New Jersey gets a lot of hate for smelling bad, but maybe we should focus less on the smell and more on the hauntings that fill the state. With the Clinton Road hauntings seeing so much of the spotlight recently, let's look into the other areas of the state we should avoid.
1. Clinton Road
Clinton Road has seen a lot of attention lately in the media. Mark Moran, the co-creator of Weird NJ describes it saying "It's like a dark highway into people's innermost fears." There are many dark tales of hauntings along this road, including ghosts, cannibalism, satanic worship and ghostly headlights. Many have reported ghastly tales over the years, but many others remain skeptical.
2. The NJ Devil
Probably New Jersey's most famous folklore. The New Jersey Devil is described as kangaroo-like, with the head of a goat, bat wings, horns, tiny arms, clawed hands and a forked tail. Legend has it that it has a blood-curdling scream and that it runs quickly. The creature inhabits the Pine Barrens in NJ.
3. Woodbridge Cemetary Snake
This folklore dates all the way back to 1896 at the funeral of Lulu Lorch. According to legend, the snake is said to have wrapped itself around her casket; anyone who looked the snake would die. Her brother died of heart failure only 20 minutes after her funeral.
4. The Devil's Tree
Everyone in the vicinity of this tree seems to have a story about it. It has caused numerous murders and deaths, and anyone who tries to cut it down will meet an untimely end. The souls of those taken by the tree give it an unnatural warmth, meaning no snow falls around it.
5. Sussex Sea Serpent
Hoppie is the name of the friendly sea serpent that has been spotted in Sussex, NJ. When she was first spotted in 1894 many people panicked, but now she is widely regarded as being friendly. Hoppie has been described as 40 feet long, with the head of a dog and the body of a snake.
6. Flander's Hotel
Opened originally in 1923, the Flanders Hotel is still open and running today. One of the best-known hauntings at this hotel is Emily, the Lady in White. She is said to be in her early 20s and has long brown hair. Guests have seen her wandering the hallways of the hotel barefoot.
7. Tom's River Terror
Only a week after moving in, the family that recently moved into this Tom's River home fled in the middle of the night. The family claimed they heard doors opening and slamming and unintelligible whispering. However, it was the rumbling of something below the floor vents that really drove the family out.
New Jersey is filled with urban legends, no matter how fantastical they may seem it is still fun to believe!
