Grand Canyon Ghost Stories

by Debe Branning

Past midnight, a visitor to Grand Canyon National Park sees little boys play under the stars at a lookout before they vanish into thin air. Are they the tragic spirits of two brothers left in a car that plunged into the canyon at that very spot? Deep in the canyon, an old dory drifts down the Colorado River, its wooden oars creaking in the night—but no one is aboard. In buildings around the canyon rim, lights turn on when they should be off, spectral figures appear and disappear, and various things go bump in the night. Join Debe Branning to tour the Grand Canyon’s haunted places and learn the stories behind the specters. Her clear directions—and sensible warnings—make sure you locate and enjoy these haunted sites.

Genres: Paranormal, Nonfiction, Ghosts

Paperback

First published April 16, 2012

Reviews

[Alysha · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a scary stories book? It wasn’t great. There were few truly spooky stories in this book, but there was a ton of history and facts in this book which at least kept it interesting and worth continuing. If you want your spooky stories on a more mild setting, this would work great for you. There were at least a good handful of typos which threw me every once in awhile so be prepared for that. Honestly I’m not sure I would recommend it personally but my partner and I read it during a camping trip to Zion which made it a little more personal and we shared lots of laughs over some of the stories as we read it aloud.

[Douglas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read. More of a tourist guide to the various attractions around the Grand Canyon than much of a ghost stories. It has been many years since I visited the Grand Canyon and this book made me want to go back.

[Michelle L. Ledesma · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was not very many scary stories. It was mosty the history of the area.

[Olivia Cortez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well I only found one story interesting. The rest was kind of just giving you places to visit in the grand canyon.

[Jamilyn Aubel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book out loud to my family during our road trip to the Grand Canyon to help past the time in the car. It was quick and easy read that everyone enjoyed due to the content. We learned a little bit more about the history of the different locations or structures located in the park. There were several typos and at times I felt like some of the ghost stories were trivial.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Series of stories about spooky spots in and around the Grand Canyon, told in a rather dated "chummy" style. Could have used another pass from both its editor and proofreader - errors abound. (For example, the author continuously refers to the famous Grand Canyon pack animal "Brighty" as a mule, when in fact he was a burro.)

[Maddie Vannoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

After visiting the Grand Canyon prior to reading this book, I couldn’t wait to learn about all the lore and legend around the National Park. Solid book, definitely read this AFTER visiting so you can visualize everything. 3 Stars.

[Don LaFountaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book because it had ghost stories about the Grand Canyon, as well as historical details that I just loved. It covers a number of stories from various points on the Grand Canyon, enough that no matter where you visit, you should be able to find something interesting. Some of the ghost stories you will read about are:
- An Airedale who helps people find the graves of his former masters
- Haunted sites along the river inside the canyon that make sleeping difficult
- Ghostly animals that growl and attack, and
- Apparitions that weep, guide, laugh, and simply disappear throughout various places.

I read the book after visiting the Grand Canyon. Though this did not take away anything from the book, I feel I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the book first. It would have made the experience even more interesting, especially in the restaurant where we at lunch.

This is a book I would recommend even if you are going to the Grand Canyon, but if you are, I would wholeheartedly recommend reading it first.

[Janey Bradstreet · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting telling of many of the ghost stories that are common in the Grand Canyon area.
The book is short and easy to read. However, there are significant typos.
As a Grand canyon local, I also found inaccuracies. For instance, referring to an individual as a ranger that I am fully aware works or worked for the concessionaire.

[Jesse E · Rating 4 out of 5]

the information in here is above and beyond what I expected, but there were write a few typos (including one repeated section of a paragraph) that were off-putting. Overall, the storytelling was solid and it was a quick, interesting read. :)

[Kate Nadolski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and provides a fun history of the grand canyon.