What’s the REAL Story Behind Michigan’s Ominous Hatchet Man Road?

What's the story and more importantly-- where is the actual road?!

I need to know so I can make sure to avoid it, but with spooky season upon us maybe some souls are brave enough to traverse it themselves.

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I was born and raised in West Michigan, I even grew up in nearby Allegan, so how this urban legend managed to escape me is a mystery. Almost as mysterious as this urban legend itself!

Hatchet Man Road

According to Michigan historian John Robinson the legend goes as follows:

...in the 1980’s, a man built a bomb shelter on his property in order to protect his family. He was already paranoid and to make things worse, he coaxed his family to move out of the home and into the shelter. Being cooped up with the fear of impending world-wide doom, he grabbed a hatchet and wiped out his entire family.

Locals who have dared to cross this road at night claim they've seen everything from an apparition of a woman crossing the road to faces of small children appearing in the trees.

Others claim to have experienced such odd occurrences as their car mysteriously stalling on while driving Hatchet Man Road or noticing a strange car following closely behind before mysteriously vanishing.

Which Road Is It?

Sources a stretch of 28th Ave. between M-40 south of Gobles and 9th street near Kalamazoo, specifically the crossing over Campbell Creek, is where the alleged hauntings take place.

However, if you are brave enough to drive this patch of 28th Ave. yourself make sure you're on high-alert as Robinson says hooligans and ne'er-do-wells like to dress up as clowns to scare passing drivers-- even in broad daylight!

I doubt I'm brave enough to drive it in the daytime, let alone in the dark of night. Have you ever been down Hatchet Man Road?