Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Old Town Hall Bank Museum And Exhibit Hall
The Old Town Hall Bank Museum and Exhibit Hall
Der Mensch bezwingt den Kosmos (The Potsdam Mosaic)
De Tijdtrap
Qadian rooftop, Minaratul Masih, and Masjid Mubarak.
Aqsa Mosque
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Solo travel can be challenging and sometimes lonely, but it also often leads to the greatest adventures.
Dear Atlas: How Do I Unplug on a Solo Trip?
about 12 hours ago
Museum of Friends
The Art in This Museum Was Donated for Free
about 13 hours ago
Grasshopper Chapel and grounds.
How the Rocky Mountain Locust Plague Spawned Federal Disaster Relief
1 day ago
The Guy Bradley Visitor Center at Flamingo in Everglades National Park.
America’s First Game Warden Died Fighting for the Birds
1 day ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States New Jersey Independence Township Shades of Death Road
AO Edited

Shades of Death Road

This ominously named New Jersey street seems to be attracting over-the-top legends of its own making.

Independence Township, New Jersey

Added By
Eric Grundhauser
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Shades of Death Road   Daniel Case on Wikipedia
Shades of Death Road   Daniel Case on Wikipedia
Ghost Lake   Daniel Case on WIkipedia
Shades of Death Road   Matthew H Ward / Atlas Obscura User
  Taylortreat / Atlas Obscura User
  sorcha1977 / Atlas Obscura User
Ghost in the old cabin 2001   spaciaffi / Atlas Obscura User
Shades of Death Road   Matthew H Ward / Atlas Obscura User
old cabin at ghost lake. now gone.   spaciaffi / Atlas Obscura User
  spaciaffi / Atlas Obscura User
Down the hall before we freaked out and left   spaciaffi / Atlas Obscura User
inside the demolished cabin   spaciaffi / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

In rural Warren County, New Jersey the darkly named Shades of Death Road has unsurprisingly accrued a number of terrifying legends and seems to be spawning more supposedly haunted locales as the years go by. 

No one is quite sure how Shades of Death Road got its morbid moniker but most stories agree that the area was once known as "The Shades" and after a series of fatal occurrences, the thoroughfare earned its more over the top reputation. However, the details of the scary stories vary. Some say that a number of murders took place along the road beneath the overhanging trees from which the area got its original name.

According to another account, the area was once a swampy morass that harbored countless mosquitoes which led to a number of deaths due to malaria. Yet another says that the original inhabitants of the area were a band of ruthless outlaws who resided in an area they called, "The Shades of Death," and as they were pushed out of their territory, their final refuge was the lonely road that now bears the name of their home base.

Whatever the truth, modern times have seen the road accrue all manner of ghost stories, no doubt in part due to the ominous name and mysterious history. The pull of legend even seems to be spreading to the landmarks along the road. Today there is the small body of water known as Ghost Lake, a man-made body of water that was given its name thanks to spectral pillars of vapor that are said to rise from its surface. Near to the lake is also a small cave known as "The Fairy Hole" that is rumored to be related to Native American burial grounds and witchcraft.    

Related Tags

Local History Street Names Roads Ghost Stories

Community Contributors

Added By

EricGrundhauser

Edited By

spaciaffi, Matthew H Ward, Taylortreat, sorcha1977

  • spaciaffi
  • Matthew H Ward
  • Taylortreat
  • sorcha1977

Published

October 24, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shades_Of_Death_Road
  • http://weirdnj.com/stories/shades-of-death-road/
Shades of Death Road
Shades of Death Road
Independence Township, New Jersey, 07838
United States
40.916927, -74.895646
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Faery Cave

Great Meadows, New Jersey

miles away

Jenny Jump State Forest

Hope, New Jersey

miles away

Paulinskill Viaduct

Columbia, New Jersey

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New Jersey

New Jersey

United States

Places 158
Stories 33

Nearby Places

The Faery Cave

Great Meadows, New Jersey

miles away

Jenny Jump State Forest

Hope, New Jersey

miles away

Paulinskill Viaduct

Columbia, New Jersey

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New Jersey

New Jersey

United States

Places 158
Stories 33

Related Stories and Lists

9 Places to Have a Big Adventure Like Pee-wee Herman

List

By Sam O'Brien

Visiting 10 of Our Favorite Spooky Local Legends

List

By Jonathan Carey

Highway to Hell: A Journey Down America's Most Haunted Road

haunted

By Taffy Brodesser-Akner

The Story Behind Bucket of Blood Street and Other Weird Road Names

roads

By Eric Grundhauser

The Dark History of Seven Places Branded by Bloodshed

bridges

By Sarah Blake

Related Places

  • Corner of Arkhivna Street.

    Lviv, Ukraine

    Arkhivna Street

    This street has over a half-dozen names, all at once.

  • The main gate of Chōshō-ji Temple, built in 1629.

    Hirosaki, Japan

    Zenringai (Zen Temple Street)

    These 33 Zen Buddhist temples were built to protect the nearby castle.

  • Heritage Street.

    Henderson, Nevada

    Heritage Street

    Clark County Museum has created an entire street of historically important buildings relocated from various other locations within the county.

  • West Bridgewater, Massachusetts

    Solitude Stone

    This solitary stone engraved with a poem from 1852 has a mysterious and tragic past.

  • Large sand dune

    Blackpool, England

    Sand Dunes of St. Anne's

    On moonless nights, it's said that you can still hear the church bell of a village that was swept out of the dunes and lost to the rising sea.

  • Singapore Grand Prix at Old Upper Thomson Road - Racing in progress on the track

    Singapore

    Devil's Bend (Old Upper Thomson Road)

    This sharp turn was once the most dangerous part of the Singapore Grand Prix circuit.

  • Odense, Denmark

    Jomfruspringet (The Virgin Leap)

    This aged paving stone, marked by a maiden's foot imprint and the tales of her plunge from the cathedral tower, serves as a memorial to a tragic local legend.

  • “M” shaped road section between Kotor and Trojica

    Trojica, Montenegro

    "M" Road

    The hairpin turns in this mountain road take the shape of a letter—is it a coincidence or a symbol of love?

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.