If you see a black flame candle inside, don't light it. Photo: Meira Gebel/Axios
Nestled in the conifer-filled hills of Forest Park is a moss- and graffiti-covered, dilapidated brick building.
Catch up quick: Built in the 1930s and maintained by Portland Parks & Recreation, the building once served as a park ranger station and restroom for hikers. Thirty years later, however, a severe storm heavily damaged the structure, leaving it decommissioned and abandoned.
Though it's not known who exactly coined the name, it's been commonly referred to as the Witch's Castle — perhaps due to its run-down nature and remote location — by high schoolers who would go there to party in the decades after.
Yes, but: Portlanders may not know the site also has a bloody history. The land was once owned by Danford Balch, who killed his daughter's husband with a shotgun and was publicly hanged for it.
The bottom line: The Witch's Castle is now a popular landmark along Wildwood Trail, but some hikers have walked away with a supernatural sense of unease.
