Griffith Park is widely know for being one of LA's most haunted areas, so it should come as no surprise to anyone that a seemingly ordinary picnic table is subject to tales of supernatural terror and horror.
Behold, the cursed picnic table #29.
Located in a desolate pocket off a backwoods trail, about 2 miles from Griffith observatory, the picnic table is a strange sight indeed.
From afar, the bench looks fairly normal, albeit a little beat up and warped. Then things take a ghastly turn when you notice a massive tree branch laying in the middle, puncturing the table nearly in half. It's a horrific image, and has ruined the concept of picnics being lighthearted for me ever since my eyes hypnotically gazed upon it.
It seems dangerous and creepy amongst the happy trails and charred hills of Griffith, but take a closer look to reveal some real horror.
Like something straight out of The Blair Witch Project, the table is covered in "gifts" left by wary travelers and paranormal enthusiasts. It's like a Christmas morning buffet for Goths: Ribbons, Wicca style tree people, crosses, flowers and cryptic messages abound.
To make things even stranger and unsettling "RIP Rand and Nancy!!!" (with triple exclamation, for bonus points) is scrawled across the broken table top. What could all of this mean? Also, who would name their kid Rand? The world is filled with unexplained oddness.
I'll be the first to admit that there's a cosmic energy coming from the table, and poking around the area only makes you feel a bit more unsettled about the whole situation. This ghostly gem is also a favorite for brave hikers who dare to go on Halloween night.
Spooky scary!
HOW THE HELL DID THIS HAPPEN?
As legend has it: On Halloween night in 1976, two young lovers (Rand Garrett and Nancy Jeanson) were getting busy on the bench when a tree branch fell and crushed them both to death. After the funeral, and for some crazy reason, their ashes were scattered around the site, which certainly paved the way for their ghosts to haunt the area over the next few decades.
Apparently, all future attempts to remove the tree have been gruesomely unsuccessful, with supernatural tales of horror being spun by those who’ve tried. Voices saying "leave us alone" and "next time you die" are apparently not uncommon, and (allegedly) a couple of poor tree trimmers, attempting to clean the area up, were never heard from again. Scary stuff, I must say.
Whatever the truth is, I encourage people to stop by and pay their respects to Rand and Nancy, two poor souls that simply wanted to fuck on a picnic table.
