A Creepy Abandoned Campsite In Texas' San Angelo State Park Is The Subject Of Ghost Stories And Speculation

Everyone loves a good ghost story around a campfire, but what if the campsite itself was haunted? If you're visiting West Texas, and you're in the San Angelo area for its fascinating (and spicy) history and river walk, you may want to visit San Angelo State Park. In the north unit of the park, you'll find a short hike called Lower Ghost Camp Trail that takes you from the River Bend campsite to one that may very well be haunted — if you believe in such things. The Lower Ghost Camp was built in 1995 and abandoned around 2002. There you'll see some old concrete picnic tables with broken and rotting wood awnings above them. Strangely enough, you'll also find a boat ramp. However, there is no water in the area, which is overgrown with cacti. 

Not every abandoned spot is said to be haunted, but this one certainly has a reputation for it. Around 2015, Paul Stewart, who goes by PStew, investigated the area for Lubbock's West Texas Paranormal Society. He reported, according to GoSanAngelo, spooky happenings like shadowy figures and apparitions, electronic voice phenomenon (EVP) of Native American voices (Stewart says he has Native American ancestry), and other voices in English. The area, which has been inhabited for around 18,000 years, according to Texas Parks & Wildlife, was once the home to the Jumano tribe of Native Americans. 

You can check out Lower Ghost Camp yourself and see if it gives you the heebie-jeebies. The state park is about 250 miles from the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, but you may want to avoid this popular southern airport that has been ranked one of the worst in America. A better option is the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, which is around 213 miles away. The state park itself, which is open daily, has a small $4 fee for adults, with kids 12 and under free. 

There are lots of trails in the park, but you can see the Lower Ghost Camp Trail on the map, to the left and slightly below the scale markers. Note that it's on the north side of the park, but the North Shore Gatehouse is locked. You can get the code at the South Shore Gatehouse. If you choose to hike here, make sure you have plenty of water or sports drink with you, as well as sunscreen, bug spray, and a hat. Wear long pants, as cacti are everywhere. You may also spot some longhorns around the area. You can also camp in the park, which has sites with water, and electricity, drive-up primitive sites, and group sites, as well as log cabins. If you do choose to visit and you fly into Austin, make sure to stay there long enough to take the Haunted Austin Walking Tour, one of the most horrifying ghost tours in the U.S.