Mono Hot Springs is a gem nestled in the Sierra Nevada in Northern California.
It’s the ideal vacation spot if you seek some R&R, especially as it offers hot mineral baths, a spa, and therapeutic hot springs.
It’s equally exhilarating for action lovers as it offers boating, hiking, fishing experiences, and much more.
JTGoirish/flickr
Updated 2/11/2020 – But what you may not know is that according to witnesses and well-known psychics, the resort is a hotbed for the paranormal.
Over the years, people stopping by Mono Hot Springs have come across entities they couldn’t explain.
While some were lucky enough to tell their stories, others may still be trapped there for eternity.
To avoid joining the latter, keep these 10 entities and places in mind during your visit to the place.
10 Terrifying Paranormal Encounters At The Mono Hot Springs In California
10) Shadow People near the Historic Stone Cabins
antimusick/flickr
When they settled for the night, a group of friends staying at one of the historic stone cabins never expected to be up until dawn.
According to one of them, he had trouble sleeping because he felt a presence around midnight.
Lying on the bed, he felt as if something momentarily obstructed the light outside his room’s door.
He saw a figure “flow” through the door towards the side of his bed.
At first, he thought it was a joke.
But when he tried grabbing the ‘prankster’, his hand stung as if he had touched hot smoke or steam.
While the smoke-like creature lurked at the foot of the bed, he heard another friend curse loudly in the next room.
It wasn’t long, though, before his angry screams turned into scared cries.
Just as his friend started running towards his room, the creature near his bed disappeared.
9) The Woman in White at Doris Lake
mike servedio/flickr
Another true spooky story comes from a family that visited Doris Lake, a popular swimming hole which is an easy one-mile hike from the Mono Hot Springs resort.
The couple and their teenage sons chose the lake for an evening dip to cool off.
Just as they were about to get in, however, they discovered they weren’t alone.
A woman in white who “appeared to be very pretty from a distance” called out to the boys.
She asked her if they saw her boyfriend James.
She repeated her question as she drew closer to them.
And that’s when the mother saw her face.
It was all rotten.
As if she had been at the bottom of the lake for many years.
The family ran with only their swimming suits on.
While she didn’t follow them, the father claims everyone experienced fever and chills for three days afterwards.
8) The Little People in the Range of Light
mlhradio/flickr
If the hiker’s story is true, there are shadow people lurking in the California High Sierra Wilderness known as the Range of Light.
Tempted by the beautiful landscape, a young woman decided to hike in the remote area between Yosemite and Kings Canyon Parks.
Her hike, however, kept on being interrupted by the Little People residing in the area.
According to her blog, she felt as if she had been tripped just as she entered the most remote stretch of the wilderness.
At first, she thought she fell.
But when this happened three times within an hour, she was sure something wasn’t right.
Her suspicions increased when she felt her backpack shake violently.
Throwing it down, she felt sand blow in her eyes.
When she could see clearly again, the bag’s flap was open and tiny footprints were near it.
She quickly made her way to the resort, leaving her bag behind in case it still wasn’t empty.
7) The Cowboy at Old Pedro
david gardiner/flickr
Three women visiting Mono Hot Springs claim that Old Pedro is haunted.
Opting for the natural spring instead of one at the resort, the women decided to have a soak after sunset.
After slipping into the spring, they heard the sound of splashes from the nearby San Joaquin River.
They couldn’t see anyone at first.
Suddenly, a man dressed in cowboy gear started walking towards them.
Thinking he was another guest, they tried striking a conversation with him.
The man, however, didn’t respond and continued walking ahead.
As he neared Old Pedro, the women huddled to one side.
But instead of sinking into the hot spring, the cowboy glided over the water and disappeared in a nearby bush.
6) The Unseen Patrons in River Rock Café
mark lum/flickr
River Rock Café is supposedly haunted by several entities according to one of the guests who stayed in the resort.
While having dinner there, he heard a small child laugh.
