The Presidio in Old Town is one of San Diego’s most iconic fixtures, sitting atop a hill which overlooks both the bay and San Diego. But did you know it has a haunted reputation? The Kumeyaay tribe of natives lived in the area for over 10,000 years and established a large village called Cosaa’ay very near present day Old Town. Even in those days there were stories of hauntings, especially in the canyon behind the Presidio.
Witch Tower
As the Spanish colonized the area in the late 1700s, the El Campo Santo in Old Town graveyard was established and served as a final resting place for early San Diego’s dead. A macabre series of removals and reburying of bodies back and forth to what is now called Pioneer Park in Mission Hills disturbed the dead and restless spirits began to roam the area.
Spooky Stairs
Legend has it that many unmarked graves populate the grassy park beneath the presidio where visitors relax and the grass and picnic. That is also the location of a very strange building known unofficially as “Witches Tower”. It even shows up on Google Maps! This building looks a bit out of place and in the shape of a hexagon tower 3 stories high. You can access the roof of the tower by climbing a spooky stairway adorned with grim looking crosses. Once atop the tower, you can see a large pentagram formed from the brickwork of the roof. In the middle of the star is a grotesque stain of what looks to be a combination of wax and dried blood. Various YouTube videos attest to show dead bodies that have been found atop the tower at night, but those videos cannot be verified.
Pentagram and Blood!
As for the canyon behind the presidio, it has a history of black magic rituals that go back years. There used to be a grotto dug out of a cliff that served as an altar for all sorts of burnt offerings. There is also a round piece of grass located next to the bathroom building that has served as a witch’s circle on moonless nights. Further up the canyon are the ruins of some sort of building where only the foundation and stone chimney remain. The chimney always has fresh ashes from mysterious figures who perform incantations in it.
The Witch Circle and Grotto Cliff
Neighbors in Mission Hills above the canyon report hearing blood curdling screams come from the dark canyon below at night as the dead relive their deaths. The same thing the Kumeyaay heard back in the day! Another bit of lore comes from the ghostly white deer that was seen throughout the area in the 70s. That story has very tragic ending, but I’ll save that for the next issue!
Cheers!
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