The Gold Camp tunnels: are they really haunted?

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The Gold Camp tunnels: are they really haunted?
May 8, 2009
By Matthew Kruger
Colorado Connection

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- It is a common speculation that the Gold Camp tunnels are haunted. The road, once a railroad track, contains a very long history, which have spawned rumors of "accidents."

One belief is that a school bus of children was travelling under a tunnel when it collapsed, killing all on board. Now, the children can be heard now and then, and their handprints may even appear on your window if you turn your vehicle off inside the tunnel. One theory comes form a train conductor that supposedly committed suicide before the entrance.

According to the Pioneer's museum, there is no event on record that supports any of these stories. However, that does not mean they aren't haunted. One local team of investigators, R.I.P. (Research and Interpretation of the Paranormal), has conducted studies on the tunnels.

Founder Chad Bilstein has investigated electronic voice phenomena and pictures of the tunnels looking for indicators of paranormal activity. He and his team found very little to support any evidence of hauntings. However, there were a couple reasons that may prompt others to believe that what they were seeing is extraordinary.

In some pictures that people take in the tunnels, orbs can be seen in different colors floating about. This is likely just dust which is easily kicked up by the gravel road. The "handprints" on vehicles could simply be mist forming on the hollow surface thanks to a drop in temperature in the tunnels. The "blood" on the rocks? That is just rust, a very common occurrence in the area.

Given no obvious incident on record and no evidence from paranormal investigation, the myth of the Gold Camp tunnels being haunted does not hold water.

The third tunnel? It did collapse, but no on top of anything. It collapsed because of natural erosion.