Scariest roads in Alabama include State Highway 5 in Pine Hill

Downtown Pine Hill.

I read the results of an interesting survey the other day about the scariest roads in Alabama. In the spirit of Halloween, which came to pass a couple of weeks ago, the survey-takers asked 3,000 drivers which “roads they mostly would avoid after dark - those infamous for supernatural encounters, spine-tingling tales and eerie sightings that make the bravest souls’ hair stand on end.” The survey resulted in a list of the 140 scariest roads in American and three in Alabama, including one road in Wilcox County.

The scariest road in Alabama is said to be the stretch of State Highway 169 that runs from the Seale community in Russell County to Opelika in Lee County. This highway lies atop a much older road that’s steeped in spooky history. Travelers on this road report seeing the ghost of a man on horseback, thought to be the spirit of a 19th-century highwayman, who charges toward terrified drivers before vanishing into thin air.

The second scariest road in Alabama is Jack Cole Road in the town of Hayden in Blount County. Travelers on this road report seeing eerie figures, unexplained lights, and hearing mysterious sounds in the surrounding woods. Many who drive through after dark describe a spine-chilling atmosphere that intensifies as the night deepens, leaving them with an overwhelming sense of being watched.

The third scariest road in Alabama is said to be State Highway 5 in the town of Pine Hill in western Wilcox County. This rural highway is known for sightings of a spectral man walking along the road at night, believed to be the ghost of a traveler who died in a car crash. There are also other stories of strange occurrences experienced by drivers, which only add to the road's eerie atmosphere, especially after dark.

All of the above got me to thinking about other spooky roads in Wilcox County. The first that came to mind is the stretch of County Road 59 where it intersects with County Road 24, north of Pine Apple. A number of years ago, Alabama Front Porches put out a tri-fold pamphlet called “The Ghosts of Alabama’s Black Belt,” and this pamphlet listed this supposedly haunted intersection as one of the spookiest places in Wilcox County.

According to the pamphlet, “at the intersection of County roads 59 and 24, the sounds of the rattling of chains can clearly be heard at night. Many local residents have heard them. Visitors should pull to the side of the road and not stop in the road if they wish to listen.” The pamphlet also provides the GPS coordinates of this location: N315522.0 W0870019.7.

In the end, I’d like to hear from any readers who know more about the “spectral man” seen walking along Highway 5 in Pine Hill or from anyone who has experienced anything out of the unusual there. Also, let me hear from you if you’ve had a spooky experience at the intersection of County Road 59 and 24. Don’t be surprised if you aren’t the only one who has seen something out of the ordinary in those locations.