Drive slowly down this road late at night and you might run across the “Greenbriar Lights” – balls of light that come out of nowhere and follow motorists around. Supposedly the local police received so many calls about these strange lights that they hired a scientist to investigate the cause, but to no avail. Local legend says its the ghost of a motorcyclist who died in the area.
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Geographic Information
- Address:
- Greenbriar Road
Jacksonville, FL
United States
Get Directions » - GPS:
- 30.0630007211096, -81.65340059259034
- County:
- St. Johns County, Florida
- Nearest Towns:
- Fruit Cove, FL (3.4 mi.)
Green Cove Springs, FL (5.1 mi.)
Orange Park, FL (7.8 mi.)
Lakeside, FL (8.3 mi.)
Bellair-Meadowbrook Terrace, FL (9.6 mi.)
Asbury Lake, FL (10.1 mi.)
Penney Farms, FL (11.0 mi.)
Middleburg, FL (12.4 mi.)
Palm Valley, FL (17.7 mi.)
Jacksonville, FL (18.6 mi.)
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Comments (13)
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Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the nature of "ghost stories," largely unverifiable. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. The vast majority of information provided on this web site is anecdotal, and as such, should be viewed in the same light as local folklore and urban legends.
Some years ago when I was single a female friend wanted me to check this legend out with her. – I agreed, thinking she wanted a dark place to make-out, but after spending some quality time there we actually saw the light-balls above and around us. – Had to spend a long time there but I couldn’t explain what we saw.
This area is completely urbanized now; extremely busy and packed with homes and a school. Many, many years ago it was partially paved and then turned into a dirt road. The scare factor came from three things: zero street lights in a rural area; an old, long abandoned asylum; and a cross road with a curve on it way in the distance which is what caused the lights to appear and then suddenly disappear. It was a good place for hanging out but not so scary once you found out the reason behind the lights.
Yes. I moved to the area a year before the lime rock coated trees and weeds became lost to St. johns co.uncontrolled so called improvements.came. Very intimidating streach of lime rock wash board road. And the cause of the lights were as stated in the above remarks. The only green lights left are the random wildlife trying to survive the onslot of poor
Infrastructure created by Cindy S. and her followers. Really miss the canopied Race Track Rd all the way to Phillips Highway also.
Casey .. Sorry but you are very wrong.. Everyone tries to use the road that curved as the excuse or the answer for the lights.. I went several times. Daytime visits as well as night. That road was soo away that you could barely see the cars lights as they went around AND if it was just car lights . they would fade cue to the fact that they would have to clear the area and continue on their way.. This light never did that.. This light bounced gently up and down in small movements just as if it were a motorcycle light.. It was always a clear quiet night.. and not once did we hear the sound of an engine.. and the light gained on us very fast. Once we hit the pavement right before San Jose the white light would do what appeared to me a turn around where we then could see a small red tail light.. Coolest freakiest thing I have ever experience.. I wish they hadn’t built up the area.. I would love to take my kids,.We did go back though and to our dismay they entire road was completely paved .. it wasn’t heavily traveled.,, But w/e it was I do not believe is there any longer
This road use to be like something you hear about im country songs. Suburban life and schools have ruined it.
I went here years ago with my mother and a couple friends. Driving down the road with the cruise control set at 45, for some reason we saw a single light behind us getting closer and closer the car then stopped the cruise control and the light came over the back of the car and over the top and disappeared. The car came to a dead stop without me ever pressing on the break. It was down by the railroad tracks at the far end of the road where we figured all the hype actually came from. This was driving away from the tracks back towards the fields and the road we turned from to get there. No clue what the place looks like now as its been more than 15 years since we were there. I have never experienced the cruise control turning off before or after and never had any vehicle come to a stop without pressing the break other than this experience. If i wasn’t the driver i would have sworn they pressed the break but the light was unexplainable.
I have been there several times, the road is actually called Greenbrier road and it’s bit long but it sure doesn’t take 15 min to go down, and it especially wouldn’t take even 5 at 80 miles per hour. I have been there during the day too, to see exactly what is around in the way of people, houses and so forth,,,,at the time I went, it was still a dirt road, BUT right when you turn off of San Jose onto Greenbrier it’s paved for a few feet, THEN it turns into a dirt road. I have gone at all times of the night from first dusk to 4am,to 12 midnight, and I saw the light every single time, but I NEVER felt an evil aura, I believe that is just your fear and nerves getting the best of you…however when U go if U sit and wait a few minutes U will see a single white light, and the very last time I went we saw it head on, but then turned around because it did appear that it was going very fast, we did about 50mph leaving and the light was gaining on us..BUT once we hit the paved road it was like it couldn’t follow, U could clearly see the white light disappear and then there it was a single red light going back the other way..ALSO I had my window down and u know at night sound travels and if it was some one playing a trick we would have heard the motor, there was no noise, just us..also now this was 10 years ago, the only thing on the road was a rodeo/stable place, and I never saw a lake..I have looked it up on Google Earth and it appears that the road has been paved and widened,and a housing complex has been built. I hope not. Yes i drove out there again to see if the road is still there.. the road is there.. but it is completely paved. I have heard of stories of ghosts haunting their former homes but not being able to go into any parts that were nearly built..
