In the woods in South Carolina, yet not far from a main road, sits the oldest bridge in the state - and possibly on the East Coast. The 130-foot structure was built in 1820 and is said to have been designed by the same architect who designed the Washington Monument: Robert Mills. At the center of the bridge is a striking 14-foot gothic arch that you can only get a real sense of when experiencing it first-hand. And there's another thing you can only sense firsthand: the strange paranormal activity that seems to permeate the area around the old bridge, one of the fascinating haunted places in SC.

The bridge was constructed to connect a road from Columbia to Saluda Mountain. It was closed to vehicular traffic decades ago.

It's part of a larger preserve that spans 120 acres, but it's the surrounding six acres that are rumored to be the most haunted.

The park is maintained by the SCDNR and is open to the public for free. It is a peaceful spot located in a beautiful park setting. But not everyone feels a sense of comfort when visiting the old relic.

The tales of hauntings at Poinsett Bridge usually involve nightfall, or a period well after dark.

People who've visited this haunted bridge in South Carolina, both day and night, have captured mysterious orbs in their photos. Orbs are known in the paranormal community as a constantly moving energy form, usually associated with ghostly or paranormal activity.

Some have reported feeling the touch of a ghostly hand while at the bridge.

And others have said that even at night, they've seen white figures moving about the property. Still others, report once they turn off their car in the parking lot, it simply won't start again.

Several paranormal research teams have trekked into the preserve at night to do investigations. One recent investigation yielded 400 photos and 100 of them reportedly had some kind of unexplained abnormality thought to be paranormal.

A recent list published by INSIDER magazine named South Carolina's Poinsett Bridge as among the 40 Most Haunted Places In The US. It is located on Callahan Mountain Road in Landrum, South Carolina.

Have you experienced anything unusual at the bridge, also one of the most historic places in SC? Feel free to join the discussion!

If you visit this bridge to explore its reputation for yourself, you may wish to book a nearby Vrbo to rest up once you've finished. In fact, the charming town of Landrum, SC is worthy of some exploration, so you may just want to book a couple of nights and make it a weekend getaway.

For more haunted places in SC, check out this Haunted Places Road Trip.