But there weren’t any children in the café that day.
He also claims he felt cold hands touch the back of his neck and saw his fork levitate inches from the table.
But what scared him the most was the image flitting in the mirror at the café.
According to his story, a cold set of eyes kept appearing in the mirror and vanishing whenever someone passed by it.
5) Thundering Stagecoach in Mono Hot Springs Campground
jennifer frederick/flickr
While camping at the resort’s famous campground, a couple claim they heard hooves stomping outside their tent.
This was a surprising sound considering that it was close to 4 am at the time.
The wife was especially concerned as the hooves seemed “too close for comfort”.
When it was quiet for a bit, the couple peeked out of their tent.
To their surprise, they saw a large stagecoach outside their tent.
There was no driver, but the horses weren’t moving at all.
Suddenly, they heard a cracking sound and the horses began thundering away.
The large stagecoach started swaying as they sped, scaring the couple back into their tent.
Come morning, however, there were no marks indicating that horses or a coach had been near their tent.
4) The Unfriendly Postmaster at the Post Office
bart teeuwisse/flickr
After visiting the post office to restock his supplies, a hiker complained about the unfriendly service he received.
According to his review, the postmaster, who was dressed surprisingly in old fashioned garb, ignored him at first.
When he finally got his attention, he spoke gruffly to the hiker.
Though angry, he kept quiet in hopes of getting his things quickly.
However, the man didn’t give them and instead “acted as if deaf”.
The hiker then decided to talk to someone else.
After he received his things, he pointed at the other post office worker and complained about his behavior.
The woman who served him “looked blank” and asked who he was pointing at.
According to her, she was the only one on duty that day.
When the hiker turned towards the postmaster, he was gone.
3) The Entity near the San Joaquin River
punahou77/flickr
A fly fishing enthusiast, a man hiked to the nearby San Joaquin River to catch the Rainbow Trout Mono Hot Springs is famous for.
He set up before dawn to catch many early.
While waiting for the fish to bite, he felt a cold breeze spring up from nowhere.
The breeze came from the wooded area behind him, but, surprisingly, it only reached the edge of the river.
Not a single ripple broke the surface of the water.
The fisherman suddenly felt the uncontrollable urge to look around.
That’s when he heard a splash near his line.
When he looked towards the water, he felt a great presence descend around him.
It felt heavy, dark, and sad.
As he spent more time there, he felt the presence intensity, crushing him under its weight.
When another angler came nearby, the presence disappeared altogether.
Warning the other guy, he returned to his campsite as fast as he could.
2) ‘Red Eyes’ in Evolution Valley
steve dunleavy/flickr
During an overnight spot pack trip to Evolution Valley in Kings Canyon National Park, a female rider refused to sleep due to fear.
When she first settled for the night, she suddenly felt crushed under a heavy weight.
When she opened her eyes to look at her attacker, she was terrified to see a pair of red eyes glare at her.
She began screaming at the thing to get off and it did… for a while before returning later that night.
When she tried going to her horse, the presence caught her ankle and dragged her inside.
It wouldn’t let her leave until morning, returning throughout the night to keep her inside the tent.
Luckily, day broke and she got the courage to ride back to the High Sierra Pack Station.
1) Rotting Woman of Florence Lake
alec/flickr
A couple staying at Mono Hot Springs decided to go kayaking at Florence Lake.
Little did they know this would be a memorable trip… for all the wrong reasons.
The female was a little ahead when her kayak suddenly flipped and she fell into the water.
This surprised her partner as she was as experienced as he was.
But what scared him was the fact that she didn’t resurface immediately.
So, he jumped into the water behind her.
When he opened his eyes, he was faced by a terrifying scene.
A long-haired, green-colored female had one arm wrapped her waist and another covering her mouth.
The rotting woman opened her mouth as if laughing, further scaring the man.
However, he still had the courage to fight with her.
Apparently giving up, she let his partner loose and sunk into the darker parts of the lake.