In 1927, Walter Peck literally stumbled into one of the largest dry caverns in the United States on his way to a poker game. When he realized the sparkling flecks he thought were gold were just iron oxide, he decided to capitalize on Route 66 tourism instead. He began offering tours 200 feet underground to travelers on the Mother Road.
The Dark History
Peck’s tours quickly included a disturbing attraction: he pointed out what he called “cavemen” to tourists — skeletal remains that later proved to be the bodies of Hualapai tribesmen. These remains were treated as curiosities, displayed like a carnival sideshow to paying customers. They were eventually removed, but the damage was done. The Hualapai people’s sacred dead had been disturbed, exhibited, and turned into a roadside attraction.
The Haunting
Visitors to the caves — especially those brave or foolish enough to stay overnight in the underground cavern suite — report terrifying experiences:
- Moaning that echoes through the limestone chambers with no identifiable source
- Shadowy figures moving in the peripheral vision, gone when you turn to look directly
- Rocks aggressively thrown from the area where the skeletons were removed
- An overwhelming sense of presence in the darkness
Tour guides sometimes refuse to enter certain sections of the cave alone. The bunkhouse above ground is also reportedly haunted.
The Campy Detail
Today you can stay in what is advertised as “the deepest, darkest, quietest hotel room in the world” — 21 stories underground in complete darkness and silence. There is no cell service, no outside noise, and no natural light. But you might not be sleeping alone. Previous guests have reported hearing the moaning from within their beds, with nowhere to go and no way to call for help.
Historical Context
The Grand Canyon Caverns are located on the Hualapai tribal lands, making the historical exploitation of their ancestors’ remains particularly significant. The caverns are one of the most genuinely unsettling stops on Arizona’s Route 66, combining stunning natural geology with a history of disrespect for the dead that the dead apparently haven’t forgotten.