Curse of Yosemite Valley

Yosemite Valley, with its towering granite cliffs and mist-veiled waterfalls, is more than a natural wonder—it carries whispers of a curse. The Ahwahneechee people, who once called the valley home, believed the land was guarded by spirits who punished intruders. One such spirit, Pohono, the “evil wind” of Bridalveil Fall, is said to lure wanderers into the mist to their deaths, while other restless presences haunt the cliffs and forests where blood was spilled during violent clashes with settlers.

The curse’s reputation only grew with time. Yosemite has been the scene of countless accidents—visitors swept from waterfalls, climbers plunging from Half Dome, and hikers who vanish without a trace. But beyond accidents, true crime has stained the park’s history: in 1999, serial killer Cary Stayner, the so-called Yosemite Killer, brutally murdered four women connected to the park, cementing its darker reputation.

Between ancient legends, unexplained disappearances, fatal falls, and horrific crimes, Yosemite stands not just as a monument to natural beauty, but as a place where death seems to linger in the air—an eternal reminder of a land some still believe to be cursed.