Looking for the most haunted hikes in New York?
You’re in the right place.
New York is a large state, and within it are many haunted hikes that you can go on if you dare.
These hikes in New York go through a variety of places: cemeteries, old mansions, empty towns, and deserted forests.
No matter where you are in the state, there are haunted hikes in New York that you can take if you want to see strange sights and experience the paranormal.
Left credit: flickr/floodspectre – Right credit: flickr/vix2501
Updated 2/11/2020 – Each of these places has their own stories, and if you know where to go, you never know what you might see.
Keep your eyes peeled when you go on these hikes – you might hear weird sounds, or see strange things, or feel hands that are not there.
10 Most Haunted Hikes In New York
1. Letchworth Village
When you take hikes in New York, you might not think of going to Thiells, New York, but you should.
It’s the home of what used to be the Letchworth Village Institute for the Feeble Minded and Epileptic.
You can go on a long walk around the ruins of the hospital and see what is left.
Visitors say that they can still see lights turning on and off in some of the old rooms.
Some hikers have reported seeing shadows move between the equipment in the boiler room.
Moans and screams are often heard after dark.
According to some psychics, the souls of loved ones who met a tragic end linger here and do not want to be disturbed.
Photo credit: flickr/jeffs4653
Here are more incredible pictures of Letchworth:
flickr/ heather__moore
A ramp with overgrown trees and dead leaves.
Hikers report hearing whispers at sunset in this area.
flickr/jkonig
The graveyard where names are given to forgotten souls.
Dark shapes are said to sometimes wander between the markers and back to the trees.
Take a moment to reflect on your life here before deciding to enter Letchworth.
flickr/photography_by_ellen_dunn
Structural chaos within Letchworth.
Visitors report that cabinets open and close on their own.
Some have witnessed furniture being thrown about the room by an invisible force.
flickr/photography_by_ellen_dunn
The boiler room where moans and screams are often heard.
flickr/floodspectre
“Davey’s stairs”.
Reportedly where a former patient named “Davey” fell down the stairs and died instantly due to a broken neck.
Some visitors claim to see a body tumble down the staircase and suddenly disappear.
Prior to visiting, one woman got several phone psychic readings in the hopes of learning what might happen to her if she were to visit.
Each time, the psychics warned her to stay away from this place.
She visited anyway and was never heard from again.
flickr/photography_by_ellen_dunn & flickr/scharwenka
Industrial and moral decay.
Some believe patients were taken into this section and raped.
Today, visitors often report a “heavy presence” here.
2. Saratoga National Historical Park
In Stillwater, you can go on one of the hikes in New York that you will not forget.
Years and years ago, a man was killed by his own militia in the Civil War.
Now his ghost still roams the park, and visitors have seen him walking around wearing a three-cornered hat and a torn up militia uniform.
Some people say that they can even hear him moaning in pain when the ghost approaches.
Photo credit: flickr/ioglass
3. Seneca Hill
Near Minetto, you can go on a hike up Seneca Hill and see some paranormal activity.
Visitors to the area see a young woman with her daughter running up the hill quickly, as though they are afraid of something.
When they reach the top of the hill, both the woman and her child disappear.
No one knows who they are or what they are running from, but they always have a look of terror on their faces.
Photo credit: flickr/_harold_
4. Gray Road
By Minetto, you can go on one of the hikes in New York that has a lot of paranormal activity.
There is a ghost on the Gray Road who will appear to people late at night if they stop at the railroad tracks in the area.
People say that the ghost is a young woman who was killed on the train tracks years ago, but she never left her neighborhood and still appears to visitors today.
Photo credit: ghostlyhollow.com
5. Happy Valley Road
Near Oswego, you can go on one of the mysterious hikes in New York that no one can explain.
The village of Happy Valley used to flourish years ago, but all of a sudden the people who lived in the town disappeared.
No one knows if it was a disease, or part of the Great Depression, or some other accident.
You can still walk around the land where the village used to be and see the ruins left behind.
Photo credit: lite987.com
6. Lake Ronkonkoma
In Long Island, taking haunted hikes in New York should involve walking around Lake Ronkonkoma.
This lake is the largest freshwater lake in Long Island and it is popular during the summer, but there is more to it than meets the eye.
There is an angry spirit who haunts the lake, and legend says that she claims the life of one man every year.
Hundreds of years ago, Ronkonkoma was the name of a Native American who lived near the lake.
She fell in love with a white settler, but her father would not approve the match.
She would paddle out across the lake each night to give messages to her lover, but one day she could not take it any longer.
On the final night of her life, she killed herself in the middle of the lake.
Her lover died as well because he could not handle the anguish of losing his love.
To this day, Ronkonkoma still haunts the lake and remains bitter because she was not able to be with her lover.
At least one person has drowned every year in the lake, which is why people think that Ronkonkoma’s spirit purposefully lures someone away each year.
All of the drowning victims have been male, so some people wonder if Ronkonkoma is trying to replace the man she lost with a new partner.
If you take your hikes in New York to this area, you might be able to catch a glimpse of her.
Photo credit: flickr/robree
7. Morris Jumel Mansion
Here is one of the hikes in New York that you can do in the city itself.
There are plenty of haunted areas in New York City, but not all of them are open to the public.
Thankfully, you can get inside the Morris Jumel Mansion at certain times, if you know how to plan your hikes in New York carefully.
What is so special about the Morris Jumel Mansion?
The Morris Jumel Mansion is actually the oldest house on the entire island of Manhattan.
That means it has been standing since the middle of the 1700s.
The mansion served as temporary headquarters during the Revolutionary War, and George Washington used it as his office during part of the campaign.
Other famous people also lived in the Morris Jumel Mansion, including Aaron Burr.
This man is well-known for killing Alexander Hamilton, and Burr’s wife, Eliza Jumel, still haunts her old family home.
Eliza Jumel did not have the happiest marriage with Aaron Burr, as he was a hotheaded man who end up killing an important political figure.
Eliza Jumel spent a lot of time in the Morris Jumel Mansion, and she had a favorite room where she liked to sit every day.
Now some people visit on their hikes in New York and say that they can hear footsteps coming from this room, even though no one is there.
The light flickers on and off by itself, just as though someone were sitting in the room.
Photo credit: flickr/obsessivephotography
8. Gurnsey Hollow Cemetery
Near the town of Frewsburg, you can head down to the Gurnsey Hollow Cemetery.
According to legend, a young girl was killed by a gang in the cemetery because she was mentally handicapped.
The members of the gang were never brought to justice.
Now the girl’s restless spirit haunts this area.
If you walk down the road at night, you might see her.
Photo credit: flickr/gfoster67
9. Sweet Hollow Road
Take one of your hikes in New York in Huntington, and walk along the Sweet Hollow Road.
Visitors see a woman in white, whose name is Mary, and she appears in the evenings.
People say that Mary had a jealous boyfriend who pushed her in front of a car, killing her.
Many believe her spirit still walks along the road looking for help.
Some say she comes up to people and tries to speak, but disappears before they can do anything.
Photo credit: lipri.org
10. Oakland Cemetery
Yonkers has several different hikes in New York that brave people can go on.
Test your luck by taking a walk to the Oakland Cemetery.
If you spend the time to walk through the cemetery, you might see the three women who haunt this area.
Many visitors in the area have seen these three women walking toward them from the top of the hill nearby.
They often stand still, silently watching your every movement.
Photo credit: flickr/dyckmanfarmhouse
Your Next Step
Pick your favorite haunted hike from this list and get going.
But bring a friend and your bravery.
You never know what you might find…