Top 20 Creepiest Places on Earth That Can't Be Explained

Argentina
Northwest of Buenos Aires lies a swampy delta of the Paraná River that houses an island known as El Ojo, or The Eye. It’s so-called because of its perfectly round shape and, unlike most islands, it moves. When observed from above, The Eye is clearly seen rotating about the miniature lake it resides in. While this has caused plenty of local legends, and even alien conspiracies, scientists have offered a simpler theory. The “island” is a floating mass of plants held up by the buoyancy of the roots’ oxygen. It’s pushed around its lake and briefly reattaches, only to break off again. There are similar places worldwide. However, The Eye’s perfectly round shape and accompanying legends help maintain the island’s mystery.

Gulf of Mexico
Some parts of the ocean are dangerous even for fish! In 2014, researchers discovered a brine pool under the Gulf of Mexico. Otherwise referred to as underwater lakes, brine pools possess an unusually high level of salinity that keeps them distinctly separate from the surrounding sea water. And because of how salty this region is, the only life that can survive inside it are bacteria, mollusks, some kinds of shrimp, and tubeworms. This particular body of water has a significantly higher temperature than the surrounding sea, which tends to attract other animals. However, once they enter it, the salinity frequently proves toxic - hence its moniker, the Jacuzzi, or Hot Tub, of Despair!

New York, U.S.A.
Fire and water don’t go together…right? Located in New York’s Chestnut Ridge Park is an area known as the Shale Creek Preserve. This preserve houses a small waterfall, underneath which an “eternal flame” constantly burns. The ever-burning phenomenon is the result of natural gas seeping from a grotto at the waterfall’s base. This flame can be extinguished by errant splashes, but visitors can easily rekindle it with a lighter or other ignition method. Although Eternal Flame Falls isn’t quite inexplicable, it’s still a fascinating and strange piece of the natural world that has kept the interest of the public burning brightly.

Tanzania
Deadly bodies of water can also be found on land. Lake Natron is a salt lake in Tanzania, whose temperature often reaches over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Its caustic environment is capable of burning the extremities of animals without the necessary protection to endure it. Bizarrely, due to its chemical composition, the lake also preserves the carcasses of the animals that die there in a calcified state. The bacteria that live in Lake Natron produce the reddish byproduct that gives it its distinctive red or pink color. Another surprising group of animals that make this body of water their home are the flamingos that use it as a breeding ground. Nothing keeps predators away like a naturally toxic environment!

Turkmenistan
The Darvaza gas crater, otherwise known as the Door to Hell, is a collapsed natural gas field near the village of the same name in Turkmenistan. At around 200 feet wide and nearly 100 feet deep, this crater is distinctive for the numerous fires that burn within. This phenomenon has given it the aura of the underworld that inspired its nickname. The nature of the crater’s formation and the origin of its fires are, however, still unknown. In the past, the Turkmenistan government has attempted to extinguish or control the burn, but thus far, those attempts haven’t exactly panned out. It’ll be a cold day in Hell, or at least its door, if anyone succeeds at that.

Romania
Dracula isn’t the only spooky thing about Transylvania! Reportedly named for a shepherd who went missing in the forest (along with 200 of his sheep), the Hoia Baciu Forest has often been called the creepiest forest in Europe. Numerous paranormal and otherworldly things have been attributed to this place, from ghosts to aliens. Visitors have reported unusual symptoms while between the trees, like nausea and unexplained paranoia. There’s even a circular clearing within it where no trees grow, which has confounded soil scientists. The mystery of this Romanian forest has attracted plenty of tourists though, who are particularly drawn to its spooky nature.

Alaska, U.S.A.
There are regions where people go missing all the time. One of the lesser known of these is the Alaska Triangle. Covering a huge swath of the rugged Alaskan wilderness, this region has reportedly seen the disappearance of over 16 thousand people in the last 35 years. The rate of disappearances in Alaska, in general, is much higher than the national average, as is the number of people who are never found. The easy explanation is that Alaska is gigantic, has inhospitable terrain, and is largely unpopulated, meaning that finding someone can sometimes be near impossible. But that hasn’t stopped many from blaming supernatural causes for the many people who have vanished in the Triangle.

Mexico
Mexico has its own bizarre region with many strange rumors surrounding it. The Mapimí Silent Zone is a section of desert in Durango, Mexico. Several unexplained radio outages have been reported by visitors over the last century. Additionally, the zone has been the location of an unusually high number of meteorite crashes, as well as a U.S. rocket that struck the area when control of it was lost. There are even urban legends of a mysterious trio of uncanny people frequenting the area. While scientists suggest that minerals in the meteorites or nearby mountains may account for the loss in radio signals, the Mapimí Silent Zone has plenty of other mysteries that science has yet to speak up about.

Japan
Northwest of Mount Fuji, there lies around 12 square miles of forest called Aokigahara, or Blue Tree Meadow. Due to growing on a lava field, compasses placed on the ground will spin from the high iron content. Aokigahara has long been associated with ghosts, and it has an enduring connection with death. Tragically, this is due to the startling number of people who have attempted to end their own lives in the forest. The exact figures of late are unknown, as Japan has ceased publishing them to discourage Aokigahara’s malign reputation. However, as recently as 2010, over 50 people made Aokigahara their final destination.

Minnesota, U.S.A.
In Judge C. R. Magney State Park in Minnesota, there’s a waterfall named “Devil’s Kettle.” The falls split into two, with one side going further downstream, and the other flowing into a hole in the rock. Attempts at throwing objects into the hole and looking for them further on have proven unsuccessful, and the surrounding rock is not of the type that usually forms underground passages. A recent theory holds that the objects thrown into the Kettle are pulverized by the water pressure before they can reappear downstream, since there’s little loss in water volume. There are those who find fault with the theory, however, inviting us to wonder: what’s really happening at the Devil’s Kettle?

