Most People Have No Idea This Unique Tunnel In Georgia Exists
Marisa Roman
Author
Tunnel Hill, Georgia in Whitfield County—a place that is rich with history, not to mention visually stunning. No longer in use as a railroad tunnel, now the long stretch of underground land is filled with corroded stone and enlightening stories. But many people don’t know the tales that made this tunnel exactly what it is today—which is potentially haunted and quite scary to visit. Although this didn’t make our first terrifying Georgia road trip, it’s certainly a big contender if we ever make a part II. Reader beware, and read on if you dare….
Here’s lowdown on the tunnel system in Tunnel Hill, Georgia. Chetoogeta Mountain was one of the few North Georgia mountains that stood in the way of connecting Atlanta and Chattanooga via a railroad system. Plans for the tunnel began in the late 1830s, but a due to a great panic construction was delayed for almost a decade.
The railroad was intended to provide passenger and freight services, carrying the freight, and letting the passengers walk, over the mountain. The tunnel itself, measured 1,477 feet long and was considered an engineering wonder of its time.
There are actually two tunnels in Tunnel Hill. The “new” tunnel was started in 1926 and completed in 1928 and is 1,527 feet long. The first tunnel mentioned above was part of the construction of the Western & Atlantic Railroad and was deemed the first major railroad tunnel in the South.
The second tunnel was built around 1926 and stretched about 1,557 feet long. It is still in use today by CSX Transportation.
But the old tunnel, Chetoogeta Tunnel as it is appropriately known, is truly the one with stories. Ghost stories to be precise….
The old tunnel was soon forgotten about and quickly became overgrown with Japanese arrowroot until 1992, when preservationists lobbied to save it. Now, it is a ghost hunter’s paradise, with many people visiting the tunnel in hopes to get a glimpse of a haunted spirit roaming. But where exactly did these ghosts come from, you ask?
The area surrounding the tunnel was known as a prominent site for Civil War battles—and the tunnel itself has seen a lot of tragedy. Witnesses have described apparitions of soldiers, lantern lights, and phantom campfires, plus blood-curdling screams and even at times, the smell of rotting flesh.
How many of you would be willing to walk through this tunnel at night? How about any of these terrifying places in Georgia? Who knows, maybe you just have enough gall to want to make some Halloween plans early this year…
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