Lake Morena County Park

Posted: 04.25.2025 | Updated: 04.25.2025

Lake Morena County Park, deep in the far-flung hills beyond San Diego’s sprawl, is a scenic retreat for campers, hikers, and fishermen—but beneath its serene surface rests a legacy as one of Southern California’s most haunted lakes.

For over a century, visitors and residents have whispered about ghostly apparitions, unexplained prints, and chilling encounters on the lakeshore and campsites. The park’s sinister reputation and gloomy past have drawn ghost enthusiasts and adventure-seekers in search of a spine-tingling experience.

Whether you’re drawn by the allure of the Pacific Crest Trail or the thrill of a haunted campfire story, Lake Morena County Park promises more than just natural beauty. If you’re brave enough, consider joining a ghost tour with San Diego Ghosts to experience the sinister side of this storied lake firsthand.

Is Lake Morena County Park Haunted? 

Yes, Lake Morena County Park is widely considered haunted, with decades of reported ghostly activity. Campers and park staff have described seeing apparitions—most famously, a woman in a long white dress along the shoreline—and hearing heavy, unexplained footsteps circling tents and cabins at night. 

Some witnesses have even encountered levitating figures and ghostly lights, while others have felt an overwhelming sense of being watched or experienced doors mysteriously opening on their own.

History of Lake Morena County Park

Lake Morena County Park, located in the remote hills east of San Diego, is a striking blend of desert, mountain, and coastal habitats, making it one of the region’s most unique recreation destinations. 

The area’s modern history began in the late 19th century, when entrepreneurs John Spreckels and Elijah Babcock undertook the ambitious project of building the Morena Dam to provide water to the growing city of San Diego and the Hotel del Coronado. Construction began in 1896, but early efforts were plagued by cost overruns, engineering shortcuts, and controversy—most infamously, the use of burlap sacks to plug holes in the original dam. 

After running out of funds, construction was halted until 1909, when professional engineers finally completed the dam in 1912, creating the reservoir that would become Lake Morena. 

The creation of the lake and dam transformed the area from a sparsely settled backcountry into a popular getaway for city dwellers. The arrival of the San Diego & Arizona Railway in 1916 and improved roads made the region more accessible, spurring the development of cabins, ranches, and eventually year-round homes around the lake.

Tragedy struck in 1916 when the infamous “Rainmaker” Charles Hatfield’s efforts to end a severe drought led to catastrophic flooding that destroyed infrastructure and claimed dozens of lives, further embedding the lake in local legend and sorrow. The area’s Native American history also runs deep, with the Kumeyaay people having lived in the region long before settlers arrived, and their presence continues to be felt in the land’s stories and spirit.

Lake Morena County Park in Modern Times

During World War II, the region played a strategic role as part of Camp Lockett, housing military personnel and even prisoners of war, which brought further change and diversity to the local community. Post-war, Lake Morena continued to evolve, with the establishment of the county park and the growth of tourism, fishing, and camping as major draws. 

Today, Lake Morena County Park is a gateway to the Pacific Crest Trail and remains a favorite spot for outdoor recreation, while its layered history of engineering triumphs, natural disasters, and cultural intersections continues to shape its reputation as a place of both beauty and mystery.

Hauntings of Lake Morena County Park

Lake Morena County Park is widely regarded as one of Southern California’s most haunted lakes, with over 40 years of reported ghostly activity. Campers, rangers, and visitors have experienced everything from the apparition of a woman in a white dress to heavy footsteps circling tents, levitating figures along the shoreline, and poltergeist-like events such as floating christening gowns and mysteriously moving objects.

These chilling phenomena, combined with the park’s tragic history and remote setting, have made Lake Morena a magnet for ghost hunters and thrill-seekers alike.

The Woman in White

The most widely reported apparition at Lake Morena County Park is the mysterious Woman in White. Campers, park staff, and visitors have described seeing a young woman dressed in a floor-length white gown wandering the shoreline, especially at night. Her presence is often accompanied by an uncanny silence, and some witnesses have reported seeing her standing motionless, staring out over the water before fading away. 

In one account from a local camper, a faint white light appeared on the wet sand near the beach, gradually taking on the shape of a person as it moved slowly along the shore. The witness called over his wife, who also saw the light just before it vanished. Others have reported similar glowing figures or floating lights that seem to mimic the movement of a person walking, only to disappear without a trace.

