The 5 Most Haunted Places In Arizona

Arizona draws tourists in droves with its natural wonders and rich history. Most come to see the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon or the mighty Hoover Dam. Some travelers, however, unfortunately, stumble upon one of the many haunted places in Arizona.

For instance, amongst the sunbleached skulls on the sand, you might glimpse a peculiar red camel standing hazy in the desert. If you do, you better walk in the other direction.

Known as the “Red Ghost,” this inexplicable beast of western Arizona was said to have been first imported to the area in the 1880s by the U.S. Army with a herd of camel. Afterward, they took up residence with the miners and ranchers who lived there.

As the use for the camels became phased out, the livestock lounged in the desert aimlessly. Most were timid and kept to themselves. The Red Ghost, however, took vengeance on the town.

After trampling a woman and reaping havoc on any that crossed its path, a farmer was finally able to kill him after his own close encounter. However, tied to its humps, he found a headless human skeleton.

The town mused the spirit of the unfortunate murdered soul possessed the camel, driving it mad. And ever since, sightings of the blood-stained beast have been reported in the town’s surrounding desert.

If cursed camels pique your ghoulish fancy, you’ll love Arizona’s NUMBER most hunted places. Or perhaps, if you’re smart, you’ll know to avoid them.

Superstition Mountains

For some, Superstition Mountains carry more than an irrational fear. It’s a very real one.

The eerie mountains got their name from the native American population surrounding them. They were long leary of the craggy structure and warned against setting foot on it.

However, if one thing can get most men during the late 1800s to forgo superstition, it’s gold. A German prospector named Jacob Waltz was one such man.

Waltz had heard tales of riches found on the mountain and was intent on claiming his stake.

Soon afterward, townsfolk saw him carrying large bags of mysterious gold. When they curiously followed up the mountain trail, he would lose them in the canyons.

Not long after his sudden fortune, Waltz suffered a series of unfortunate occurrences. He lost his homestead in a flood, barely surviving. Afterward, he caught a strange sickness and took a turn for the worse.

According to legend, the “Lost Dutchman Gold Mine” resides somewhere on Superstition Mountain. On his deathbed, Waltz told his friends and family he found a cavern filled with the precious ore. Its exact location, however, was kept secret.

Since his death, many have searched for the gold of Superstition Mountain. And many more are said to have misfortune befall them after their quest.

The Copper Queen, Bisbee

This 121-year-old hotel has seen many guests come through its doors over its history. A few guests came in, however, and never left.

Julia Lowell worked at the Copper Queen. However, she wasn’t part of the hotel staff.

In the hotel’s early days, Lowell was what the townfolk called a “woman of ill repute.” She conducted business in one of the rooms. And she may have taken her job a little too seriously at times.

She fell for one of her clients, a man who could not return her affections. Rather than accept the fate of her unhappy romance, she ended her life in the room she loved in.

Reports indicate her forsaken spirit still haunts the halls, looking for a new suiter. Male guests tell of Lowell whispering in their ears and even felt tickling their feet. One guest even saw her dancing provocatively at the foot of the stairs.

Territorial Prison, Yuma

According to USA Today, this creepy prison is so disturbing that it’s one of the most haunted places in America. And that’s probably due to the multiple ghosts lurking in its walls.

One of the most famous is the Girl in the Red Dress. Visitors quickly find out that her favorite color is candy apple red.

Legend has it she drowned in the Colorado River and found herself trapped within the walls of Territorial Prison. If you tour the facility and don’t don her favorite color, you’ll get a pinch from beyond.

Although, you should consider yourself lucky if your only encounter is with the Girl in the Red Dress. The vast prison was known for its “unconventional” methods of keeping inmates in line. There have been reports of stripping them down and chaining them upright for days. Even worse, the guards would only visit to throw live scorpions at them.

Many brave enough to walk the halls of the old prison have heard a mysterious voice suddenly yell, “Get out!” in their ear.

The Jerome Grand Hotel

The Jerome Grand Hotel is billed as a “welcoming beacon to the bygone days.” However, some say it’s a beacon to more than that.

Almost 100 years ago, this now grand hotel spent much of its existence as the United Verde Hospital. It’s estimated nearly 9,000 people died within its walls.

Almost as soon as the hotel opened, reports of unexplainable activity from guests started coming to the front desk.

Hotel occupants hear the squeaking wheels of a gurney, languid voices calling out for help, and a mysterious ghostly cat that roams the halls. To such an extent, the hotel’s general manager fills 300 pages of supernatural experiences a year.

Notably, is the maintenance man, Claude Harvey. In 1926, he was crushed by an elevator while working in the shaft. Guests have reported finding Harvey riding the elevator up and down.

Boothill Graveyard, Tombstone

One of the most famous graveyards of the Wild West, Boothill gives a glimpse into the haphazardous days of the lawless frontier. And for a few, that glimpse comes a bit too close for comfort.

Two hundred fifty men, women, and children rest here. The name “Boothill” comes from the sudden way many have died, often “with their boots still on.”

The surrounding town of Tombstone is also the historically famous site for the O.K. Corral gunfight. And that massacre supposedly fills many of the graves in Boothill.

Of the most famous and verified tombs lays Mary, or Sing Choy, was an astute businesswoman who operated Tombstone’s General Store. She also controlled the town’s opium dens. Despite her connection to what some would consider an unsavory business, she was well-liked, and her death was mourned by many. Of the many ghosts that haunt the graveyard, hers appears most predominantly, as if still looking after the town she loved.

Reports from visitors often tell of unearthly orbs floating among the graves, strange lights flickering, and whispers. One journalist even heard a child whisper, “It was nice of you to do that.” And then, “You came back. You must like to play with me a lot.”

Whether the journalist plans to come back to play may depend on whether he likes spending time in one of the most haunted places in Arizona.

Vulture Mine, near Wickenburg

There is nothing in the town of Wickenburg. Well, if you don’t count the spirits of the eight miners who swung from the limbs of the infamous “Hanging Tree” for stealing gold.

The ghost town of Vulture Mine was a “vigilante town,” according to Arizona Central. Rather than imprisonment, rehabilitation, or corrections, the town only had two “hanging trees” for criminals.

And perhaps because of the gruesome nature of these death sentences, today, the town’s abandoned buildings seem not quite so empty.

Visitors report orbs, mysterious voices, and all varieties of paranormal activity — including even cold spots in the hot Arizona summer.

One investigator allegedly claims they caught a recording of a disembodied voice speaking in German. Others have heard someone yelling, “Get out!”

Undoubtedly, this may not be a bad suggestion since they’ve found themselves in one of the most haunted places in Arizona.