10 Scary Urban Legends of California

10 Scary Urban Legends of California

The myths and legends in California are as old as the state itself. Most of the legends and ghost stories told today have been passed down for generations.

Below are 10 interesting California legends.

1. A mysterious hotel fire in the Town of Cerro Gordo

Cerro Gordo Mines and ghost town in the Inyo Mountains – Inyo County, eastern California. Photo by LCGS Russ/Wikimedia Commons

Cerro Gordo was a 19^th Century mining town that had become a tourist attraction site. On June 15, 1871, an American Hotel opened in the town. 149 years to the day, the hotel burnt to the ground in unclear circumstances. The LA Times described the fire that broke out on June 15, 2020, as having demon-like flames. With the help of a caretaker, Brent Underwood who had turned the town into a tourist destination used buckets to pour water on the fire. The fire department told Underwood that there were a number of different things that could have caused the fire in the old building. Underwood, however, says the caretaker told him of shadowy creatures that were seen in the hotel at 4 pm the previous day. The Cerro Gordo town is known for its bizarre myths.

2. Demons in the Alcatraz prison Cells

Entrance to Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. Photo by Elwood J Blues/Wikimedia Commons

Legend is the cells in Alcatraz prison are haunted by ghosts of guards and prisoners. One of the myths states that in the 1940s, a prisoner was locked in solitary confinement at the prison. The prisoner kept screaming that a demonic being with glowing eyes was trying to kill him. The guards refused to open the door as they thought the prisoner was looking for an excuse to be let out. The following morning, the prisoner was found dead and no one could explain what transpired.

3. The abundant Ghosts in the old west outpost of Bodie

Bodie is a carefully preserved west outpost, museum, and historic landmark. The town has several ghosts who haunt different areas of the town. Each building in the town seems to have its own folktale. There is a legend of miners who visit prospecting offices and a small girl, who haunts her gravesite. One remarkable aspect of the town is you are not allowed to take anything from the town. Despite being illegal to do so, legend has it that anyone who takes anything from the town will be cursed. The town’s museum has a book filled with letters from those who returned the items they took. The items are returned with the hope of breaking the curse.

4. The Charred Man haunting Camp Comfort County Park

Amongst California’s folktales is the legend of the charred man.  The mystical tale is, that a burning creature is often spotted in the woods near Camp Comfort County Park. This disfigured creature, which is neither man nor beast, tries to kill anyone who stops their car near those woods. Lucky survivors report dents on their vehicles and ash marks. It’s not clear what exactly the creature is. Some say the creature was a bus driver who killed his passengers after running mad and crashing. Others say it’s a child who burnt in a fire while others say it’s a demon.

5. The hushed tale of Joshua Tree Skinwalkers

Image of Joshua trees. The park was named after the Joshua Tree. Photo by Doug Dolde/Wikimedia Commons

Skinwalkers are said to be medicine men and malicious witches who do not like being looked at. Native Americans of Joshua Tree avoid speaking about them as the mention is said to bring misfortunes. Legend is, the Skinwalkers shapeshift into wolves or coyotes and can sometimes pretend to be injured children to lure their unsuspecting victims. Skinwalkers are said to frequently visit Joshua Tree National Park. The frightening bit is people often go missing in Joshua Tree. Some are found dead and others disappear without a trace.

6. The Satanic cult of Turnbull Canyon

Turnbull Canyon from Skyline. Photo by Ormr2014/Wikimedia Commons

Despite being a hiker’s paradise, there are a number of myths about Turnbull Canyon. The most bizarre one occurred during the Great Depression. Legend is a satanic cult that bought and sold children in Turnbull Canyon. These children were killed during dark rituals. It is said that even today, the children’s ghosts still haunt the area.

7. The Stow Lake Ghost and the statue in her honor

Legend is a woman went for a walk with her child in the Golden Gate State Park. The woman, who had her baby in the stroller sat down near Stow Lake. She got into an engrossing conversation with another lady, that they did not see the stroller roll away. When it was time to leave, the lady searched in vain for her missing baby, asking everyone she came across if they had seen her baby. She checked everywhere and when her search yielded nothing, she had nowhere else to check other than in the lake. In search of her baby, the woman went into the lake and never came out again. To honor her, a statue was built by the lake. Legend is, you can use the statue to summon her.

8. The ghosts of the Colorado Street Bridge on Route 66

Built-in 1912, the first time someone jumped off the Colorado Street Bridge was in 1919. On that bridge, there have been a minimum of one hundred suicides since then. Legend is, the Colorado Street Bridge ghosts pressurize anyone walking by to jump to their death.

9. The Ghost of California’s Hollywood Sign

Hollywood Sign. Photo by De’Andre Bush on Unsplash

The California Hollywood sign is said to be haunted by the ghost of an early1900s Hollywood actress, Peg Entwistle. When a devastating review of one of her films was published, Entwistle went to the Hollywood sign and jumped to her death. The tale is, Entwistle is usually spotted as the lady in white at the sign’s letter H, from where she jumped. Her hollow eye sockets and skeletal face are said to scare hikers who dare to venture to the off-limits section of the sign. Those who dare to venture that far are encouraged by Entwistle’s ghost to jump to their deaths.

10. A Mysterious Murder at the Cecil Hotel

Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles. Photo by Jim Winstead/Wikimedia Commons

This incident is said to have occurred in 2013. Guests booked at the Cecil Hotel said that their tap water was dark in color. Upon checking, the hotel’s maintenance personnel discovered a corpse that had been decomposing for weeks. The corpse was that of Elisa Lam. The police were not able to establish who or what killed Lam. The hotel’s CCTV footage showed a terrified-looking Lam getting into the elevator and peeping like she was looking for someone. It was not clear if Lam was having a manic episode. One suggestion was Lam had Tuberculosis. Interestingly, a LAM-ELISA is a test used to determine if one has TB.