The Spirits of Proctor Valley Road

Posted: 12.11.2024 | Updated: 12.11.2024

There’s nothing quite like the vibrant and eclectic life of San Diego, from the world-famous zoo to the parks and, of course, the beach life. There’s another kind of life beneath the sunny surface of this California city, however — one that’s filled with the strange and unknown. 

At the heart of it all is Proctor Valley Road, an isolated 7.9-mile stretch of road that inconspicuously lies nestled in the rolling countryside. It serves as a simple road connecting the city of Chula Vista to the town of Jumal. However,  it holds a celebrity status in the world of ghost enthusiasts for its ghost lore and cryptids believed to roam within its vicinity at night. 

A ghost tour unlike any other awaits you in San Diego! Be sure to visit our site today and book a tour with San Diego Ghosts for an up-close experience with the city’s otherworldly residents. 

Is Proctor Valley Road haunted?

Located in sunny San Diego, Proctor Valley Road almost looks like something straight out of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre– a quiet dirt valley road surrounded on either side by a vast and sparse landscape. However, it’s not so much the road, as much as the immense lore surrounding it that makes many believe it’s one of the most haunted roads in California. 

History of Proctor Valley Road

Proctor Valley Road, located in San Diego, California is a 7.9-mile connecting gravel road between Jamul and Chula Vista. Not much is known about the actual history of Proctor Valley Road, except it was so remote that it wasn’t named until around 1890. 

Sally Proctor, the widow of famed English astronomer Richard A. Proctor, proposed building an observatory on nearby San Miguel Mountain. It’s believed she even led several parties nearby to show where it would stand. Her dream never came to fruition, but the road was still named after them eventually.

Legends of the Road

What little is known about Proctor Valley Road’s actual history, it certainly makes up for in legends and lore surrounding it. It’s hard to pinpoint when they started springing up, but they have indeed left many thinking twice about traveling down this ominous road for decades. The most recent one tells the story of Haven Bakery formerly located at the end of the road in Jamul. 

It was a family business run by a father and his daughter. That’s until one day when the father returned from a business trip. He went down into the basement and found his daughter’s lifeless body hanging by the neck from the ceiling. The father descended into madness, killing his entire staff and hiding their bodies in the bathroom before hanging himself as well. The bakery was torn down in 2008, with a Walgreens supposedly built over the site. 

Another story resounding through Proctor Valley Road has to do with a couple that parked their car next to a tree off the side of the road one night. It’s safe to say this took place before this kind of setup became popular in horror movies; who knows, what happened to them next might have inspired it. 

The couple’s car wouldn’t start when it was time to return home. The boyfriend went out to investigate or get help but never returned. The girl stayed in the car all night, petrified to go out because of the strange scratching she was hearing on the window. The police found her the next morning, but what she discovered next was the stuff of nightmares. 

Hauntings Overview

Proctor Valley Road is a minefield of ghost stories and cryptid lore that gives travelers cold sweats just looking at it. The bakery said to be replaced by a Walgreens, was known to be infested with spiritual activity before it was torn down. Many believe their tortured souls remain behind. 

As for the woman found by police the next morning, she discovered that the strange scratching sound on her car was her boyfriend’s dismembered body hanging from a tree scraping against the window. It’s presently referred to as the haunted tree today, after some witnesses have claimed to have seen the man’s unrecognizable body from time to time, swaying on one of its branches. 

It’s believed he is another statistic of what locals have dubbed “The Proctor Valley Monster.” It has been described to be similar in appearance to that of a minotaur and responsible for livestock mutilation that has occurred in the area since the 1940s. A cast of this creature’s supposed footprint remains housed in the Bonita Museum in Chula Vista. 

Proctor Valley Road is also known for being the worst place to help out a hitchhiker. It’s been said that an old lady wanders along the road at night, crying out for her children. Whether it’s another tortured soul or La Llorona herself, you definitely don’t want to get close. 

The ghost of another woman has also been seen wearing a white or blue dress, waving down motorists on the side of the road at night. Several versions of her have circulated in various aspects. One tale has it that she was raped and murdered and now seeks vengeance on her killers. It’s said that if you pick her up, she will kill you before you get to the end of Proctor Valley Road. 

Closer Than They Appear

Proctor Valley Road holds a strange reputation when it comes to vehicles. Motorists have experienced anything ranging from a flat tire to their car just breaking down on its rough path. Even more unusual, however, is that the road may have a vehicle of its own that appears once drivers find themselves on the dirt portion. It’s what many witnesses describe as phantom headlights. 

It’s been said that when driving out on the dirt portion of the road at night, drivers will see a pair of headlights appear behind them in relentless pursuit. Picking up speed is futile as the headlights will only get closer- to within a hair of your car. Consider yourself warned should you ever look in your mirror to see who’s behind the wheel — no one, not even a car. You read that right, the headlights are believed to be attached to nothing. 

The phantom headlights come to a dead stop at the edge of the pavement once you leave the dirt portion of Proctor Valley Road. Stick around to watch, and you can see the headlights reverse back down the dirt road before turning around and fading into the darkness of the night. 

Haunted San Diego

There is nothing that eludes the eye when it comes to the astounding beauty of San Diego, California. Its captivating beach life and its many entertainment and outdoor facets make this city a special place for those looking to explore the true essence of The Golden State.  

It’s also a special place that encapsulates seekers of the unknown, with its arguably most haunted road located only 15 minutes away in the town of Chula Vista – Proctor Valley Road. It remains nestled among rolling scenic valleys, serving as a simple connecting road.  However, with its plethora of ghost stories, cryptids, and a mysterious past, many think it may be a connection between our world and something much darker. 

A ghost tour like no other awaits in San Diego! Be sure to visit our site today and book a spot with San Diego Ghosts for a spine-chilling walk among some of the city’s most haunted locations. Until then, read up on our blog for more chill-ridden stories, and stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

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