Address: Yorba Cemetery, 6749 Parkwood Court, Yorba Linda, CA 92886
Hours: Public access is limited. OC Parks typically opens the cemetery for free tours one Saturday per month (usually the first Saturday). Hours can change, so it’s best to check OC Parks’ official listings.
Phone: (714) 973-3190 (OC Parks general line)
Official Info: https://www.ocparks.com
The Haunted Past of Yorba Cemetery
Yorba Cemetery in California is one of the oldest burial grounds in Orange County, dating back to the mid-1800s. When we visited, what struck us immediately was how still the entire place felt, almost like the air had stopped moving. Established by the influential Yorba family, the cemetery was originally part of Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana, a massive land grant stretching across modern-day Orange County. Members of the Yorba, Peralta, and de los Reyes families were buried here, along with early settlers whose names still echo through the region’s history.
The cemetery is small, only about ten acres, and many graves were lost to flooding and time. Despite restoration efforts, several headstones are missing or damaged, which only adds to the eerie atmosphere as you walk through the grounds.
The Legend of the Pink Lady
The most famous spirit said to haunt Yorba Cemetery is the Pink Lady, a ghost many locals have grown up hearing about. According to long-standing accounts, she appears every other year on June 15, around midnight, glowing in a pink haze that witnesses describe as almost luminescent. The legend says she was a young woman, possibly Alvina de los Reyes, who died in a buggy accident in the late 1800s. Whether every detail lines up historically is still debated, but the consistency of the sightings over the decades is what really makes this story so compelling.
People who claim to have seen her describe:
- A soft pink fog forming near the back of the cemetery
- A full apparition of a woman in period clothing
- A sudden drop in temperature followed by an overwhelming feeling of sadness
When we talked to a few locals, they said their parents or grandparents remembered the nights when large crowds would gather on June 15 hoping to catch a glimpse. OC Parks eventually discouraged these gatherings, but the stories never went away.
Other Reported Paranormal Activity
Yorba Cemetery has a surprisingly high number of reported experiences for such a small site. Some of the most recurring stories include:
- Shadowy figures moving between the headstones
- Footsteps on gravel when no one else is around
- Cold spots that feel out of place in the warm California night air
- Disembodied whispers near the gated section of the grounds
- Visitors feeling a light tug on their clothing as they walk past certain grave markers
Several paranormal groups have done walkthroughs during OC Parks’ monthly access days. A few EVP sessions captured faint voices, nothing clear enough to be definitive, but enough to make us stop and play them back more than once.
Why Yorba Cemetery Continues to Fascinate
What we thought was so cool about this location is that it doesn’t rely on theatrics or big tourist pull. It’s quiet, historically important, and genuinely atmospheric. You feel the age of the place immediately, and even if you don’t encounter anything paranormal, the cemetery offers a window into early California in a way that larger historic sites don’t.
For ghost hunters, the site’s limited access can make a visit feel even more special. The combination of authentic history, real documented sightings, and the enduring Pink Lady legend keeps Yorba Cemetery high on the list for anyone exploring haunted locations in California.
Please remember never to trespass or enter the cemetery outside permitted hours. OC Parks strictly controls access, and ghost hunting can be dangerous—always use caution and respect the property.
Sources
- Anaheim Public Library – Local History Collection
- “Haunted Orange County” by Charles Spratley
- OC Ghosts & Legends investigations
- Los Angeles Times archives on Yorba family history
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