Venezuela
Just a forewarning, if you suffer from seizures, you may want to skip this entry. At the mouth of the Catatumbo River, where it spills into Lake Maracaibo, the weather gets a little intense. The Catatumbo Lightning Storm is a phenomenon that occurs between 140 and 160 days of the year, usually at night. While its exact frequency varies from year to year, the strange occurrence has been happening with surprising regularity dating back to at least 1826. Scientists have had some success with predictive models, but theories on its exact cause remain inconclusive. Ideas have ranged from localized uranium, to methane, to a convergence of atmospheric variables. Whatever the cause, the effect is stunning and terrifying!

Norway
Since at least the 1930s, strange lights have been observed in the sky above the Hessdalen Valley in Norway. Sometimes resembling spheres, and other times streaks, these strange lights are not an aurora, nor are they any known craft—although aircraft have been mistaken for them. Their duration, speed, time of appearance, and behavior vary wildly, to the point that making observations or hypotheses has proven difficult. Aside from the inevitable claims of alien activity, a number of ideas have been put forth, such as plasma created from radon decay, or electric charges generated from quartz grains in the valley below. Until a conclusive theory is reached, we’ll just have to keep looking to the sky.

Mauritania
Located in the Sahara Desert, the Richat Structure, a.k.a. The Eye of the Sahara, is a strange series of concentric geological rings. Due to its remote location, it’s not easily observed. Curiously, archaeological evidence points to early human activity in the area. The Richat Structure’s origins have long puzzled the scientific community, with theories ranging from it being an impact crater to the lost city of Atlantis. The current theory is that it was originally a naturally formed volcanic dome which collapsed long ago. Still, the fact that its rings are equidistant and that it’s so circular is a little unnerving.

Peru
Deep in the Peruvian Amazon, there lies a very unusual river. The Shanay-Timpishka, also called “La Bomba,” is unlike any river in the world for one simple reason – it boils! The temperature of the water there ranges from 120 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Although there are other bodies of water that experience higher temperatures, most of these others are located near volcanoes or substantial geothermal vents—which the Shanay-Timpishka is not. Some of the leading theories involve a fault-led hydrothermal feature, or even an oil-field accident, but for now, the cause of the river’s heat remains open to debate.

Poland
The Krzywy Las, or Crooked Forest, lies just outside of Gryfino, a town in Poland. A grove of pine trees, the Crooked Forest, true to its name, consists of trees whose trunks are unusually bent towards the north shortly after they emerge from the ground. Although planted fairly recently (if you can call 1930 recent), there’s no record or conclusive proof for why the trees are shaped like something out of a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Theories abound, with some believing a snowstorm could have bent them, while others suggest human involvement to shape them like boat hulls. The equipment and method used in the latter case is anyone’s guess.

Atlantic Ocean
Arguably the most infamous maritime locale on Earth, or at least the Americas, the Bermuda Triangle is a roughly triangular stretch of ocean between Bermuda, Florida, and Puerto Rico. This region has seen many disappearances of boats, ships, and airplanes over the last century or more. Theorists have suggested every supernatural phenomenon from ghosts to aliens to sea monsters. However, the scientists who even acknowledge that the Bermuda Triangle is a real phenomenon point to more likely suspects. Theories include human error or how frequently hurricanes and other large storms pass through the area. But as long as ships go missing in this area, we’ll continue to steer clear if we can!

China
Moguicheng roughly translates to “City of the Devil”, and that’s a hauntingly apt name for this desolate desert region. A huge stone formation resides here, with shapes that resemble castles and demons. As creepy and mysterious as these stones are, what’s even more spine-tingling is the ambience. Visitors report hearing a variety of eerie noises on the wind. During sunny days, it’s said that music can be heard, while cloudy days bring on the disturbing sounds of people in pain and wild beasts. Ghost enthusiasts are sure to get a kick out of the place, but until science can explain this chilling phenomenon, other tourists may want to steer clear.

Indiana, U.S.A.
“The City of Firsts,” Kokomo, Indiana may seem like any other city in the United States, but there’s an invisible force terrorizing the locals: sound. Some residents have reported a persistent, low-pitched humming noise in the town since 1999. The noise has been blamed for everything from headaches to nausea to joint pains. One possible culprit is the nearby DaimlerChrysler plant and its huge large cooling towers. You might not have to travel to Kokomo to experience the hum, however, as reports from across the world have people experience similar symptoms. Is it a case of mass hysteria, or is there something connecting these accounts? It remains a disconcerting mystery.

Namibia
The crop circles of the natural world, fairy circles are bare, circular patches of grass found in the desolate grasslands of Namibia, as well as in western Australia. The local people have ascribed the circles’ creation to gods or spirits, much like the similar phenomena of fairy rings—which are found worldwide. More scientific explanations, however, include sand termites, which have been found in and around most of them, or else as a result of underground moisture competition among grasses. Even a combination of plant and animal interactions has been considered. But these uncanny circles have yet to be conclusively explained.

Romania
Discovered in 1986 off the coast of the Black Sea, Movile Cave is one of the most unique ecosystems in the world. Isolated from the rest of the world for five and a half million years, Movile Cave has air with high levels of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide. This has led to the evolution of at least 33 animals found nowhere else on Earth. Scientists are particularly interested in studying the life found there, as it could give clues as to what life on other planets could look like! Given the inherent danger of the environment, access to the Movile Cave is strictly controlled by the Romanian government.