A quiet road, a stretch of dense woods and headlights cutting through the darkness. Sometimes, that is all it takes to turn an ordinary drive into something unsettling.

Across the U.S., certain roads have become known for stories of ghostly figures, mysterious lights and creatures that supposedly appear when no one else is around.

Some of these tales have been passed down for generations. Others have gained attention through online searches and social media, drawing curious travelers who want to see what the fuss is about.

Rental car company SIXT ranked America's spookiest roads using Google and TikTok search trends, according to NorthJersey.com. The ranking measures interest in these roads, not whether paranormal activity has been proven.

Here are the 10 roads that made the list, along with the stories behind their eerie reputations.

1. Clinton Road, West Milford, N.J.

Clinton Road in West Milford, New Jersey, has become a destination for people fascinated by haunted places. The roughly 10-mile stretch winds through heavily wooded land, where limited lighting and a secluded setting can make a nighttime drive feel particularly unsettling.

One of its best-known legends involves a ghost boy said to appear near a bridge. According to local folklore, drivers who throw coins into the water may see them tossed back by the child's spirit. Other tales involve mysterious lights, phantom vehicles and the Jersey Devil, a creature associated with New Jersey folklore.

Clinton Road has held the top spot on SIXT's most-haunted-road ranking for three consecutive years, including 2024, 2025 and 2026, according to NorthJersey.com. Its continued popularity shows just how much a good ghost story can capture the public's imagination.

For more on the road's history and legends, read SIXT's guide to Clinton Road.

2. Kancamagus Highway, New Hampshire

The Kancamagus Highway is known for its mountain scenery, winding turns and sweeping views of New Hampshire's White Mountains. Beyond its appeal to road-trippers, the highway has also become associated with a ghost story.

One local legend centers on Ruth Colbath, a woman said to have waited for years for her missing husband. According to the tale, she kept a lamp burning as she hoped for his return. Some versions of the story claim that her ghost, or the glow of her lamp, can still be seen along the road.

SIXT included the highway at No. 2 in its ranking of America's most haunted roads.

The highway's remote stretches and thick forests provide a fitting backdrop for the story. During foggy weather or after sunset, the landscape can look dramatically different from the scenic destination travelers visit during daylight.

3. Route 66, California

Route 66 has long represented the freedom of the open road, with its roadside diners, vintage signs and small towns scattered across the American West. But some sections also carry a darker atmosphere, particularly where abandoned businesses and forgotten settlements remain.

The California stretch of historic Route 66 took the third spot in SIXT's ranking of America's spookiest roads. Stories associated with the highway include phantom hitchhikers and ghostly encounters, while abandoned roadside stops give travelers plenty to imagine.

The route's real history adds to its mystique. As travel patterns changed and newer highways bypassed some communities, businesses closed and once-busy stops fell quiet. Those remnants of another era have helped make parts of Route 66 feel like places where the past has never quite disappeared.

4. Extraterrestrial Highway, Nevada

Not every spooky road is known for ghosts. In Nevada, the mystery comes from the possibility of something beyond Earth.

State Route 375, better known as the Extraterrestrial Highway, crosses a remote stretch of desert near the area surrounding Area 51. The highly secretive military installation has fueled decades of speculation about UFOs and alleged government knowledge of extraterrestrial life.

The highway has become a popular destination for UFO enthusiasts, curious travelers and anyone drawn to unexplained sightings. Reports of strange lights in the sky have added to its reputation, although such accounts do not establish that extraterrestrial activity has occurred.

SIXT ranked the Extraterrestrial Highway fourth among America's spookiest roads.

With long stretches of open desert and few signs of civilization, the highway can feel isolated even during the day. At night, the dark sky provides an entirely different kind of spectacle.

5. Bray Road, Wisconsin

The stories surrounding Bray Road in Wisconsin feature less traditional ghost lore and more of a creature straight out of a horror movie.

The rural road near Elkhorn is associated with the so-called Beast of Bray Road, a mysterious animal described in reports as a large, wolf-like creature capable of walking upright. Sightings and stories about the beast have circulated for decades, earning the area a place in American cryptid folklore.

