01/17/2026 Haunted Locations: Burkittsville, MD, Moll Dyer, and the connection to The Blair Witch Project

Happy Saturday! Yes, you read the headline correctly… today I take on the backstory that allegedly inspired the cult classic movie, The Blair Witch Project! There are a lot of moving pieces to this one, but I think I was able to nail most of it down in a cohesive manner. I hope, lol. Enjoy!

Burkittsville is a town located in western Maryland, with a population of around 145 people. It is most notorious for being the town where The Blair Witch Project is set. However, the town has its own spooky history that is separate from the movie.

Just to get it out of the way right from the start, it should be noted that while the movie used the town’s name, landmarks, and “Welcome to Burkittsville” sign (pictured above), the movie was mostly filmed in the Black Hills Forest located nearby in Seneca Creek State Park.

Burkittsville does have quite a history related to the Civil War, which leads us to the first spooky tale of this small town. There is a road near a Civil War battle site called Gapland Road. A good stretch of this road is called Spook Hill, and people report quite a bit of paranormal activity there.

It is said that when you get to Spook Hill, you put your car in neutral, and you can then feel your car being pushed uphill. It is said that the phenomenon of the car being pushed uphill is attributed to the spirits of soldiers, who reportedly mistake the vehicles for cannons. There was also a bus crash that took the lives of children on the road, and many people believe their ghosts push the cars to protect them.

Spook Hill has caused some “controversy” over the phenomena that take place there. Some people believe it’s an optical illusion, some people believe it has something to do with magnets, but more people believe it is paranormal. It is also said that if you try the car “trick” at midnight, not only will your car be pushed uphill, but you will also hear the footsteps loud and clear as it happens!

Located near Burkittsville in the Black Hills is Coffin Rock. Coffin Rock is quite literally a large rock in the woods. Apparently, in 1886, a search party disappeared while looking for a missing child. Bodies were eventually found, but when they were found, it was noted that they were dismembered in what appeared to be a ritualistic manner. There is chatter on whether or not this really happened, but it was a major part of The Blair Witch Project and draws a ton of visitors who report paranormal activity.

Okay, now it’s time for the deep dive into The Blair Witch Project and how it connects with the town! Many people are familiar with or at least have heard of the movie that was filmed in 1999. It is an indie, found-footage horror film about three student filmmakers who disappear in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland, while working on a documentary about the local legend of the Blair Witch.

The Blair Witch wasn’t necessarily from Burkittsville, but because of the movie, the connection is often made. Legend has it that the film was based on a real person named Moll Dyer who lived in Leonardtown, Maryland. The history of Moll is pretty wild and ultimately accused of witchcraft, which resulted in her death. See? The connection is coming together!

Moll Dyer was originally from England and was born in the 1600s. She ultimately came to the colony of Maryland, where she was known as a “healer.” Unfortunately, the town where she lived (Leonardtown) fell into some hard times, and ultimately, Moll took the hit for what happened.

Around 1695 the town had a draught that killed off crops and livestock. THEN, shortly after, the town was hit with an outbreak of influenza, which was the demise of many people. When Moll, known as the healer, was unable to cure the ailments of the townspeople, rumors started that she was a witch… and this was right around the time of the Salem Witch Trials, so witchcraft was still considered a felony charge… even in Maryland.

In February of 1698, the townspeople gathered together and headed into the woods to Moll’s cabin so they could set it on fire due to the accusations of witchcraft. Moll managed to escape and ran deep into the woods.

Not long after the fire, a boy was looking for his lost cow. That’s when he found something extremely disturbing. It was the body of Moll Dyer. Not only was she dead, but she was frozen to a boulder. When they removed her body, her handprint was left on the boulder, which people took as a sign of witchcraft and concluded that she placed a curse on Leonardtown.

In 1968 a writer decided to do some digging and try to find this boulder that has her handprint. He finally found it in 1971, and to the shock of everyone, the handprint was still there. The boulder was then removed and taken to a museum to be put on display.

When The Blair Witch Project was released in 1999, people became interested in Moll’s story again. There have actually been quite a few books written about it, and she has also featured on quite a few shows.

In 2021 the boulder was moved to the local historical society. It has a covering over it to both protect it and allow visitors to touch it. There have been a ton of people who say that when they touch the boulder, they begin to feel dizzy and disoriented. Some even say that they can hear voices and that apparitions appear. This same year, the local mayor declared February 26^th as Moll Dyer Day.

So, tell me. Have you heard of this location before? Have you been there? Would you go? Let me know in the comments. And as always, if you do decide to visit here or any haunted location, respect the property, respect the owners, respect the residents... living or dead.

For more details about this story, how you can visit, and links to the shows, podcasts, documentaries, and resources used for this post can all be found below.

RESOURCES:

• https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/spook-hill-2

• https://blairwitch.proboards.com/

• https://blairwitch.fandom.com/wiki/Blair_Witch

• https://bloody-disgusting.com/

• https://www.marylandhauntedhouses.com/real-haunt/spook-hill.html

• https://tourbaltimoreghosts.com/