27 replies to this topic

[Carmine]

Hello, y'all,

Some of you may remember me as Carmina -- due to tech difficulties I've had to re-register as Carmine. I've been away from the forums for some months. Like Jeff, I am the author of a "Weird U.S." book. I'm currently working on "Weird Colorado."

I would like to include some stories about Gold Camp Road and wondering if anyone here would mind contributing his/her experience? I can use your real name, a nickname, or even A. Nony Mouse if you'd prefer privacy.

Please contact me as soon as possible via Private Message. Thanks for your time and attention, folks!

Carmine

[Spiralstaircase]

So I was up at the tunnels again recently and something very peculiar happened. Me and a couple of friends were in the first tunnel with the car turned off and no lights. As we were standing there just smoking a cigarette and chatting calmly the distinct sound of a train was heard by all of us. It was not a mistakable thing. It sounded like an old style train and it whistled. Not only that but the sound got progressively louder. It also didn't diminish as a train near by would. It got somewhat loud at about normal conversation level and then just stopped. Everyone of us first thought it may have been a train near by but the old style sound of it and its abrupt stop confused us to say the least. We continued to stay in the tunnel to see if anything else would happen but nothing did. That is probably the only "paranormal" experience I have had at Gold Camp.

[Carmine]

Well, this is getting interesting!

Wonder how much of what's going is actually of a paranormal nature, and how much of it is due to pranksters?

Carmine

[Troy Burnique]

I recently visited Colorado again and of course spent some more time at Gold Camp Road. This time most of my time was spent during the day as opposed to night so I could take pictures. One major thing that I noticed was how well the sound travels and echo's in the area. I really noticed it when I was going through tunnel #4 which is very similar to tunnel 1, it is straight and has no curves, but is about three times longer. While walking though the tunnel I could hear something that kind of sounded like scratching on the tunnel walls. Immediately I was a little startled. This tunnel is far away from most of the people who visit the area and I hadn't seen or heard anyone for about 2 mile, plus the tunnel is so long that it is pitch black though most of it. Anyways once I heard the the scratching I stopped, to remain silent, turned on the video camera and waited. The sound consistently got louder and sounded like it was surrounding me. Roughly 2 minutes of this passed by until I could distinctly tell which direction the sound was coming from and as I looked toward that end of the tunnel I saw a mountain biker emerge. The scratching sound was simply his bike tires in the loose dirt and snow and the sound travels so well that I heard him from a pretty good distance. I think this can explain a lot of what goes on at gold camp road at night time. The first two tunnels are located only a few miles from a state highway and the area is very popular, even at nighttime. It doesn't surprise me in the least bit that people hear laughter and "trains" or motors.

[guileslayer]

i would like to say that tonight about 4 hours ago 3am colorado time we went up to GCR.

13 things happened to us that we ALL confirmed

- Fingerprints
- Metal clinging noises
- Rocks being thrown
- Heard footsteps around our car
- Opened gas tank
- Many fingerprints around our door handle trying to be opened
- Bus Driver sighting while facing north
- Cold air in the car "heater was on the whole time up to GCR and it was like 40 degrees in the car"
- Dirt on our sides (maybe the kids that ran by)
- Many car problems (dimming lights, transmission locking, radio auto tuned to static)
- The car also revved and the steering wheel
- We had a guy driving a beat up car heading towards us in about a wall to wall clearance of 10 feet. | <10ft>| He was pale and centered in the road i was in a SUV!!! there is no way he could get by. When we waved at him thinking it was another person going up GCR he had no emotion.
- My friend in the back even waved at him and he had no emotions on his face...he didn't even look at me

MIND YOU THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME WE HAVE BEEN THERE AND THIS TIME WAS THE MOST IMPACTFUL ON OUR SPIRITUAL WELL BEING

IF YOU DO NOT LIKE BEING SCARED OR ARE FAINT OF HEART DO NOT I REPEAT DO NOT GO UP GCR.

If you have any questions send a PM.

Edited by Crone, 06 February 2009 - 07:03 PM.

[Josh177]

I'm at the current conclusion right now that the gold camp tunnels are NOT haunted. But I've only been there 4 times, so I can't give any certain answer. This is just my conclusion at the current moment.

First time me and 1 other friend drove up to gold camp, wasn't very late, maybe only 9pm or so. Drove through the first two tunnels. Parked and walked up to the third one, just me and my friend - no flashlights, just using the moon as light. Walked all the way to the third tunnel. Sat there for about 5 mins, then decided to walk around to the other side of the third tunnel. That was another 5-10 min walk. Got there, also hanged around for a good 5 minutes or so. No strange noises, or any "shadowy" figures running around like I've heard stories of. Then we walked back to my car. Left, drove through the 2nd tunnel without stopping, then stopped in the first tunnel. But about 15 seconds later another car started to come through, so we had to leave. That was that.

2nd time, flat tire by the time we reached third tunnel, had to go back down and replace it. Called it a night after that, as I didn't want to go back up on a spare tire.

3rd time, me and the same 2 friends drove up to gold camp again. Parked at the very end of the road, and walked to the third tunnel. There was no moon really out, and we had no flash-lights, so it was pretty dark. Also some snow on the ground. Walked all the way there... sat around at the third tunnel for a good 5 mins or so. Nothing. My friends even started to yell stuff at the tunnel, like random stuff, to try to "get attention" of any possible ghosts. Nothing at all. We walked back to my car. Then decided to stop in the 1st tunnel. Turned off all the lights. Sat there for a couple minutes. Nothing. So my friends where over it, and we just left.

