A forest can be a beautiful, idyllic place in which to get close to nature or relax in solitude. But those same attributes, in some places, can be sources of anxiety, at least when the trees grow in twisted, ghoulish ways, or centuries-old tales of the paranormal linger. There may be stories of strange creatures that dart around dark hallows, or lost spirits who roam amid the fallen leaves, that are enough to rattle even the most intrepid wanderer. 

While Translyvania, Romania, brings to mind images of Dracula and his imposing castle, the Hoia Baciu Forest might be more reliably scary. Known as the “Bermuda Triangle of Romania,” the forest has been home to UFO sightings,  glowing eyes, strange disappearances, in addition to trees that look like they were plucked from the Upside Down. In the busy residential section of Ichikawa, Japan, is a small, seemingly out-of-place wooded area. It’s been said that those who choose to enter the Yawata no Yabushirazu are whisked away, never to be seen again. Entrance is strictly forbidden. From a woodland in the shadows of England’s “most haunted village” to a tree in a Michigan forest said to be possessed by spirits, here are our favorite spine-tingling forests.