I had experience back in about 1997 on my motorcycle. I was returning from St. Augustine to Orange Park, FL & took back roads to cross St. Johns river on bridge just south of Switzerland, FL. It was at dusk & before I got to bridge I saw single light getting brighter fast in my rear view mirror. Someone on bike in a hurry to pass me I thought. Then at about the time they should have passed. No light anymore, I turned my body to look behind me & nothing. Thinking they crashed I turned around & scanned roadside. There was no accident to be found. Hair on back of my neck went up. I headed to bridge, crossed & went home.
We used to go ALOT back in mid to late 80’s, and ride standing in n bed of buddy Chris’ heavy chevy stepside, and have seen light appear within feet of truck bumper when tryin to leave, and even with said heavy chevy pedal to floor, engine revved and tach max but no speed attainable beyond abt 15mph at best until reached paved piece before main road….went mid day to debunk, searching along both sides of road thru woods for hidden hoax producing tools, never finding any such tools. I still believe to be a combo of explainable coincidence and possible supernatural paranormal events, but just my opinion
We used to go ALOT back in mid to late 80’s, and ride standing in n bed of buddy Chris’ heavy chevy stepside, and have seen light appear within feet of truck bumper when tryin to leave, and even with said heavy chevy pedal to floor, engine revved and tach max but no speed attainable beyond abt 15mph at best until reached paved piece before main road….went mid day to debunk, searching along both sides of road thru woods for hidden hoax producing tools, never finding any such tools. I still believe to be a combo of explainable coincidence and possible supernatural paranormal events, but just my opinion…..I will add though, the way the “tale” was explained back then, as began approaching area, continue flashing headlights from low to high beam, and EVERY TIME the light would appear without fail…
This was our experience back in 1994.. the comments section is like the bonus reel.. enjoy!
http://www.ghostsandstories.com/jacksonville-florida-ghost-light-road.html
It was 1998 I believe when me and 4 other kids were driving down Greenbriar either real late at night or early in the morning ,that was back when you could see the nightsky stars real vividly , they put a faint glow on the typical clay county dirt road. About halfway down the road we finally saw a small light that moved slightly around just like a motorcycle light would move on a dirt road, it came extremely close in the rear view mirror then vanished. I started getting a little scared and hit the gas ; as we flew past and adjacent dirt road out of no where in the pitch blackness an old style cop was shing its spot light eradicly like in intense search of something.We were going as fast as we could on that dirt road with a typical residential speed limit. By all means it should have turn behind us and pulled us over, no. We all watched it turn the way we came. Looked away and then back in a instant it was gone. No taillights and no road it could have turned off. We all 5 seen all of this and we had purposely not drank or smoked weed for that trip.
There was an old asylum there where they would let the patients out to walk around. I did read where a motorcycle cop was in pursuit when he was decapitated or nearly so. By either wire strung across the road by the patients. Whether or not the wire incident is real , the cop dying on that road is real and so is the asylum that was there. I found it and you can find it in the city archives. I do not make shit up , I have better things to do and I have 4 other people who experienced it. Like I said that was back in the day when clay county was beautiful place especially the fruitcove area no where near as many assholes and poorly built track homes. I’m sure that any intelligent energy that was there has long been ran off by the unintelligence brooding there. I have had many paranormal things happen in my lifetime of 40 years and truth doesn’t care what one thinks.
Actually I think we are on a layline because alot of crazy shit has happened from the westdide on through clay county.The military has done some shady shit here and there was even an underground laboratory beneath Kingsley road
Anyway you can find all of this in public domain and archives,
Have a good one
Ok so I’m in a new Shearwater townhome of 210 not far from greenbrier. At first I saw things I ignored like a throw pillow moving & turning by itself & bright unexplainable light in bathroom. Well on June 15, 2024 at 9:40am I saw orbs on ring camera indoors with a male voice making clear statement. I was alone downstairs when I received a ring alert upstairs. Images & voice captured on video!!! Tv was off. No music.