Everyone knows it’s impossible not to fall in love with Montana; whether you’re just passing through or have called the beautiful state home for years, its stunning mountains, expansive skies, and friendly inhabitants are guaranteed to cultivate an adoration that will last a lifetime. However, our beloved Montana is not always as tranquil as it seems. Amidst its magnificent untamed landscapes lie shockingly sinister secrets. From haunted hotels to ghostly hikes, the state is no stranger to the paranormal. There are several local organizations dedicated to uncovering its many otherworldly mysteries, such as the Montana Paranormal Research Society in Billings (which investigate sites of interest with specialized equipment for spirit detection) and the Bozeman Paranormal Society (which offers historical ghost tours, and even private home cleansing services). These researchers’ findings, along with local legends passed down through generations of Montanans, have created a rich history of the unusual within the picturesque state. I’ve compiled some of Montana’s most documented supernatural hikes so that you can learn more about its deep-rooted mysticism during the eeriest month of the year. 

 
Bear Canyon Road 
This moderate 8.2 mile hike is just under seven miles away from Downtown Bozeman, making it the most local hike on the list.  

One of the most popular hiking and skiing sites near Bozeman, locals and travelers alike have enjoyed all Bear Canyon has to offer for years. Not every visitor has the ideal hiking experience, however; over one hundred people have reported witnessing the supernatural along the picturesque trail. Sasquatch sightings, strange mists, and sightings of a ghostly little girl who lures women deep into the woods have been recorded since the 1880s. Inexplicably drawn to female hikers, this ghost begs the women she appears before to follow her before disappearing when she is unsuccessful. The few women who have dared to accompany her are drawn deep into the woods before the girl eventually vanishes. Although Bear Canyon is widely regarded as the most haunted hike in the Bozeman area, how it became so spirit-infested remains a mystery. The Bozeman Paranormal Society has done extensive research in the area, and detected an immense amount of paranormal activity. The group heard a little girl’s voice faintly calling their names from the forest, smelled cigarette smoke when no one was smoking, and, despite the lack of cell service, received a phantom phone call with only static on the other end. However, don’t let these tales of terror deter you from enjoying majestic Bear Canyon; as long as you don’t follow strange girls and answer unexplained phone calls, you’ll be just fine.   

The Frenchwoman’s Road 
The Frenchwoman’s Road is near several moderate to challenging hikes in the Continental Divide area, and is around 80 miles away from Downtown Bozeman. 

Well known as the site of a gruesome murder, The Frenchwoman’s Road’s tragic history began in 1867 with the Guyots, a French couple who managed the area. Constant Guyot built a road across the Continental Divide that was so popular with travelers that his wife, Madame Guyot, ran a small hostel to house them. Beloved by all for her warm hospitality, the community was left shocked and devastated when Mrs. Guyot was discovered brutally killed in her own cabin. Although no one was convicted of the crime, many suspect her husband, who had abusive tendencies and fled shortly after the murder. For years after her death, rumors circulated about the hostel being haunted by Madame Guyot’s spirit; multiple visitors claimed to see her ghost and hear footsteps when no one was near. Even now, 155 years later, travelers passing through the Continental Divide Trail have reported numerous strange encounters, from ghostly wails to a mysterious mist that haunts the hike. If you choose to explore the majestic woods near the Continental Divide, make sure to keep your eye out for wandering French ghosts.  

 Warren Park Trail 
This paranormal trail is three miles of moderate hiking, and 206 miles from Downtown Bozeman, making it a three-hour drive. 

As many can guess from the location of this hike, Garnet Ghost Town’s famous Warren Park Trail is rich with haunted history. Before the town was largely abandoned in the 1940s, it was a prosperous mining community. One resident, Edward Brook Warren, decided to distance himself from the settlement, building a small cabin about a mile away. The Civil War veteran didn’t want total isolation, however; he decided to build a park so that people from Garnet would still visit him. Now, decades after his death, the Warren Park Trail takes hikers past his old home and through the tranquil mountains that surround it. While stopping to enjoy the landscape as Garnet residents had done years before, some visitors report hearing a distant voice, and even catching glimpses of a man believed to be the ghost of Edward amongst the trees. Witnesses say he still seems as friendly as he was in life, so don’t fear a run-in with this departed miner.  
 
The Oti Park Trail 
About 90 miles away from Downtown Bozeman is this short 1.9 mile difcult hike, where rich history collides with the supernatural. 

Another ghost town hike, the Oti Park Trailhead takes hikers to the deserted mining camp of Barker. The mining camp suffered during the Silver Panic in 1893 and was shut down during the Great Depression, but the town’s legacy doesn’t end there. Considered by some to be the most haunted hike in Montana, many visitors claim to experience strange phenomena in the area. Sounds of men being whipped, horses where there are none, and even some sightings of ghostly miners are not uncommon. The Barker ghost camp is a beautiful way to reflect on Montana’s rich history, whether or not you experience any paranormal activity on your way there.  

 
The Old North Trail  
To experience this hike, travel around 200 miles north of Downtown Bozeman to this moderate 2,000-mile long trail (which is not a modern, well-defined path), where you can stop and turn back whenever you’d like.

A path used by American Indians for centuries, the Old North Trail is a site still beloved by all its visitors, despite the damage new towns and development have recently inflicted on it. Throughout the trail, many ancient cairns can be found, the product of humans gathering in the area thousands of years ago. Although these cairns are beautiful and fascinating, many believe they hint at the underlying presence of ancient spirits. Nothing ghostly has ever been seen along the trail, but some visitors claim to hear unusual noises and are overcome with a sense of paranoia. Are these hikers victims of overactive imagination, or is there really something supernatural lurking along this trail? You’ll have to go on the hike yourself to find out.