Route 23A is a 34.56-mile long road that travels through the northern Catskill Mountains. It was created in the mid-1920s as a scenic route to travel through the Catskills as well as found multiple towns including Tannersville and Hunter, NY. Today it continues to be traveled for its scenic views and as a way to access the multiple ski mountains including Hunter Mountain.

Many who travel the road know that in 2006, the segment of NY 23A from Palenville to Haines Falls through Kaaterskill Clove was closed to traffic for several months by the New York State Department of Transportation due to landslides caused by heavy rains in downstate New York. What many don’t know is that a similar event occurred in 1942 on a stretch in Haines Falls, NY.

One late evening in November, a young man and his then fiance were traveling the road to head home. Along the route the couple made a stop at the Kaaterskill Falls for a romantic view. After the stop, they planned to continue the curvy road to get to their home in Tannersville. However, after getting back into the car, they heard a load bang like thunder. Next thing they knew they were in an landslide and rocks were falling on the car. By the time the landslide finished a large boulder had landed on the car and crushed the young man to death. The woman was also hit in the head and fell into a coma where she awoke a few months later. She was devastated about the news of her fiance.

As locals say, the young man still haunts the road in search of his lover. He appears on the road late at night to drivers who finished a long day of skiing (or zipline). Other say the man only appears to couples, foreboding the death of one of them. In fact, couples we spoke to who stopped by the falls spoke of a man standing in the road wearing all black and an unrecognizable face. Then when they asked who he was, he disappeared before their eyes.

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Anonymous

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The one armed brakeman is a TRUE story from the mtn. top.
3 years ago
J9

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Absolutely BS
3 years ago
Tony

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The only scary thing about 23a up to Tannersville is the amount of idiots falling off the rocks and dying ….citiots stay away!
3 years ago
Michelle

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If you guys are going to write tales of the Catskills try talking to locals there are far scarier stories out there to be told of 23a the folk legends up here are more real than this garbage. I’ve lived here my whole life and never heard that tale!
3 years ago
Resident

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This is just not true.
3 years ago
Bec

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I live here, this road isn’t haunted. They close the road sometimes for repairs, that’s it. This is just ridiculous.
3 years ago
Justin Thyme

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Fake news! Only thing that haunts this road are high taxes and city tourists.
3 years ago
JohnnyJ

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I call BS. I’ve lived in the area my whole life, and never heard this before. However, my grandparents used to travel up this road in the 40’s & 50’s, and one time late at night, there was a naked dead man on the side of the road. Mafia used to “drop” people off the cliff areas.
3 years ago
Kara

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My family was one of the families that lived in Tannersville as early as the 1800’s . This is the first time hearing this story!!! Like we need more people holding up traffic looking for ghosts!!! Lol
3 years ago
Randy

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23a was most definitely closed in ‘06 or maybe the year prior for many months for failures. Just above Bastion Falls / horseshoe bend.
3 years ago
PIG

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I’m a local and this is all bullshit
3 years ago
Jenna

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Lol this story, is so fake that it’s funny. In 2006, DOT never such down that road . It was very much drivable.
3 years ago
Anonymous

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Live around here, never heard this story but I know a lot of people die at the kaaterskill falls. Dangerous area anyway.
4 years ago
Anonymous

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I have lived up on the mountain my whole life and have never once heard of this!! Sounds like another city person story!!
4 years ago
Robert DeMaio

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Always new something was up with road…My moms new husband of 6 months lost his life on cold January day after thanking her for such a wonderful day ..he closed the door we never heard of him after ..
4 years ago

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Haunted Places, Legends and Ghosts

Route 23A Phantom : Haines Falls, NY

Route 23A Phantom : Haines Falls, NY

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