Fall Colors & Spooky Desert Stories

For many, October is the time of year to pull sweaters out of storage in preparation for fall weather and cooler winter months.  In desert regions though, October is still a fairly warm month. The heat subsides enough to encourage travelers to begin journeys south to warmer climates, and the desert is a favorite destination.

Desert residents are all anxious to get out of their air-conditioned houses, after enduring the long hot summer.  They want to explore and hike in the park areas and along the desert trails.

October is a great time of year to visit the desert parks, ghost towns and numerous points of interest.  In the spirit of Halloween  we have gathered links to all things spooky that DesertUSA has published over the years.  Our links include everything from ghost stories and ghost towns, to grave sites and pumpkin recipes. I’ve also included a few articles about where to see fall colors.

If you know of any other fun and spooky destinations to visit in October, please let us know and we can add them to the list!

Art found at Goldwell Open Air Museum.

Fall Colors

While the desert is not known for its fall colors, there are a few spots where you can witness the leaves changing color.  I’ve linked to a few articles about where you can see fall colors.

Autumn Glimmer by Lara Hartley
Magic in the Mountains: Texas Fall Colors
Cottonwood Springs in Joshua Tree National Park

Desert Lore, Ghosts Stories, & More

The Haunted Desert:  Ghosts of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, CA
The Haunted Desert: More ghost stories
Ghosts, Phantoms and Apparitions: Tombstone’s Ghosts
The Superstition Mountains, AZ: The Lost Dutchman Mine
Legend of the Lady In Blue
The Loretto Chapel’s Miracle Staircase
Ghosts of Old Mesilla
Weep Not: Cemetery visitors celebrate life not death
Terlingua Celebrates Its Past – Day of the Dead Celebration

Art . .
Rhyolite, NV: Ghost Sculptures at Goldwell Open Air Museum

Haunted Hotels & Mining Towns

The Mizpah Hotel – Tonopah, Nevada (Voted #1 Most Haunted Hotel in 2018)
The Clown Hotel – Tonopah, Nevada (Scariest Hotel in the U.S.)
Tonopah, Nevada: Unveiling the Mysteries of the Hunted Desert Town
Jerome, AZ – One of America’s Most Haunted Mining Towns
Virginia City, NV – Celebrate “Hauntober” in the most haunted town in the U.S.

Image of the Lady in Red Ghost Mizpah Hotel
The Lady in Red Ghost from the Mizpah Hotel. This is a conceptual representation, not a real photograph.

Ghost Towns

Explore the links below to the various articles and stories about ghost towns in the American Southwest.

Arizona Ghost Towns

AZ – Ghost Towns of So. Arizona
AZ – Bisbee
AZ – Congress, Hillside and Bagdad

AZ – Tombstone

California Ghost Towns

CA – Ghost Towns of the Mojave
CA – Calico Ghost Town

CA – Bodie Ghost Town
CA- Bodie’s Windows To The Past
CA- Montgomery City Ghost Town
CA – Tumco, Hedges & Ogilby
CA – Randsburg Living Ghost Town
CA – Ludlow For Lunch, an almost ghost town

Nevada Ghost Towns

NV – Ballarat Ghost Town
NV – Ballarat Ghost Town VIDEO
NV – Beatty Ghost Town
NV – Beatty to Ballarat

Texas Ghost Towns

TX – Ghost Towns & Desert Dreams
TX – Terlingua Ghost Town

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