The creature is sometimes compared to a werewolf, although its existence has never been verified. The legend has nevertheless attracted attention from paranormal enthusiasts and people interested in unexplained animal sightings.

Bray Road landed at No. 5 on SIXT's list of America's spookiest roads.

For a road surrounded by rural landscapes, the possibility of spotting an unfamiliar animal might not seem particularly strange. The stories become more unsettling, however, when witnesses describe something, they believe is far larger or more human-like than an ordinary animal.

6. Former Highway 666, New Mexico

Few road names sound as ominous as the former U.S. Highway 666, which earned the nickname the Devil's Highway because of its association with the number 666.

The route was renumbered U.S. Highway 491 in 2003, but the old name remains part of its legend. Stories associated with the highway include phantom trucks, mysterious vehicles and other strange encounters reported by travelers.

The number itself helped fuel the road's reputation, making it a natural fit for ghost stories and roadside folklore. Its nickname became so memorable that the highway's history continues to attract attention long after the original designation disappeared.

The route ranked sixth on SIXT's list.

The stories are part of the route's cultural reputation, not evidence that the highway is haunted. Still, driving along an isolated desert road with a name like the Devil's Highway offers plenty of material for the imagination.

7. Frontage Road, Gallatin County, Mont.

Montana's wide-open landscapes can be beautiful, but remote roads can also feel unsettling when the nearest town is miles away. Frontage Road earned a place on SIXT's list through stories of unexplained encounters along isolated stretches.

Reported tales include sudden drops in temperature and shadowy figures appearing near the roadside, although these accounts have not been independently verified. Such stories have helped give the road its place among America's spooky driving destinations.

The setting does much of the work. Long distances, sparse development and limited nighttime lighting can make it difficult to tell what is beyond the reach of a vehicle's headlights.

For travelers, that isolation is part of the appeal of exploring Montana. For anyone drawn to haunted-road stories, it also provides a reason to wonder what might be waiting just beyond the pavement.

8. Highway 200, North Dakota

North Dakota's Highway 200 offers another kind of eerie atmosphere. Rather than relying on one famous ghost story, its reputation is tied to the feeling of traveling through remote country, where long stretches of road can pass with little traffic or activity.

SIXT included the highway among its 10 spookiest American roads. Stories about forgotten communities and deserted places add to the atmosphere, though the highway's inclusion in the ranking does not establish that paranormal events have occurred there.

The experience is different from driving through a dense forest or along a mountain pass. Here, the open landscape and distance between destinations can make a nighttime journey feel unusually quiet.

There is no need for a ghost to appear for the setting to feel strange. Sometimes, the combination of darkness, silence and an empty road is enough.

9. Tower Hill Road, Cumberland, R.I.

Tower Hill Road in Rhode Island is linked to local ghost stories involving mysterious figures, including tales of ghostly children and a woman dressed in white.

Like many haunted-road legends, the accounts vary, and there is no verified evidence that the reported apparitions exist. Nevertheless, the stories have helped the road gain attention among people interested in the paranormal.

The woman in white is a familiar figure in ghost lore across the country, often appearing in stories about lonely roads and unexpected encounters with travelers. Tower Hill Road's inclusion in SIXT's ranking reflects the continuing interest in these types of legends.

For those fascinated by local legends, the road offers a reminder that spooky stories are not limited to famous haunted houses or historic cemeteries. Sometimes, they become attached to the routes people use every day.

10. Interstate 4, Florida

Florida's Interstate 4 may be a familiar route for commuters and visitors traveling through Central Florida, but one section has developed a reputation that contrasts sharply with the state's sunny image.

Known as the I-4 Dead Zone, the stretch near the St. Johns River outside Sanford is associated with stories of ghost sightings, strange lights and reports of electronic interference. One popular legend claims the highway was built over an old burial site connected to German settlers who died during a yellow fever outbreak.

Local coverage has explored the origins of the Dead Zone legend, including the possibility that the story was deliberately created as an act of revenge. The paranormal explanations remain unverified, and unusual experiences with radios or cell reception do not establish that a location is haunted.

Still, the contrast is striking. A busy interstate that thousands of drivers use can also become the center of a story that makes people think twice about traveling through it after dark.