When the Dead Walk in West Virginia (Paperback or Softback)

By Jannette Quackenbush

Bloody Bones. “Where’s My Big Toe?” 22 Mine Road. Indrid Cold.
So many eerie West Virginia legends to tell—and this little book is packed with them.

The Appalachian Mountains have long been a place where folklore and the supernatural intertwine, and in When the Dead Walk in West Virginia, folklorist Jannette Quackenbush gathers the state’s most chilling ghost stories and dark legends passed down through generations.

From haunted hollows to lonely backroads, these tales capture the deep-rooted mysteries and fears of the Mountain State’s past—shadowy figures moving through the fog, spirits bound to earth by unfinished business, and strange lights flickering along old mine roads.

Inside, you’ll find stories of:
• Bloody Bones and other creatures of the dark
• The terrifying children’s legend, “Where’s My Big Toe?”
• The haunted stretch of 22 Mine Road
• The alien-like stranger known as Indrid Cold
• And dozens more eerie encounters born in the heart of Appalachia

These authentic stories, drawn from West Virginia’s oral traditions, early folklore records, and first-hand accounts, reflect a time when the line between the living and the dead seemed thin—and the mountains whispered to those who dared to listen.

As founder of the 21 Crows American Folklore Archives, Quackenbush has spent decades preserving and documenting Appalachian folklore. She is also the creator of Dark Journeys with Jannette, which brings ghost stories and field investigation together through public night hikes, lectures, and storytelling events across the region. In addition to her writing and archival research, she has led public hikes and field explorations—including the Moonville Night Hikes, West Virginia’s Silver Run Tunnel Treks, and Hiking Expeditions (Where the Natural World and the Supernatural World Collide©)—guiding visitors through real haunted and creature-sighting locations.

Perfect for readers who love West Virginia ghost stories, Appalachian folklore, and true tales of the supernatural, this book captures the eerie spirit of a place where, even today, the dead still seem to walk among us.