You don’t need to believe in ghosts to indulge in the thrill of a dark, storied corner of an old historical site, revel in the spine-tingling goosebumps formed on a visit to a quiet cemetery, or shudder with unknown dread walking through an eerie forest. All it takes is the right location, a touch of imagination, and a half-seen glimpse of something unexplainable out of the corner of one’s eye. Fortunately (or unfortunately), the Evergreen State is home to quite a few haunted places that can make a believer out of even the most hard-core of supernatural skeptics. Northern State Recreation Area near Sedro-Woolley is one historic park that definitely oozes spooky lore, and has earned a reputation as one of the most haunted spots in Washington. But you’ll have to decide for yourself if the stories are true…
For many, the extensive trail system found within the Northern State Recreation Area is an adventure unto itself, winding through a slice of the North Cascades that's often overlooked.
The Northern State Mental Hospital was originally built in 1909, and officially opened for patient care in 1912. When other local hospitals were faced with detrimental overcrowding, the Northern State campus was intended to provide some much-needed relief. Thousands of patients were housed here over the years until the hospital was finally shuttered in the 1970s.
Today, the campus consists of the hospital itself (which is on the National Register of Historic Places), and the crumbling ruins of the self-sustaining dairy and work buildings. Set against the trees and backdrop of an overcast sky, the scene is undeniably eerie.
Countless lives were lost here over the hospital's decades of operation, and are remembered only by thousands of unmarked graves on-site that are quickly being lost to time. Reports of hollow, otherworldly sounds seeming to emanate from beneath the ground near the cemetery have yet to be explained, but will no doubt send shivers through even the most stoic and casual visitor.
Not to mention the suffocating, frightening sensation of cold metal touching one's neck and wrists - eerily similar to that of being prepped for a round of treatment.
Maybe it's just Washington's characteristic and ever-present mist, or maybe it's the vaporous form of something more ominous. Either way, visitor accounts are often fraught with formless, otherworldly apparition sightings as well.
Vague auras have been seen moving from window to window in the old hospital, seemingly unable to escape the glass-less voids. These sightings are often accompanied by wordless whispers and short-lived paralysis.
You can learn more about the history of the Northern State Mental Hospital on the main recreational loop, which has informational markers. However, please do not enter the buildings. The campus is strictly off-limits to unauthorized visitors and dangerously unstable. Just be sure to keep your eyes and ears open for anything… unusual.
