Clinton Road
West Milford, NJ 07480
Located in West Milford, Clinton Road is a 10-mile desolate stretch of roadway predominantly surrounded by undeveloped woodland. Over the years this street has given rise to many rumors and ghostly sightings, and had been the site of some several tragedies as well.
One of the most common ghost stories shared is that of a dead young boy who hangs under the bridge at Dead Man’s Curve. The Ghost Boy as he is referred to is said to returns coins to you after you throw them in the water, according to Weird NJ. It’s not entirely clear if this is the exact bridge that such phenomenon has occurred because there is also a bridge found south of Dead Man’s Curve near the old stone iron furnace as well, but clearly visitors have had a try at experiencing the Ghost Boy with coins visible in the water stream beneath the bridge.
The story of Ghost Boy is just one of many haunt stories surrounding Clinton Road. Other notable event surrounding this road include an incident in 1983 when a human body was found off the side of the road by a passing cyclist; a coroner’s exam revealed that it was the body of Daniel Deppener and ice crystals had formed in blood vessels near the heart. Three years later investigators would find the killer, Richard Kuklinski, a contract killer who had earned the nickname “The Iceman.” According to reporting from Try to Scare Me, Kuklinski in statements indicated he’d perform the act of killing, freezing and dumping bodies, leaving many to question whether there may be additional bodies lying in the woods who have not been discovered.
Other phenomenon driving visitors to experiences the haunts of Clinton Road include a sofa that may suddenly appear in the road. Story has it that if you come across it, don’t get out of your vehicle as it is blood-thirsty cannibals lurking in the shadows hoping to trick you out of your vehicle to investigate it, according to the Daily News.
There’s also the story of a young boy who allegedly died after falling from a bridge near the reservoir. If you place a quarter on the yellow line in the middle of the road at midnight it is said the ghost boy will promptly return it; alternatively, if you lean over the side of the bridge he might push you off. There have also been reports of a girl in a ghostly Camaro, the specters of a terrible car crash that occurred in 1988, and of ghost trucks or phantom headlights that chase motorists to the end of the road before vanishing.
Other oddities include a colonial structure south of the reservoir which is said be a druid temple. If anyone looks in on the druids during one of their rituals something horrible will befall him or her. People also claim to have seen hellhounds and strange hybrid creatures; some believe these to be the offspring of survivors from the now defunct Jungle Habitat which closed in 1976, which were somehow able to crossbreed.
While Clinton Road has been deemed by many as the most haunted street in America, including Roadtrippers, it’s a voyage worth discovering even if you’re not out to seek a haunted experience as it also offers scenic views of the forest, lake, wildlife, and historic sites like the Clinton Furnace and the ruins of Cross Castle.
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Nearby Real Haunts
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Reviews
I went with my friends down this road, we couldn’t get to the end fast enough before I was out of the car throwing up and shaking like a leaf… just to get back in the car to get back to where we needed to go, I was begging for us to take another route but to no avail, my friends thought I was joking. We barely made it back before I leapt from the car once more and started throwing up again, crying and begging for whatever was making me feel like I was going to die to stop… and saying I will never come back here again. As soon as we drove away I started to feel better. Something out there set off every alarm bell in my body. Not for the faint of heart or those who have sensitivity to the strange and unusual. Take a cruise down Clinton road if you dare!!
September 2024
| Would Recommend | Yes |
Absolutely no cell service on the road. It seems that it goes on forever. We also saw a guy hitchhiking at the side of the road with a flashlight.
March 2021
| Would Recommend | Yes |
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
It is dark and scary but never seen anything
September 2017
| Would Recommend | Yes |
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
A truck, that looked like it had the headlights of an Excursion, came out of no where. Was looking behind us the whole time to watch if this were to happen. He sped up and stayed on us the whole 10 miles. He literally tried to run us off the road. He didn't succeed of course because we weren't gunna let a truck be that much of an asshole to us so we slowed down and waited for him to pass but he didn't. By the end of the road the truck disappeared right before our very eyes. This haunt is no joke.
January 2016
| Would Recommend | Yes |
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful
The so-called Druid Temple on Clinton Road is the Clinton Iron Furnace. It was built in 1826 to smelt iron from locally mined ore. It is listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. As a nearly 200 year old historic site it is endangered by neglect and vandalism. It has no supernatural associations.
January 2016
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
You're from North Arlington aren't ya???
January 2016
| Would Recommend | Yes |
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful
my neighbor, the cyclist, found the dead body! My other neighbor, a few years before found a dead body under some leaves in the watershed along Davenport Rd. Guess whose name he used as a reference!
You might also die waiting for the two lights to change in order to cross Rte 23 S to access Clinton Rd., the longest light (5 min) in NJ.
January 2016
| Would Recommend | Yes |
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
I drive on this road at least 5-10 times a week, and most of the time I don't see anything unusual other than animals and a green jeep who decided to try the head light trick and almost ran me over. But it wasn't a ghost just an immature boy. One time I do think I saw a girl with dark wet hair in a white night gown looking outfit with her face covers by her hair, but I haven't seen it since. Also one night I saw vertical fog and I'm convinced it was a spirit because fog is usually horizontal. I also got my finger sliced open by skipping a rock by the dam but that's it.
January 2016
| Would Recommend | Yes |
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful
She died in a head on collision around 10pm 4 years ago. That street changed the lives of many people in motor vehicle accidents in the area due to lack of signs and lights.
January 2016
| Would Recommend | No |
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
In HS (circa early 1990s we used to tribe up there in a huge group and "camp". We made fires, drank beers and just hung out until the sun came up. I remember literally walking further into the woods alone sometimes to pee! I'm afraid of my own shadow today. Don't know how I ever did that back then!
January 2016
| Would Recommend | Yes |
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful
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| Last Edit to Your Listing: | Apr 11, 2017 |
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