The legend of the Woman in White has persisted for decades, with some believing she is the spirit of someone lost to the lake’s tragic history, perhaps tied to the devastating 1916 flood or earlier Native American lore. 

Her sightings have become a rite of passage for many who camp along the lake, and she is often cited as the most iconic ghost of Lake Morena. Whether a product of imagination or a true ghostly presence, her story continues to haunt the memories of those who encounter her.

The Levitating Man

Another chilling tale from Lake Morena involves the Levitating Man, first documented in a 1983 article by The San Diego Union. Park volunteer Walter Stucker recounted being suddenly awakened in his RV one night, only to find a tall man in a dark coat and knit cap standing right outside his window.

As Stucker watched in shock, the man turned and walked toward the lake, but his feet never touched the ground—instead, he hovered about six or seven inches above the surface, gliding deliberately across the landscape. The clarity of the night made the sight even more disturbing, and Stucker’s story has since become a staple of Lake Morena’s haunted lore.

This was not an isolated incident. Other park employees and visitors have reported similar encounters with a hovering or floating figure near the shoreline, describing the same unnatural, gliding movement. 

The Levitating Man’s silent, spectral presence adds a deeply unsettling dimension to the park’s reputation, and his story is often shared around campfires as one of the most convincing pieces of ghostly evidence at Lake Morena.

Phantom Footsteps

One of the most common and unnerving experiences reported at Lake Morena County Park is the phenomenon of phantom footsteps. Campers and cabin guests alike have described hearing heavy, deliberate footsteps circling their tents or walking along the wooden floors of lakeside cabins late at night. 

What makes these footsteps particularly eerie is that they do not fade away as if someone were walking into the distance; instead, the sound simply stops abruptly, as if the walker has vanished into thin air.

Despite repeated investigations, no physical evidence—such as footprints or tracks—has ever been found to explain these sounds. Some believe the footsteps are connected to the spirits of those who lost their lives in the area’s many tragedies, while others think they may be tied to the land’s deep Native American history. Regardless of their origin, the footsteps have left countless visitors unnerved, convinced that they are not alone in the darkness of Lake Morena.

The Floating Gown

Perhaps the most surreal of Lake Morena’s ghost stories is that of the Floating Gown. In 1981, inside the former dam keeper’s house—the first structure built at the lake—guests sleeping on a fold-out couch were awakened by the sound of heavy footsteps walking around their bed.

On another occasion, a female guest awoke to see a baby’s christening gown floating across the room. The gown drifted toward her, brushed her cheek, then floated back to its original spot and disappeared. The guest insisted she was fully awake during the encounter, and her story has been corroborated by other reports of poltergeist-like activity in the house.

These episodes of objects moving or levitating on their own have become part of Lake Morena’s haunted legacy. The Floating Gown, in particular, stands out for its gentle eeriness—less threatening than some of the other phenomena, but no less mysterious. Such stories continue to draw curiosity-seekers and ghost investigators to the park, eager to experience the unexplained for themselves.

Haunted San Diego

Lake Morena County Park stands out as one of San Diego County’s most haunted destinations, blending natural beauty with a legacy of tragedy and unexplained phenomena. From the woman in white to the levitating man and the echoing footsteps in the night, the park’s ghost stories have captivated generations of visitors. 

Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer, a night at Lake Morena offers a chance to experience the unknown in a setting as eerie as it is enchanting. Ready to discover the haunted side of San Diego? Book a ghost tour with San Diego Ghosts and see if you can unravel the mysteries of Lake Morena County Park for yourself. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep reading our blog for more real San Diego hauntings.

Sources:

1. https://blog.whiteduckoutdoors.com/5-haunted-campgrounds-for-a-thrilling-halloween-camping-experience/
2. https://www.sdparks.org/content/sdparks/en/park-pages/LakeMorena.html
3. https://sandiegouniontribune.newsbank.com/search?pub[]=136E6A0F0DF56B38&text=lake+morena+helen+shaffer&content_added=&date_from=1983&date_to=1983
4. https://sportssd.iheart.com/featured/san-diego/content/2022-10-10-this-san-diego-campground-is-ranked-2nd-most-haunted-in-america/