4th time, me and 2 other friends went up to gold camp. We stopped in the first tunnel on the way up. Turned off all the lights. Sat there for a good 5-10 mins. Nothing. The only some-what creepy thing was the light at the end of the tunnel looked as if it was "appearing then disappearing" every few seconds. But I blame that on your eyes trying to re-adjust to the completely darkness, making it appear different. Go into a completely dark room, with a tiny light somewhere visibile, and you'll see your eyes will play tricks on you. Then we drove to the 2nd tunnel. Did the same thing. Turned off everything, stopped for about 5-10 mins. Nothing. No noises, no weird figures - nothing at all. Drove up to the third tunnel, turned around, and did the same thing again. Stopped again in the 2nd tunnel. Waited 5-10 mins. Nothing again. So drove to the first tunnel. Stopped in there, waited another 5-10 mins. Nothing. My friend light up a cigarette too, as supposedly the tobacco smoke "draws attention", at least I heard that theory. But again... nothing.

During this time while we where stopped in the tunnels, all the lights where completely off. It was pitch black. I even decided to "honk my horn" a good 20 times or so total in both tunnels. I even turned my lights on and off, repeatadly, then honked my horn again, to see if i could "get any attention" from whaever was supposedly haunting the tunnels. Then turned off everything and sat in silence for 5 mins. Still, nothing. Finally we left, and that was that.

I'm still probably going to go up there maybe a couple more times, this time bring a camera or something. But i'm still disappointed that I heard all these stories, and I have yet to see anything out of the ordinary happen. The place is creepy, that's for sure, but I have yet to see any proof of it being haunted yet.

[rottweilerman]

I have walked my dog up to tunnel 3 on gold camp road many times. Its probably a couple mile hike past trail head at helen hunt falls area. First off there is no school bus roof in it. Second the tunnel collapsed relativity recently due to rotten support beams not fire. There was a fire in the tunnel but that was after the initial collapse in the 90s. been in the tunnel a few times a little scary due to the possibility of collapse not the un dead. The tunnel is not that long and you can see the opening on the other side where it collapsed. Maybe I didn't see anything because I had my rottweiler with me but in my research I have found nothing about a school bus full of kids dieing up there.

[earth_spirit]

I lived in the Colorado Springs area for about seven years, and I never heard any of these stories until after l left. It sounds like more of an urban legend or a "campfire tale" that's developed a life of its own.

If a group of school children had died in an accident like some people claim, it would have been well documented by both the media and local law enforcement.

[linzx3syou]

earth_spirit, on Sep 13 2007, 11:34 AM, said:

I lived in Divide and worked in Cripple Creek for many years, so I've heard the stories about the tunnels of Gold Camp Road, as well. Unfortunately, the truth is usually a lot less exciting than the legends that spring up around many so-called "haunted places."

Here are some links to a site that sheds some light on the mysteries of Gold Camp Road (plus my own personal site):

Gold Camp Road
Some Great Gold Camp Road Pics
The Imperial Casino Hotel

the pictures from "some great gold camp road pics"..are horrible. they are CLEARLYYYYY photoshopped. and that "blood stain" it's even blood. i'm going to this place tomorrow and i'll see what's up. but those pictures are BOOOGGGGUUUUSSSSS

[earth_spirit]

The so-called "blood stains" appear to be ferrous oxide stains caused by water seeping through the rock--a common sight in tunnels, mine shafts and caves through the West . . .

[Hillary Moser]

I am looking for any stories that I can get about Gold Camp Road for a collection I am pulling together for a college folklore class. If anyone would be willing to share, that would be great! It involves your story being published to my university's folklore archive, and so I need your direction permission. Please please let me know at gardn24@yahoo.com

[earth_spirit]

Hillary, I lived in Divide for seven years and worked in Cripple Creek for three of those years, but I have to confess that I always took Hwy 67 rather than Gold Camp Road.

OK, Ghostvillagers! Now's your chance to be immortalized in print. Send Hillary any stories or experiences you might have had on Gold Camp Road, and don't forget to share them at GV as well!

There's one caveat, though. Please don't repeat the story about the tunnel collapsing on the school bus full of kids in Tunnel #3 unless you can provide some sort of documented evidence as to when it occurred.

There is no record of any such event happening other than the same word-for-word story being repeated on numerous web sites.

Edited by earth_spirit, 14 March 2011 - 06:46 PM.

[Attrayo]

earth_spirit, on Mar 14 2011, 06:39 PM, said:

Hillary, I lived in Divide for seven years and worked in Cripple Creek for three of those years, but I have to confess that I always took Hwy 67 rather than Gold Camp Road.

OK, Ghostvillagers! Now's your chance to be immortalized in print. Send Hillary any stories or experiences you might have had on Gold Camp Road, and don't forget to share them at GV as well!

There's one caveat, though. Please don't repeat the story about the tunnel collapsing on the school bus full of kids in Tunnel #3 unless you can provide some sort of documented evidence as to when it occurred.

There is no record of any such event happening other than the same word-for-word story being repeated on numerous web sites.