the ground for 15 feet towards the picnic table.

Many park workers have been told to leave the ghosts of picnic table #29 over the years, which is why the tree hasn’t been removed till this day.

And don’t try doing it yourself if you’re heading to Griffith Park.

Many who did so before you were grabbed around the chest, given the same warning, and barely escaped with their lives among horrible sobbing sounds, screams and a wicked laughter.