24 Jul The world’s Most Mysterious Forests
The planet is almost 30% covered by forests. Most of them have an old and natural charm that has always appealed to adventure seekers. It is in the forests that we take a break, that we resource ourselves, that we become immensely aware of our environment.
The atmosphere is bucolic, the birds chirp, the sun’s rays pierce the canopy. However, there is another kind of forest, those that bear mysteries, myths and legends. Sometimes dreamlike, sometimes horrific …
And although most people like to walk in the woods, few do when it gets dark. Because when the night is there, nothing is the same and the places are charged with darkness and depth.
Certain places in our world carry with them vestiges of stories that the earth and the trees seem to have retained, and which they relay to us during a walk. Beware of you, hikers, because here come the ten most mysterious forests in the world!
# 1 – Freetown-Fall River State Forest, United States
The Freetown Forest in the United States is part of the Bridgewater Triangle, an area of southeastern Massachusetts plagued by paranormal activity. There are itinerant travelers, UFO encounters and even intriguing stories about the presence of the Yeti!
Some believe that the haunted history of the forest dates back to colonial times, when settlers bought the land on which the sacred burial sites of the Wampanoag tribe are located. The deal allegedly cursed the area that has since been the site of satanic cult rituals and killings. The most famous case involves a local pimp and the murder of several prostitutes.
Today it is one of the most mysterious forests in the world and visitors have reported cases of animal mutilation as well as the remains of satanic rituals. Some even speak of creatures stalking hikers.
#2 – Wychwood Forest, England
There is no lack of beliefs about this forest. A traveler says he felt a hand on his shoulder. Others speak of a horse-drawn cart in which there were two sobbing children. Wychwood Forest was once one of Oxfordshire’s largest royal hunting grounds. It is now one of the most mysterious forests on the planet.
The strangest case is that of Amy Robsart, the wife of the Earl of Leicester. She mysteriously died after breaking her neck. Dead, she would then reappeared as a ghost to her husband while he was hunting in Wychwood and predicted that he would join her in ten days. Ten days later, the poor fell ill and passed away. Today, legend has it that anyone who crosses their path will succumb in the days that follow.
#3 – Isla de las Muñecas, Mexico
La Isla de las Muñecas, which means “island of dolls” in French, is located near Mexico City. As the name suggests, all the trees on the island are decorated with hanging dolls. The island’s only inhabitant and guardian, Julian Santana, discovered a girl’s body in one of its canals more than 50 years ago.
In the same water was a doll, and in homage to the young girl found, he hung her on a tree. It was the first of thousands of dolls he hung up until 2001, when he drowned in the same canal and place where he found the girl.
Some believe that the dolls are evil spirits, others believe that they protect the forest. Today, the forest on the island has become a popular tourist destination. Visitors claim that the dolls have eyes and limbs that move.
#4 – Sea of Trees (Aokihgahara) in Japan
Located at the northwest base of Mount Fuji in Japan, Aokigahara is grimly known as the “Forest of Suicides”, one of the most mysterious forests on the planet. It stretches over 30 square kilometers of hardened lava from the last major eruption of Mount Fuji that took place in AD 864.
The west side of Aokigahara is very dense and the lava absorbs sounds. Visitors having walked there declare having felt a real feeling of loneliness. This forest is very dense and dark, and the only light that crosses it is that of the occasional sunrays. Some hikers who venture into its depths have confessed to marking their way with markers so as not to get lost.
Its grim notoriety is due to the 108 bodies which were allegedly found in the forest in 2004. Then, no less than 247 people killed themselves there in 2010. The suicide rate has become so alarming that every year a search takes place from the forest in search of possible bodies. These are usually found hanging from trees. After the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, it is the second place with the highest suicide rate in the world.
#5 – Hoia-Baciu Forest in Romania
Named after a shepherd who allegedly disappeared in this forest accompanied by his 200 sheep, Hoia-Baciu is today considered one of the most haunted forests in the world. It is sometimes called the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania. The locals themselves refuse to enter because legend has it that anyone who enters will never come back.
The Hoia-Baciu forest is also known to be the site of various paranormal activities. Courageous visitors claimed to have witnessed orbs and mysterious lights. They also say they heard voices of women crying and laughing. Others speak of a sudden amnesia over what would have happened in the very heart of the forest as they passed through it.
Many scientists from Germany, the United States and France have looked into the case of this forest. They managed to take strange images on which appear faces and apparitions. You have been warned!
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