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Hauntings of the Brookdale Lodge Deep in the Santa Cruz Mountains, among towering redwoods, pillaring pines, and the endless flow of Clear Creek, lies the formally known 'World Famous' Brookdale Lodge. Often compared to the chilling settings of Stephen King novels such as The Shining, Rose Red, and Room 1408, this historic piece of Santa Cruz history once catered to the rich and famous. Legends such as James Dean, Hedy Lamarr, Cordell Hull, Rita Hayworth, Joan Crawford, Marilyn Monroe, Howard Hughes, Clark Gable, Henry Ford, and President Herbert Hoover are all said to have passed through its illustrious walls. But all that glitters is not gold. Famed for the creek that flows directly through its interior, surrounded by limestone and river rock, Clear Creek has long been considered the beating heart of the Brookdale Lodge. There is something almost magical about the water as it winds through the property—a constant movement that has inspired stories of an unseen connection between the living and the dead. Estimated to be more than 136 years old, the Brookdale Lodge carries a history filled with its own darker chapters: embezzlement, fraud, gangsters, prostitution, natural disasters, murder, and mysterious drownings. The Legend of Sarah Logan is one of the lodge's most enduring legends potentially dating back to 1892 and centers around a ten-year-old girl named Sarah Logan, who was believed to have been related to Judge James Harvey Logan, the man associated with the founding and early development of Brookdale. The tragic story tells of a vibrant young girl who loved the mountain landscape and played among the surrounding forests with the other children. Clear Creek—the same brook that now runs through the lodge—was, to Sarah, a place of imagination and adventure. According to the legend, during the fall months, as the weather turned colder and the creek began to swell, Sarah was playing near the water when she slipped and fell onto the rocks below. She suffered a severe head injury and potentially drowned. For generations afterward, guests and employees of the Brookdale Lodge would report hearing, feeling, and sometimes seeing what they believed to be the apparition of a young girl wandering near the creek. Sarah's story became inseparable from the lodge's haunting—a little girl forever associated with the babbling waters of Clear Creek, the endless beating heart of Brookdale Lodge. Sarah is not the only spirit however, associated with the lodge. Many more are said to wander its vestibule. Over the years, guests and employees have reported hearing music late at night after the lodge has fallen quiet, along with the sounds of laughter and what appears to be a grand party taking place somewhere within the building. And still more, have described hearing men arguing, seeing the apparition of a woman near the bridge, or catching glimpses of a dark shadow moving through the lodge. And then there are the stories of the water itself. Like something from a chilling novel, legends surrounding Brookdale suggest that Clear Creek has a strange ability to draw people toward it. Young and old alike have met tragic ends in or near its waters, leaving behind stories that have become part of the lodge's darker folklore. Many believe the creek does more than flow through the lodge. They believe it holds something. Investigating the Unknown Over the years, numerous paranormal investigators have visited the Brookdale Lodge in an attempt to unravel its mysteries. Psychics, professional and amateur investigators, authors, and television programs—including Sightings and Ghost Adventures—have all taken an interest in the property. Many have attempted to explain or debunk the reported hauntings. Others have walked away convinced that there is something at Brookdale that cannot easily be explained. Today, the lodge continues its long and complicated history, with hopes of once again opening the doors to the Bookroom, while under new ownership and renovation. Currently it is open for lodging, drinks and a Cafe, as well as weekly music jubilations. Perhaps one day, guests will once again sit beside the babbling waters of Clear Creek, dine beneath the towering redwoods, and wonder whether the stories are true. And perhaps, if they're lucky—or unlucky—they may encounter one of the lodge's longtime residents. ...Because at Brookdale Lodge, the living aren't necessarily the only ones still lingering. For more about the hauntings of the Brookdale Lodge, see Haunted Santa Cruz, California and The Beating Heart of Brookdale Lodge, available on Amazon, or participating retailers. |
Sources: San Francisco Chronicle — Greetings from Santa Creepy, City on a Hill Press — Walking with a Ghost, Lookout Santa Cruz — Brookdale Lodge: One of Santa Cruz County’s Most Haunted Places, Press Banner — Brookdale Lodge Deemed Historical Location, Santa Cruz County Historic Resources — Brookdale Lodge/Brookdale Chapel, Visit Santa Cruz County — Haunted Spots in Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz Trains — Brookdale Station & Lodge History, Brookdale Lodge — Historic Timeline, Santa Cruz Ghost Hunters — Brookdale Lodge. © 2010–2026 Santa Cruz Ghost Hunters™ | A Bewitching Tales Production™ | All Rights Reserved.