If you’ve ever wanted to play a game of catch with a ghost boy, race a phantom Camaro, or encounter a mythological beast, Clinton Road should be your next destination. Just climb in your car (going with a friend is recommended) and hit the road. Rural New Jersey’s Clinton Road will certainly make your skin crawl.
A number of haunts and strange buildings are reputed to make Clinton Road their home. Depending on what time of day you drive through, you may encounter one, two or all of these Clinton Road legends.
The Boy on the Bridge
Under one of the bridges crossing Clinton Brook, also known as Dead Man’s Curve, you can find one of the Road’s most famous haunts. Rumor has it, if you throw a quarter into the water below then take a few steps back, the quarter will be thrown back by the ghost of a boy who drowned while swimming. In some stories, the ghost shoves the living visitor into the water if they peek too far over the side of the bridge.
Related: The Bloody Bride of 13 Curves Road
The sign for Clinton Road at Route 23
- Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Ghostly Car Crash Victims
There are first-hand accounts of tourists and locals seeing a ghost Camaro driven by the girl who supposedly died in a tragic crash in 1998. This appearance is triggered by a mere mention of the incident. Others claim to have had encounters with two park rangers near Terrace Pond who are thought to be the ghosts of two rangers who died while on duty in 1939.
Ghost Truck
There are countless accounts of phantom vehicles. The majority of the sightings are of pickup trucks, but in some cases there are only floating headlights not attached to any vehicle. The headlights chase drivers to the end of Clinton Road, then disappear.
Strange Creatures
From hellhounds to monkeys, a variety of bizarre creatures have supposedly been seen on this road at night. In some cases, people report seeing an unidentifiable hybrid, which vanishes too quickly for them to get a good look. The more exotic sightings are blamed on survivors of Jungle Habitat, an attraction which housed wild and exotic animals before closing its doors in 1976.
Druidic Temple
The 18th-century smelter mistakenly believed to be a Druidic temple
- Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
This oddly shaped stone structure is said to be the place was local Druids practiced their rituals. Legends tell of awful things happening to those who look too closely or come too close to the ruin at the wrong time. In more historical terms, the building is actually the remains of an iron smelter from the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. The site has now been blocked off to prevent any injury caused by exploring such a rundown building.
Cross Castle
In 1905, Richard Cross built this castle near the Clinton Reservoir for his wife and three children. A few years later, it fell to ruin after a fire destroyed part of it. It has since become a popular destination for hikers and local teenagers looking for secluded places to camp and have parties. Many visitors have reported of strange occurrences near the site. These include people who have gone into seizures, bruises which randomly appear after visiting, and strange and disturbing visions after leaving. Satanic symbols have appeared on the inside of the castle’s walls in areas that were previously thought to be inaccessible.
Related: Creepy Drive: 6 Haunted Roads from Around the World
The Iceman
In 1983, a body was found in the woods near Clinton Road. An autopsy showed the man had been murdered, as well as something even stranger: ice crystals had formed in blood vessels near his heart. His internal organs had also decayed at a rate far slower than his skin. After a drawn-out investigation, an arrest was made in 1986 of Richard Kuklinski, also known as The Iceman. Kuklinski was a New Jersey native and hit man involved in organized crime with a local mafia.
Are you brave enough to discover what the legends of Clinton Road have in store for you?
Featured photo: Wikimedia Commons
