Haunted Highlands Driving Tour

Join the New Jersey Highlands Coalition’s Annual Fall Car Trek as we drive Shades of Death Road, consider what may lurk beneath the placid surface of Lake Hopatcong, brave the infamous Clinton Road! We have curated a collection of creepy lore and local legends to bring you Haunted Highlands, our 2024 Fall Car Trek.

Your tour packet will provide you with turn-by-turn directions as well as plenty of strange stories from across the Highlands. Get ready to explore some of the most storied spots in the Garden State with your fearless companions and learn a fascinating mix of history and hoaxes with the New Jersey Highlands Coalition.

The route for the Haunted Highlands Car Trek will begin at the Independence Township Volunteer Fire Department in Great Meadows. The tour will include a stop at the Waterloo Village Historical Site in Stanhope into stretch your legs, take in the fall foliage, and learn about a few of the frighteningly inappropriate development projects that threaten the Highlands. An optional stop at Main Lake Market on Lake Hopatcong provides a chance to refuel with snacks and enjoy views of the lake.

Pre-registration is strongly recommended!
Please purchase a General Admission ticket if you plan to participate in the Car Trek on October 27. Please purchase a "Rain Check" ticket if you plan to drive the route on your own at another time. "Rain Check" registrants will receive the Tour Packet PDF on Monday, October 28.

Hours of Operation: Pre-registration recommended! Check-in for the Haunted Highlands Driving Tour will be between 10 am and 11 am. Attendees drive the tour route at their own pace after receiving their Tour Packet.

Admission Costs: $35 per vehicle. A minimum of two people per vehicle is required for safety reasons. Driver must be accompanied by a passenger-navigator to receive directions and enjoy the interpretive tour info. "Rain check" tickets are also available to drive the route at your convenience after October 27. All proceeds benefit environmental advocacy in northwestern New Jersey's Highlands Region.

The New Jersey Highlands Coalition is dedicated to protecting and preserving the natural and cultural resources of beautiful northwestern New Jersey. All proceeds benefit our ongoing efforts to ensure clean drinking, stop warehouse sprawl, and promote healthy forestry practices on public lands.

The Haunted Highlands Driving Tour is a daytime self-guided tour through Warren, Morris, and Passaic County that explores some spooky stories and legends from the region. Adults may decide if the stories and information in the Tour Packet is appropriate for their children. Parents may focus on the scenic drive at peak fall foliage season and read the strange and spooky tales from the tour packet on their own. The stop at Waterloo Village Historic Site is not haunted, though the New Jersey Highlands Coalition staff person at the stop may share a few local "ghost stories."