There's something undeniably eerie about a dense, towering forest. Shaded from the sun, with little light penetrating the thick canopy of needles and leaves, the mossy trails, jagged fallen trees that make ominous shadows as night approaches, and alternating moments of silence and distant animal calls... Every corner is a surprise waiting to happen.
One particular trail in North Idaho is especially spooky, however. Riddled with lore and shadowy figures and parked right next to a gravesite of eerie origins, this path is one to avoid come nightfall, if the stories are true:
Tucked away in the St. Joe National Forest, a network of trails carries hikers through the deep, dark woods that give the Joe its "Shadowy" nickname.
One particular trail, the White Pine National Recreation Trail, branches off into multiple scenic hikes that weave in and out of the trees and to hilly overlooks.
The main loop has a bit of history to it: it was originally part of a project to make trade flow from the Old Oregon Territory to the Pacific Coast easier. Thousands of people, past and present, have passed through its recesses.
Towering Cedar trees, lush vegetation, and mossy forest floors are a beautiful reward, with every dead giant worthy of attention.
As you take the second left fork in the trail, veering off of the main path, the trees become even more dense.
Although, you might see some distant fog rising over a nearby calm stretch of the river.
And beautiful though it may be, there is something strangely ominous about this branch of trails, made worse by the darkness but heard in the sounds of the night.
Here, tucked next to a makeshift campground, the grave marker of a young miner stands, his full story lost to time in the bowels of the national forest.
Frank A. Heller reportedly lost his life to a particularly harsh winter, but having been camped out alone in one of the darkest forest regions of the state, it's possible that other factors were involved.
The cabin where his body was found sits nearby.
While nearby Heller Creek and Heller Campground are named in his honor, it isn't thought to be Heller himself who haunts these woods.
Amidst the enthusiastic, distant screams of local rafters plunging down the river, an eerie call can be heard coming from the rock eddies on the riverbank.
It is thought that dozens of trapped souls, lost to the river's powerful spring current, haunt the swirling washout, their remains lost to time and nature's power.
Don't believe me? Take a stroll through the darkened underbrush and just listen...
Maybe you'll hear the sounds of distant voices from beyond the grave, calling from the riverbanks. Or, maybe the stories aren't true - maybe it is Heller himself who wanders the tangled trails.
What do you think? Is there another trail in Idaho that's more haunted than this portion of the White Pine Recreation Trail?
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