Blue Mist Road, Its Lore and Urban Legends

If you are a resident of North Hills (Wexford, Gibsonia, Allison Park, and other surrounding areas) in Southwestern Pennsylvania (near Pittsburgh), you are likely quite familiar with North Park. I myself enjoy going there to hike and jog as it is quite beautiful and - even in its busiest hours - offers much serenity. But one road in particular that is intriguing to many (myself included) and fodder for much local legends in the area is what used to be an old dirt road called Irwin. Or, "Blue Mist Road" as it is also referred.

Now, I am the sort who loves to explore old buildings and churches, including and especially ones that have been abandoned. I have never been one to shy away from such things, regardless of the time of day (or night). But something about this particular road unnerves me and always has since I moved to the area.

At first glance, it seems fairly innocuous. Just a dirt road that eventually leads out to one that is more traveled (910). However, it has recently been converted into a jogging trail. While I enjoy being able to jog there, I do miss the old dirt road.

what is now Irwin Road

For the longest time when I used to walk it, I was determined to make it down to the end. But somewhere at about halfway down, I would get the feeling that I shouldn't go much further. At least not by myself. Perhaps it is just me being superstitious, but there is a certain point where I do feel I should turn back.
Though I suppose now that it's a jogging trail, it takes away some of the creepiness, so I have recently gone all the way down and also explored it some more (I do a little of this on one of the next podcast episodes).

end of the road...

exploring a little off the path and further in the woods...

Now, the appeal of the road lies in what many say is the history and the urban legends behind Irwin or "Blue Mist" Road are quite disturbing. One in particular stating how the road was once a haven for the KKK. It is also said that the tree on which they used to execute lynchings still stands at the end of the road. This has been disputed, however, by some investigators, particularly the folks at Weird U.S (a site that I do encourage you to check out). According to them, this is doubtful. They report that the branches of the tree aren't strong enough to hang a human on. I can also attest that in my time exploring the end of Irwin Road, I also could not find a tree with branches strong enough for something like that. The folks and Weird U.S. also go on to state that because Pennsylvania was an abolitionist state (and even abolished their anti-miscegenation laws in the year 1780, long before the Civil War came to fruition), the Klan would not have had that great of a stronghold. In this, I can see where Weird U.S. is coming from. But I will also say that just because Pennsylvania in general might not have been huge Klan supporters, that does not mean that there weren't groups whose ideas coincided with such a group. Even if such ideals weren't acceptable by most, that doesn't mean that even a small group didn't form a chapter and worked at more underground level. And if you look into the history of the Klan, there is talk of how they did have disturbingly higher connections (but that's a whole 'nother post). Either way, the story of The Hanging Tree remains as one of the more prominent legends of Irwin Road.

Now, a lot less disturbing, but still quite eerie, is the reason behind the nickname, "Blue Mist Road." Why Blue Mist, you ask? Well, apparently this is due to tellings of a blue mist covering the road at nightfall. Some have even claimed to have seen blue orbs among the trees while exploring the road at night.
Toward the end of the road, there is a point where the road diverges into three paths.

one of the paths that I explored a little

One of these paths is marked with a rusty mailbox and leads up to a foundation where The Witch House once stood.

yes, I made it to the mailbox!

The Witch House was said to have been home to a few Satanic covens (animal mutilations and disappearances of local teens were widely circulated during the 1980s and 1990s according to a few sources).
Another of the three paths is said to lead to a place known as "Midget Farm," said to be inhabited by a little person trying to escape scrutiny. Anytime a curious local might venture onto the path, the "midget" would chase him or her away. There have also been stories of rabid dogs coming out of nowhere and sightings of a half-deer-half-man.

Among these creepy tales is also one of doomed romance. Near the three-way fork in the road is a small cemetery, which I have yet to find in my exploration here. The graveyard is said to be so old that the names and dates on the worn down headstones are mostly unreadable (I will add that the idea of such a graveyard was also part of the inspiration for my short story, The Cemetery by the Lake). The cemetery is said to have two particular graves belonging to two former star-crossed lovers. According to legend, anytime the moonlight hits these two stones, they supposedly lean in to one another as if to try and touch or kiss. Hence, they are referred to as the 'kissing stones.' I also mention these tombstones in my story, Upon a Moonlit Path, a serial that is exclusive to those on my email list. I do want to find this cemetery.

Of course, every urban legend has believers as well as skeptics. Whether or not you choose to believe is entirely up to you. As for myself, I will say that I do feel as though I am entering a world different from my own in the times I've set foot on Irwin. And regardless of how crowded North Park gets during its peak hours, Irwin or "Blue Mist" is almost always deserted, save for maybe only a couple other occasional joggers or bikers.

I will also add that if you do decide to venture onto Irwin Road, it is not illegal to do so (at least as of this posting) though there is a sign posted saying that only authorized vehicles are permitted. Meaning you will have to walk or bike (though do check into what the rules may be before going on any sort of adventure).
And speaking of not taking your vehicle onto Irwin, that may be a good thing. Another legend states that if you park your car beneath the hanging tree (and some stories say that you need to

honk three times), the car will fail to start up and strange things will begin to happen. And according to some, one unfortunate teen met his demise by doing so...