There’s nothing quite like a show at Red Rocks. The energy, the view, the people, the drugs. Anyone who has ever been there will tell you it’s the best place in the world to see a concert. But few of those spectators know that Red Rocks is haunted. Let’s learn about the darkness that lurks around the venue, the ghosts that never left or stopped partying.
Red Rocks formed 300 million years ago—don’t worry, I’ll make the history lesson quick. As far back as 9,000 years (see, I skipped 299,991,000 years; we’re not going into the dinosaur bones that have been found in the area, go talk to your 10-year-old cousin for that) indigenous people used the land as an ancient and sacred place for ceremonial gatherings.
But in the mid-1800s, white settlers started to claim the land under land grant and homestead laws, pushing out the Ute, Arapaho, and Cheyenne tribes (so remember that if you go up there, don’t f@*king litter!). In the early 1900s, John Brisben Walker had the first vision of Red Rocks as a music venue. He hold concerts and operas on a small wooden stage. By 1928 the city of Denver acquired the land with the vision of a world-class venue. In 1941 it opened as an amphitheater with a capacity of over 9,000. In 2015 the government designated the park a National Historic Landmark.
Iconic Concerts
Over the decades since its opening, countless icons have graced concertgoers at Red Rocks. The Beatles played in 1964, Jimi Hendrix in 1968, Johnny Cash in 1965, just to name a few. Film on the Rocks, or movie nights, have also become popular in recent years with screenings of popular films.
With all the energy of thousands of concertgoers mixed in with thousands of years of history—a lot of that history being settlers displacing natives—there are bound to be stories, ghost sightings, and paranormal experiences.
Paranormal Hotspot: The Trading Post
The most accessible spot for the paranormal is the Trading Post. Today it serves as a visitor center and souvenir shop. Workers in the Trading Post say items move on their own, doorknobs turn on their own, and people often feel cold spots moving around them. I talked to one of the cashiers working there and they said the ghost in question is Ruth, a former employee. She also experienced on a few occasions the lights in the Trading Post turning on and off on their own. When she mentioned it to other employees, they said it was just Ruth and not to worry about it.
Ghosts that party?
She said another common haunting is people hearing disembodied voices and seeing shadows around the Trading Post at night after shows. But that one is a little sus—like I said at the start, it’s a great place to do drugs, so are these ghosts or just hallucinations? In my experience taking drugs at Red Rocks—I mean, going to concerts at Red Rocks—I’d say hallucinations.
The Ghost Miner of Red Rocks
The next spot to look for ghosts is easiest to access from the upper north lot. From there take the path to the venue to search for the ghost of an old miner. Locals say he appears as an apparition with a beard, wearing 19th-century clothes, and usually holding a bottle. He only appears momentarily then disappears. Not much is known about him; locals believe someone robbed and murdered him. Or maybe he simply vanished into the hills never to be seen alive again.
Spirits of the Past: Native Apparitions
Red Rocks is a very spiritual place and has been for many thousands of years (again, don’t f&*king litter). It’s no surprise that many claim to see apparitions of natives dressed in ceremonial attire appearing at dusk and dawn. Many visitors report hearing tribal drums and chanting, but that could be some dumb hippy drum circle. A lot of times these ghost drums happen when there is no event or people around. Some people have claimed to feel someone brush past them while on a hike. These events happen all over the park, but the best places to look are on the trails above the amphitheater, on Trading Post Trail, and Funicular Trail.
The Legend of the Hatchet Lady
Last is my favorite story of Red Rocks—the legend of the Hatchet Lady. This one is interesting because it’s a mix of folklore, urban legend, and reported sightings, and one I heard about while growing up in the area. She doesn’t have a solid origin story. Some say she is a vengeful spirit who was wronged by a lover in her life. Other stories say she was a hermit, rejected by society after becoming disfigured, who lived in a cave and chased off intruders when they got too close to her. Another version of her story is that she was a schoolteacher who felt she had a moral duty to protect the innocence of children. Whatever her story actually is, all agree that she appears the same: as a disfigured and cloaked figure wielding a hatchet that is dripping blood.
Hikers often report sightings on Trading Post Trail if you are inclined to find her. A high number of people who have reported her say they were… getting friendly with another. This upsets her and causes her to appear and prevent any immoral behavior from continuing. Maybe she mad because she thirsty. Others have triggered her by simply going into her area, so stay on the trails to not upset her. Hikers have claimed to hear screams or someone yelling warnings. Glimpses of her standing on a rock ledge before vanishing are also common. People have even called 911 after coming in contact with her, only for the police to search the area and find nothing. This urban legend is usually chalked up to being a story told to scare children. However, hikers and concertgoers keep reporting experiences, adding to the legitimacy of the Hatchet Lady.
Red Rocks is not only a great place to hike or see a show but to go ghost hunting. If ghost hunting, I recommend going around dusk and into the night, as this is when most accounts are reported. Red Rocks is a summer destination, but the fall and winter months have fewer crowds and distractions to allow a more accurate investigation. Remember that this is sacred land (DON’T F%*KING LITTER), so be respectful and leave no trace.
Happy Hunting
Thanks for reading and check out The Witches Wardrobe to spookify your style. Your support goes to fund the adventures of The Forgotten Grimoire.