By iSkyNews Paranormal Desk
June 7, 2025
The highways of Arizona cut through ancient land, lonely deserts, and centuries of mystery—and some say, they also cut through something much stranger. From ghostly figures caught on dashcams to vanishing hitchhikers and phantom buses, the open road isn’t always as empty as it seems.
Here are four of the most chilling paranormal stories tied to Arizona’s roadways—and the experiences of the drivers who lived to tell the tale.
👻 Apparition on SR‑87: “It was standing still, just watching”
A trucker caught this eerie figure near mile marker 200 along SR-87 around 2:30 a.m.
Trucker William Church was traveling north on State Route 87 in the early hours of a cold spring morning when something unusual appeared on his dashcam. Just ahead on the shoulder of the road stood a tall, pale figure. It wasn’t moving. It wasn’t walking. It was just... there.
“You could see the road lines through it,” he said. “I slowed down and kept staring. It wasn’t a person. It couldn’t have been.”
This stretch of road between Mesa and Payson is long, dark, and remote—making it an ideal stage for the unexplained. For decades, locals have whispered about “the watcher of the pines,” a ghostly presence seen only by night drivers. Most chalk it up to tired eyes or road hypnosis. But with a dashcam to back him up, Church insists: “That night, I wasn’t alone.”
🚌 Phantom Bus on Highway 93: Riders That Aren’t There
Drivers report being followed by a mysterious silver coach bus on long desert stretches.
If you’ve ever taken Highway 93 from Wickenburg toward Kingman or Laughlin, you know how empty and surreal the desert feels. But for some, that emptiness is interrupted by a haunting sight—a full-sized bus appearing out of nowhere.
Several late-night drivers have reported the same encounter: A silvery, old-style bus appears behind them, tailing them silently for miles. Then, just as quickly, it vanishes—sometimes by drifting off the road into thin air, other times simply blinking out of sight.
One couple told iSkyNews they pulled over, thinking the bus driver needed help. But as they stopped, the bus seemed to glide past them without sound, with no one at the wheel—and not a single face in the windows.
Some believe it’s the ghost of a long-lost gambling bus that disappeared decades ago, while others say it’s a warning—a spectral reminder of how dangerous this highway can be.
🚗 The Vanishing Hitchhiker: Classic Legend, Modern Encounters
A man driving along a quiet section of US Route 60 near Globe recounted an unsettling encounter this past April. A young woman appeared on the roadside, waving her arms. She looked disoriented, her dress torn, her face pale. The driver stopped and offered a ride.
“She said her car broke down, and she needed to get to town,” he said. “She got in the back seat and thanked me. I looked up in the mirror just a few seconds later—and she was gone.”
This story might sound familiar, because it’s one of the most enduring paranormal tales around the world: the Vanishing Hitchhiker. But the way this driver told it—shaking, visibly rattled, voice cracking—it didn’t feel like folklore. It felt like something that had just happened.
😈 Devil’s Highway: US-491 and the Dread That Sticks
US-491, formerly known as Route 666, still carries an eerie reputation.
What do you get when you name a road "666"? A whole lot of lore—and, some say, a whole lot of trouble. US Route 491, previously US-666, runs through Arizona and into New Mexico. And for decades, people have told the same dark tales: black cars that appear out of nowhere and chase you without headlights, shadowy dogs with glowing eyes that run alongside your vehicle, and sudden engine stalls that happen without explanation.
Drivers have reported overwhelming feelings of dread, sudden nosebleeds, or seeing people on the roadside who vanish as they pass. Many refuse to drive it at night at all.
Although the highway was renumbered in 2003 to ease public fear, the stories haven’t stopped. In fact, some say it only made them worse.
🗺️ Paranormal Hotspot Map: Where to Watch the Roads
| Road | What Happens | Advice |
|---|---|---|
| SR-87 | Ghostly figure on roadside | Dashcam recommended after 2 a.m. |
| Highway 93 | Phantom bus trails and vanishes | Don’t follow. Pull over safely. |
| US-60 | Vanishing hitchhikers | Take note of time, clothes, speech |
| US-491 | Black sedans, ghost dogs, feelings of dread | Avoid driving solo at night |
💬 Final Thoughts: Desert Roads, Restless Spirits
Arizona’s highways are more than just pavement. They are silent storytellers. Winding through ghost towns, sacred lands, and lonely deserts, they seem to hold onto memories—some too stubborn to fade.
Are these stories all real? Maybe not in a scientific sense. But for the people who’ve experienced them, the terror is no less true. It lingers in the mind, long after the drive is over.
So next time you’re cruising through the desert at night, keep your eyes on the road… and your dashcam running.
📸 Have your own highway ghost story or footage? Email us at iskynews@icloud.com. We’d love to feature it.
🔗 Stay tuned to iSkyNews.com for more strange encounters across Arizona.
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