Need to stretch your legs Halloween night? Two proponents of active living in southern West Virginia are leading a group hike to what's been called one of West Virginia's most chilling locales — the old farm at Grey Flats in Beckley.
Levi Moore, senior community captain for Active Southern West Virginia, and David Sibray, a member of that organization's board and the publisher of the West Virginia Explorer travel guide, will lead participants on a two-mile walk from the YMCA Soccer Complex (map) and back.
Moore, who will lead the hike, said the concept of a Halloween excursion occurred to him on a stroll along the Grey Flats Trail System, which he later discovered was home to an alleged haunting cited on several Internet guides.
"I was walking the trails, and a strange feeling came over me. I wondered if something odd had happened there," Moore said. "It occurred to me that the autumn foliage and beauty of the trail system were ideal for a Halloween outing."
Sibray, who's online guide to state tourism also attracts thousands of folklore enthusiasts each month, said he's looking forward to visiting the site and discussing lore and legend along the way.
"Who knows what we'll encounter, but just being in those woods in autumn at night is chilling enough for me," Sibray said.
The hike will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Ship Rock Trailhead at the soccer complex and will follow the Ship Rock Trail and Old Farm Trail to the site of a former farmstead on the Grey Flats Trail.
The Old Farm site is featured on the websites WVGhosts.com and OnlyinYourState.com
Moore said participants with Facebook access may notify Active Southern West Virginia of their intent to participate and will be required to sign a release form at the trailhead.
Hikers may also wish to bring flashlights, though the organization will also provide headlamps.
The walk is expected to follow 1.5 miles of trail and last two hours.
