Ghosts of the California Missions

by Richard Senate

El Camino Real, the King's Highway, is a haunted roadway that links together the 21 missions and the old adobe haciendas of early California. This fabled trail holds many tales of mystery and wonder. Stories of mass murder, rebellion, curses, lost treasures, and wandering phantoms pepper the records of these historic structures. Each mission has its own supernatural heritage to tell. Let historian and ghost hunter Richard Senate be your personal guide as you traverse California's haunted highway.

Genres: Ghosts

104 pages, Paperback

Published January 25, 2011

Reviews

[Lynn Cahoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun review of the history of California missions and the ghosts that outlived then.

[Laurent Reinhardt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bought this in April 2025 while visiting Mission La Purísima Concepción, said to be the most haunted of all the California missions. There are common themes between many of the local legends and ghosts; e.g.; a señorita dressed in white or black, natives and Spaniards killed in battle, monks, etc., some more sensational than others. Not a literary masterpiece but it's an interesting and entertaining volume that I wish I'd had with me before completing visits to all of the missions. I also appreciate that the book also covers other notable and possibly spooky sites along the Camino Real.

"El Campo Santo: This adobe walled burial place was established in 1849 and is where many of the leading citizens of San Diego lie buried, including the mischievous Yankee Jim Robinson (who is also rumored to haunt the nearby Whaley House). It's a gloomy place even on the warmest days, and it takes on a spooky atmosphere at night. Tales of ghosts at El Campo Santo have been circulating for a century. Several icy cold spots and drifting apparitions have been encountered here." p13

[Jandro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book of ghost stories. Many of these are known to me because I read a lot of California ghost books. This book focuses on sites and stories all along El Camino Real. I am proud to say that I have been to almost every site in this book. Now I want to re-visit them.

I only docked this book one star for the spelling errors. There are also sentences and paragraphs left unfinished.

[Fritters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like most of his books, it needs editing for spelling and grammar, but also like most of his books, it's a fun read with a lot of good history in it. Recommended.