Thirteen Spooky Halloween Haunts

Bat Cave, North Carolina

It is perhaps unsurprising that this unincorporated community is named after a nearby cave wherein many bats make their homes. A community landmark is the Old Cider Mill and Applesolutely Gift Shop.

Dead Man's Flats, Alberta

The Canadian settlement used to be called Pigeon Mountain Service Centre, but a perhaps misguided decision was made to change its name to attract tourists. At least two unconfirmed local legends—one involving someone playing possum and smearing himself with beaver blood—fail to fully explain the origin of the place-name.

Dead Women Crossing, Oklahoma

This forlorn location gained its name following the discovery of the beheaded corpse of a young schoolteacher here in 1904. The murder was never solved.

Death Valley, California

The hot, arid valley is the lowest point in the United States. A group of pioneers became lost here in the winter of 1849-50; one of their party died. As they left the area, one of the pioneers said, "Goodbye, Death Valley."

Devil's Tower, Wyoming

An "igneous intrusion"—possibly the stump of an ancient volcano—supposedly got its name when an explorer's interpreter misunderstood a Native American, thinking its indigenous name was Bad God's Tower. It's now a national monument.

Hell, Michigan

One unlikely theory about the naming of this unfortunate town is that a German traveler in the 1830s commented to his travel companion, "So schön hell!", meaning "So beautifully bright!". The comment was allegedly overheard by a local, and the name stuck.

Seven Devils Mountains, Idaho

The picturesque range of the Rocky Mountains isn't far from Hells Canyon, the deepest in North America. It's definitely a scary corner of the world.

Gnaw Bone, Indiana

Among the theories for how this south-central Indiana village got its name, according to Wikipedia, is from historian Larry Budde, who found records of a depression-era itinerant musician having visited the area, and who was quoted as saying, "they ain't nuddin' here; how dis people stayin' alive without any more than a bone to gnaw?"

Devil's Den, Gettysburg Battlefield, Pennsylvania

In the mid-1800s this rocky hill was thought by locals to be the home of a very large snake. They named the reptile "The Devil", and, by logical extension, his lair became Devil's Den. It was the scene of bloody fighting during the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Satans Kingdom, Massachusetts

There are three Satans Kingdoms to avoid—in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. The Massachusetts locality was apparently named as a warning: its rough terrain and wild animals were not to be messed with.

Murder Creek, Alabama

During the Revolutionary war, a party of loyalists was fleeing South Carolina and bound for Pensacola, Florida, with plans to settle in Spanish-held Louisiana. According to a 19th-century history of Alabama, the party was robbed and murdered at their campsite near this stream.