Texas Ghost Lights

Texas is full of strange phenomena, but few are as eerie, or as persistent, as its ghost lights. These glowing orbs show up in cemeteries, deserts, and deep woods, defying explanation and keeping legends alive. First up: the Anson Ghost Lights, just north of Abilene. Local lore says if you drive to Mount Hope Cemetery, turn around, kill your engine, and flash your headlights three times, a mysterious light will appear down the road. It slowly floats toward you, swaying like a lantern, then vanishes if approached. Legend blames a grieving mother searching for her lost child. Skeptics say it’s distant headlights, but eyewitnesses tell of orbs hovering by car windows and disappearing into gravestones.

Farther west, outside the artsy desert town of Marfa, are the Marfa Lights, the Beyoncé of Texas ghost lights. Seen since the 1880s, these floating balls of light change color, zigzag across the horizon, and reappear in new spots seconds later. Scientists chalk some of them up to headlights or mirages, but the lights predate modern roads, and many sightings, remain unexplained. Whether it's UFOs or atmospheric magic, the mystery draws people from all over to the official viewing area on Highway 90.

Deep in East Texas, down a narrow dirt road called Bragg Road near Saratoga, you’ll find the Saratoga Lights, also known as the Bragg Road Ghost Light. Originally a railroad line from the early 1900s, the road is now a legendary hotspot for glowing lights that float and follow cars at night. Stories blame everything from decapitated railroad workers to lost hunters and murdered laborers buried in the woods. Locals have seen the lights for decades, and even skeptics admit something strange is happening out there.

So what are these lights? Optical illusions? Car headlights? Swamp gas? Or ghostly lanterns still searching for something lost? Whatever the truth, the lights of Texas continue to glow…and the stories keep spreading. Next time you’re on a dark Texas road, try flashing your headlights three times. Just don’t be surprised if something flashes back.