Horror Exploration: The Blair Witch Project

The Blair Witch Project is one of my absolute all-time favorite horror movies. I'm a big fan of found-footage films and it's simplistic yet chilling. It doesn't "scare me" but its spookiness is legendary and has inspired many horror movies that have come after it. Not only do I love the film, but I love that at least parts of it were filmed locally. I've been to a couple of The Blair Witch Project filming locations and I wanted to write about the myths, facts, and some fun things about them. I'm not an expert of course, but I will speak from my personal experiences and knowledge.

First off, is the Blair Witch real? No. I am pretty sure that she is made up and that the film(s) follow a completely fictional story. There are some pretty terrifying urban legends in the MD/DC/VA area that I do believe however. The Bunnyman Bridge is the freakiest one I know of. I have some other stories about local legends but I'll save those for future blog entries.

Is Burkittsville real? Yes! Burkittsville, Maryland is a real place. It's really cute, quaint, and surrounded by the beautiful countryside and cornfields. When I visited the town briefly, I expected some sort of run-down Americana backwoods horror ghost-town, but it's nothing like that at all. I'd love to check it out again once the pandemic is over. However, it definitely has some dark history. If you live in this area or have visited, then you know that there are a lot of Civil War landmarks and battlefields around. A stark white church stands near an old cemetery on one of the only main roads in the town. I saw that there was a historical sign in front of it and went to check it out. The church had been used during the Civil War as a hospital and the history was very graphic. I'll include a photograph of it so you can read it yourself!

One of the beginning scenes in The Blair Witch Project was also filmed in the Burkittsville cemetery! I think it's open to the public to walk around in but always remain respectful of the deceased. (Thank you Viola G. Minnick and Charles J. Minnick for the photograph, I love the little frog on top of your headstone.)

Are the Black Hills real? There is a place in Maryland called Black Hill Regional Park, but I'm not sure if it was filmed there at all. One of the main filming locations was in Seneca Creek State Park near Gaithersburg, Maryland. I've been twice and it is a really massive area, one that I haven't explored enough of yet. I don't think it's big enough to get lost in like the movie makes it seem though. (Perhaps with paranormal intervention it is!) There are lots of trails, a lake area, the creek, an old mill, and they put lights up in part of the park during the holiday season. I'm not sure if there is an indigenous burial ground located in the park. I wouldn't go looking for one or give directions to it if I was aware anyway. Those places are sacred and should remain as they are.

Here are two of the filming locations that will be most interesting for fans:

Red Shed: The first location is the little red shed on Black Rock Rd. It's at the bottom of a pretty steep hill and there isn't any parking nearby. I wouldn't recommend stopping unless you are positive no one is behind you so that you can snap a quick photo. It's pretty easy to spot.

Coffin Rock: The second location is the notorious coffin rock. It stands out fairly well because part of it juts out into the creek in an obvious manner. You can reach it by parking by the Black Rock Mill (which is beautiful and neat on its own!) and crossing the street. If you don't cross the bridge, then you can walk up to coffin rock directly on the right side of the creek. If you cross the bridge, then you probably cannot reach coffin rock, but you can get a good view of it from the hiking path.

I haven't seen any little stickmen hanging up (they're really easy to make for arts and crafts at home with some sticks and spare yarn) and the park isn't scary at all to me. I love forests and I used to wander in the woods all the time alone so it doesn't freak me out in the least. I don't want to encourage anyone to make Blair Witch idols in Seneca Creek State Park or to bother the people of Burkittsville about the film. Admire these places without being a hooligan. The Blair Witch Project is not real and even if it was- would you really want to mess with it?

I'd encourage anyone to visit Seneca Creek State Park for nice hiking and outdoor activities. It's really nice and quiet and a lovely place to be surrounded by nature. If you're interested in seeing the locations I mentioned, I'd recommend putting in "Black Rock Mill" into your GPS to get to them. You want to be on Black Rock Road. There is a main entrance to get into a different part of the park but it's around 15 minutes away from these locations. Stay respectful, enjoy nature, and good luck to any Blair Witch fans!

~Nikolai