Light your campfires and get your flashlights ready. Here are 13 ghost stories books filled with the best campfire stories…
Faces only partially visible by firelight. A pitch-black backdrop of the wild outdoors. Sounds of the unknown surrounding you.
All that’s missing is an ominous voice telling a tale of horror to all those brave enough to listen!
The following ghost stories books are filled with scary, spooky (and sometimes silly) campfire stories. With them, you can be the ominous voice that scares adults and children alike!
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13 Best Ghost Stories Books
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As you can see from this video, Jennifer and I are fans of spooky stories. We love to hear about the local tales and myths of monsters, ghosts, and mysteries wherever we travel. (Whether we believe them or not.)
From stories based on real events to creative fiction, this list of the best ghost stories books has something for every RVer. Some can even be used as guides to plan your next road trip!
1. 50 Real American Ghost Stories
This collection of America’s haunted heritage is written by bestselling author and ghost historian MJ Wayland. As described: “From the downright chilling, to scary and the weird, this collection of REAL ghost stories is ideal for a Halloween thrill or an insight into a unique haunted history.”
2. The Worlds Favorite Ghost Stories
This illustrated anthology includes 13 creepy tales from around the world. They include ghost stories about the jikininiki from Japan, sinister specters from South Africa, the ominous silence in Russia, and more.
The stories “are so vivid that they almost feel real. But they couldn’t be—could they?…”
3. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
This 3-books-in-1 collection has original artwork and jacketed hardcover. The stories are “some of the most terrifying tales of horror, revenge, and supernatural events of all time, collected and retold by Alvin Schwartz.”
4. Ghost Stories (Paranormal Locations Series)
The first book in the series, Ghost Stories is a collection of the world’s scariest haunted locations, paranormal encounters, and demonic possessions.
Who knows, maybe you’re camping in one of those haunted locations now! The only way to find out is to look inside this book…
5. Classic Campfire Stories: Forty Spooky Tales
Written by a doctor (of what, no one knows!), this collection of scary classics and frightening folktales is for young and old. The ghost stories are all fun and easy to read, remember, and retell!
What’s good to wear around the campfire?
6. Roald Dahl’s Book of Ghost Stories
The Amazon description says it best:
Who better to investigate the literary spirit world than that supreme connoisseur of the unexpected? From the author of such beloved books as James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The Witches comes a collection of spooky tales carefully curated by the author himself, Roald Dahl’s Book of Ghost Stories.
Of the many permutations of the macabre or bizarre, Dahl was always especially fascinated by the classic ghost story. As he relates in the erudite introduction to this volume, he read some 749 supernatural tales at the British Museum Library before selecting the 14 that comprise this anthology. “Spookiness is, after all, the real purpose of the ghost story,” Dahl writes. “It should give you the creeps and disturb your thoughts.”
7. Collected Ghost Stories
This collection of classic ghost stories are written by the “finest ghost-story writer England has ever produced,” M.R. James. They are described as “superb examples of beautifully-paced understatement, convincing background and chilling terror.”
This book has certainly caught my interest… they sound quite elegant for ghost stories!
8. Complete Ghost Stories
Another collection by M.R. James, which we referenced as the “finest ghost-story writer” in the previous description. He was an English author, medievalist scholar, and provost of King’s College, Cambridge, and Eton College.
James is known for his ghost stories because they abandoned “many of the formal Gothic clichés of his predecessors and using more realistic contemporary setting.” Even though these stories were written in the early 1900s, they still stand up today.
9. 50 States 500 Scary Places to Visit
Hardcore ghost story fans can use this book as a travel guide for their next RV adventure. Organized by state, it takes you on a tour of the scariest haunts in every state.
Creepy destinations include the House of the Seven Gables, the LaLaurie Mansion, the Winchester Mystery House, the Bell Witch Cave, and many more. It also features full-color photos to bring the tales to life.
10. A Haunted Road Atlas
Here’s another possible travel guide for horror-loving RVers. It’s created from the hit true crime podcast And That’s Why We Drink.
The book is “Jam-packed with illustrations, fun facts, travel tips, and beverage recs, this guide includes some of the country’s most notorious crime scenes, hauntings, and supernatural sightings.”
11. Civil War Ghosts
If you’re traveling in Civil War territory, this one’s for you. It’s a book of real ghost stories reported in newspapers at the time of the Civil War, covering 1860-1865.
“Civil War Ghosts is a unique supernatural look at America while the states battled each other.”
12. The Valancourt Book of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories
This unique collection features Victorian-era ghost stories that were printed in newspapers and magazines during the Christmas season. Some of the authors are very well-known, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Elizabeth Gaskell, while others are “anonymous and forgotten.”
13. Campfire Stories for Kids
To end this spooky list on a lighter note, I’m including one of the best ghost stories books for kids. Aptly named, this book is perfect for telling scary and funny tales around the campfire.
It includes 21 stories and urban legends that will “make you laugh out loud, or have you sitting on the edge of your seat wondering how it will end.”
Other Campfire Activities
These books can keep you and your travel companions entertained for hours. But, if you want to tell a story of your own, I recommend reading How to Tell a Good Campfire Story.
Or, if you’re not in a spooky mood, you can sing 30 of the Best Campfire Songs instead. All while enjoying some Easy Campfire Snacks & Treats!
Your Favorite Campfire Stories
Do you have one of the ghost stories books listed above? Or do you have a go-to campfire story? If so, let us know in the comments below!
New ebook from Mike and Jennifer Wendland – the Natchez Trace
The Natchez Trace Parkway will capture your imagination, soothe your jangled travel nerves, open your mind and inspire you with the history that unfolded along its 444 miles.
Each of the 7 Days of the ebook has:
- Suggested Mileposts to explore
- Places to Eat in each area of the 7 sections
- Campground descriptions and links
- Links to all the special places and information
- Links to videos that show more in detail
- and a lot of highlighted information for each section
PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT a printed, hard copy guide.
Whether you want to follow the footsteps of explorers, discover natural beauty, or visit historic sites, the Trace has something to grab your attention and leave you eager to see what’s at the next milepost.
You can see why this is one of our favorite US routes to explore. We’ve traveled it a half dozen times!
