There are certain places you don’t go after dark, and Bragg Road in Saratoga, Texas, seems to be one of them. Located in Hardin County Park, in Southeast Texas, Bragg Road (aka Ghost Road Scenic Drive) is 7.8 miles long. This dark, unpaved road outside of Saratoga is pure legend. Some mysterious lights appear and disappear at random during the dark of night without explanation.
This isolated road in the Big Thicket’s heart is unpaved, dry and dusty, but straight as a ruler. Ghost Road’s name comes after many tales centered around a ghostly light said to be seen after dark. Drivers on this road say they’ve spotted mysterious lights that randomly turn on and off throughout the night.
This pencil-straight stretch of road was formally the railroad track site, which formed part of the Santa Fe line from Bragg Station to Saratoga. After the railroad became obsolete in 1934, the tracks were removed. But the trail remained useful. It became a link road for cars and trucks moving to and from Saratoga.
Legend has it that back when Bragg Road was a railroad route, a conductor lost his head in a tragic derailing accident. Now, he’s eternally doomed to haunt the area, making his presence known by shining the lantern that hung in the front of the train.
Another story describes the light as the ghost of a mourning husband searching for his bride. She was mysteriously murdered while the couple was honeymooning at the Bragg Hotel, which used to exist at the end of the road.
No matter the reason for the ghostly lights, The Ghost Road is a definite destination to add to your haunted travels list.
Sources: The Hartford Extra Mile; onlyinyourstate.com; dangerousroads.org
I used to live in nearby Batson and grew up going down Bragg with my family and friends. I've been pretty terrified with my experiences on Bragg Road. Such as when my cousin and I went and the Ghost Light jumped and ended up at the car window. I was a little girl and it scared me half to death!. More times than not, it appears. There are hundreds of people visiting there every year and they are usually terrified too!.