Just over the Ohio border in Cairo, WV there is a long tunnel which is said to be haunted by a lady in a white dress. Even when this was a former rail line, the engineers traveling through the tunnel were warned to be on the look for the phantom, woman in white.

The B&O ran this line up into the 1980’s when the rail line was converted into a recreation trail. The trail stretches 72 miles and has 10 tunnels and 3 are said to be haunted. The tunnel is also known as Tunnel #19 and always seem to be damp, foggy and dark.

The legend goes that the lady in white was a bride who was riding on a train with her groom, and either she was pushed or fell from the train and died. Train engineers would often see her standing in or beside the tunnel. New engineers would routinely slam their brakes and jump out only to discover no sight of the woman.

The North Bend Rail Trail stretches along the Ohio-WV border and is a fantastic bike trail. There have been numerous ghost sightings of this woman and has become the subject of local legend. The following is my experience in the tunnel.

When creeping around West Virginia, looking for creepy places to explore, someone told me about a haunted tunnel, a train tunnel near the bike trail. A woman in white was said to appear at the end of the tunnel desperately searching for her lost groom. Ok.

My friend and I decided to go explore the tunnel. My friend claimed to be psychic and sensitive and knew nothing of the legend, the story or any other details other than were going to take a bike ride through a tunnel. Going on a minimum of information we found the one horse town of Cairo, West Virginia. Despite the sideways glances from the locals, we sort of found the trail and only knew to head West and oh, yeah, no cell service. We rode through the loose gravel and after a few miles we saw a hand painted sign pointing towards the tunnel. The trail begins to cut through earth and soon the tunnel looms right in front of you. Just a hole in the mountain. There is a bend in the tunnel which prevents you from seeing the other side as you peer into the pitch blackness.

Our ride was quickly derailed by the fact that 1.) It’s pretty difficult to ride a mountain through a dark tunnel while holding your phone which is your only light source. 2.) Your phone is about dead 3.) Your friend is quickly losing her mind 4.) The surface you are riding on might be best described as varied: changing from gravel, stones, dirt, mud, large rocks and occasional pavement, wait, there was no pavement.

My friend was not into it. At all. She claimed to be sensitive to these matters and was being overcome by waves of dark emotions. She wanted the ride to be over and out of the tunnel. She said there was a dark force at the end of the tunnel. Do we stop? No we don’t.

We dismount and begin walking and finally reach the other side. Emerging into the bright sunlight. My friend was plotting and scheming a way to not have to go back through the tunnel again. but off we plunge back into the tunnel.

We didnt talk much as we headed back towards the light and a sudden fog rolled through and all sorts of weird noises began to surround us. The tunnel has alcoves built into the sidewalls allowing one to escape the train if they were caught in the middle making creepy shadows as we were passing the darkest part and heading toward the light at the end of the tunnel.

My friend picked up the pace and while glancing over, she stopped and began to scream. “Who is that? Why are you screaming!?!” I dropped my bike and ran over. My friend was pointing and talking to what I saw was an empty alcove. She was starting to shake and I carried her out of the tunnel. When we were finally out of the tunnel and into the sunlight, my friend said she had seen a woman wearing a white dress with a broche pin. This woman was in great pain and screaming out but nobody could hear her.

We started riding back into town and kind of shaken by the event. We were glad to see the car and decided to stop into the towns only general store. My friend was stunned to see a whole board devoted to peoples experiences with the famed “woman in white” to the point where you can buy a T-Shirt with a picture of the legend.

You can visit the tunnel. It’s open and part of the north Bend Rail Trail. The best way to go is through Cairo, then head West along the river with the path is on your right. After a few miles the road crosses over the trail. There is enough room to park a vehicle the tunnel is around a half mile down the trail.

The attached video is walking through the tunnel without a light.