Weird Haunted High Country North Carolina

Folklore and ghost stories are important. They connect us to our past, and keep memories alive in one form or another. Unfortunately, many stories and tales appeared in books and periodicals that are hard to find, out of print, or have vanished completely. Inside you'll read about the ghosts, urban legends, superstitions about witches, mysterious creatures, strange unidentified flying objects, and other tall tales from Avery, Madison, Watauga, and Yancey Counties, North Carolina. Some books are good at "spinning a yarn", especially out of Southern Appalachian urban legends. Other books have presented the folklore as presented. Word of mouth can completely change a story, as well. Whenever possible, this book dives deep into a story to uncover the persons and true stories behind the legends.

North Carolina is rich in Native American, Colonial, and Civil War history, and this heritage brings stories of ghosts and creatures from coastal tidewater to the western mountains. Readers will encounter the spirit of infant Virginia Dare in the form of a white deer, shipwreck survivors guided by ghosts to safety, a Halifax County reverend's encounter with the Devil, phantom marauders at Hannah's Creek Swamp, the spirit who directed his will from the grave, hauntings in the State Capitol, and mysterious figures at Devil's Stairs.

Just as the Blue Ridge Mountains dot the landscape of this famed North Carolina county, so do the spirits of the residents who have long since passed. At the Hickory Ridge Museum, one cabin fills with the scent of pipe tobacco just before its otherworldly resident appears, and the ghost of a hanged Tory captain rides his steed along Riddle's Knob every misty midnight. From the story of the haunted spring near the Watauga River frequented by the ghost of a headless dog to the distant buzz of a phantom airplane flying high above Howard's Knob mountain in Boone, these tales are bound to chill even the bravest of readers. Noted journalist Tim Bullard delves into the eerie past of Watauga County as he recounts the stories of the souls doomed to forever roam the pine-covered hills.

Rich in Native American, Colonial, and Civil War history, North Carolina harbors ghosts from tidewater to mountains.

Covering all 50 states, "Weird U.S." takes an unconventional look at the oddities, outcasts, and just plain strange things to see or do in America.

These dark hills and hollers hold endless secret wonders. UFO sightings join mysterious booming noises and the famous Brown Mountain Lights in lists of unexplained phenomena. Ghosts abound from Biltmore to Grandfather Mountain. Learn about the Phantom Rider of the Confederacy and all the spots where the devil is said to have set foot on Tar Heel soil. Sightings of Bigfoot join the legend of the Wampus Cat in tales told around the fire at night. Master storyteller Sherman Carmichael explores the lore of the mountains.

Just as the Blue Ridge Mountains dot the landscape of this famed North Carolina county, so do the spirits of the residents who have long since passed. At the Hickory Ridge Museum, one cabin fills with the scent of pipe tobacco just before its otherworldly resident appears, and the ghost of a hanged Tory captain rides his steed along Riddles Knob every misty midnight. From the story of the haunted spring near the Watauga River frequented by the ghost of a headless dog to the distant buzz of a phantom airplane flying high above Howards Knob mountain in Boone, these tales are bound to chill even the bravest of readers. Noted journalist Tim Bullard delves into the eerie past of Watauga County as he recounts the stories of the souls doomed to forever roam the pine-covered hills.

Eighteen stories deal with witches, ghosts, an enchanted lake, a phantom choir, a lover's leap, Bigfoot, fairies, and magic.