Haunting ways to spend a day in West Virginia

West Virginia's forests and mountains are home to many mysterious places and even more mysterious tales. Weaved within the rugged culture of the West Virginia hills are loads of scary stories and creepy encounters that are sources for famous movies, books and legends that fascinate, entertain and downright chill to the bone those who care to take a closer look.

The West Virginia Division of Tourism publishes a Web site that provides tales, events and information about the state's haunted happenings. Start your spooky visit to the Mountain State today.

Consider a visit to West Virginia's creepiest places this autumn:

· Point Pleasant - Don't let the name fool you. This beautiful town perched at the confluence of the Kanawha and Ohio rivers may be "pleasant" in the day, but tales about numerous sightings of the world-famous Mothman creature originated here and give the town an entirely different feel at night. UFO and ghostly creature investigators have flocked to Point Pleasant, especially after the 2002 feature movie "The Mothman Prophecies" furthered speculation about the origin of the red-eyed, flying creature that some say caused the Silver Bridge to collapse, killing 46 people in 1967. Others trace continued mysterious encounters to a curse by Native American Chief Cornstalk, who was double-crossed during a battle of the American Revolution here. Theories of government "Men in Black" trace their origins to Point Pleasant, as well.

· Flatwoods - Home of the Braxton County Monster legend (sometimes called "The Green Monster"), which was based upon an alleged UFO landing in this tiny town in 1952. Today visitors are greeted by a sign proudly proclaiming Flatwoods as the space creature's home and by residents who still aren't certain what it was they saw in the nearby woods some 50 years ago.

· Moundsville - Ghost hunters love to explore the passages and dungeon-like rooms of the former maximum-security state penitentiary here. MTV featured a one-hour program about encounters with the paranormal at this enormous, gothic building that was home to hangings and electric chair executions, as well as deadly prison riots. Ghost hunts (investigations, as the pros call them) are available as special events, in addition to regular tours of this daunting facility that dates to 1866.

· Harpers Ferry (and Eastern Panhandle) - This history-laden town is most famous for abolitionist John Brown's 1859 raid on the federal arsenal. Today, Civil War ghost encounters are frequent in Harpers Ferry, as well as Charles Town, Martinsburg and Berkeley County. Guided ghost tours are available each October in Harpers Ferry and various Berkeley County locations.

· Parkersburg, Wheeling, Fayetteville and Lewisburg - These towns are rich in Civil War history, providing plenty of material for spooky stories. Local historians and residents also offer guided ghost tours on weekends and more frequently per request or visitor demand. Unexplained eerie characters have been spotted on the streets in town as well as along the rural country roads that lead to the mountains on the outskirts of these cities. Guests at a number of bed and breakfast inns and historic hotels in these areas report uninvited and unexplained spirits during their visits.