Haunted Alaska, Second in a Series of "These Haunted States of America"

Everyone loves a good ghost story. That's what makes authors like Stephen King, Bentley Little and Robert R. McCammon so popular. Alaska has its share of ghosts. Between the native peoples who inhabit the land and the history of the Gold Rush with its boom towns, notorious lawlessness and violence, it is no wonder that there are more than a few haunted places in the Great White North.

We continue our tour of "These Haunted States of America" in Alaska. "The Last Frontier" is home to 626,932 people the wandering spirits of the Eklutna, the spirits of many who died during the Yukon Gold Rush and some of the most sacred sites in North America. So, the next time you're in Alaska, here are 10 haunted locations to visit.

1. ANCHORAGE: Eklutna Village National Park

When Russian settlers first arrived in Alaska in 1741, they brought with them the Russian Orthodox religion. These teachings soon began to blend with the native Eskimo beliefs until the Eklutna religion was born. The Eklutna believe that when a person passes on, their spirit wanders the earth for forty days and nights in a search for their possessions. It is in the Native American Cemetery in Anchorage that many of these ghostly searchers have been seen looking for their belongings. In an effort to keep the wandering spirits confined within the walls of the cemetery colorful, house-like structures were built above the graves and topped with the cross of the Russian Orthodox Church. These "houses" contain the deceased's personal affects. Cups, plates, spoons, combs, pipes and even a rifle or camera have been placed in these structures.

2. DENALI PARK: Denali National Park

Denali National Park is home to the tallest point in North America: 20,320-foot-tall Mount McKinley. The mountain is also known as Denali, which means "High One" and is one of the most sacred sites in North America. Tales of the supernatural on the mountain go back centuries and the Athabacans believe that the sun shaman and master of life, Sa, lives on the mountain.

3. GAKONA: Gakona Lodge and Trading Post