Why Drivers Feel Unease on Indian Mounds Drive near Grand Rapids

Many roads and highways zip us around quickly and efficiently. Then there are the roads that are intended for more of a leisurely drive. One such backroad is Indian Mounds Drive near Grand Rapids. The street parallels the Grand River between Wilson Ave in Grandville and Market Ave in Grand Rapids.

Drivers on the road report an uneasy or eeriness to the road. And there's good reason for it.

The Isolated and Unsettling Indian Mounds Drive

Perhaps the most basic sense of unease when driving Indian Mounds is the fact you are often alone. Quite alone. The road is little used as it's split between vehicle traffic which is only allowed one-way northeast-bound while the other lane is open only to walkers and bicyclists.

The road carries a strict 25 mph speed limit for its 4-mile route, so it's slow going compared to the adjacent, but unconnected, Interstate 196. The drive on Indian Mounds simply takes a long time.

Because there is only one way for vehicle traffic to go, it can be incredibly unnerving should you encounter a driver going the other way. It means they either did a U-turn somewhere along the road or completely disregarded the DO NOT ENTER signs when approaching Indian Mounds Drive from Market at the I-196 on-ramp.

READ MORE: Where in Michigan Does the 'Great Lakes' become the 'Northwoods?'

A driver who you encounter going the wrong way either is not paying attention or deliberately reckless. Either way, not someone who you want alongside you while driving.

Another reason to feel the eeriness of Indian Mounds Drive is the fact that you are essentially driving through a cemetery. The topic of the uneasy feeling of the road came up on the Grand Rapids subreddit of Reddit, with the OP asking, "does anyone feel uneasy when running or biking down this road? Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve explored most Kent Trails and something about Indian Mounds Dr feels eerie."

Driving Through Sacred Ground in West Michigan

The top reply was all about the burial mounds, for formerly destroyed and desecrated mounds, the roadway passes by.

It’s a burial site that’s thousands of years old. Many of the mounds were destroyed and tampered with I think only 11 mounds remain undisturbed. The Anishinaabe people are cited in Louis Campau's diary as saying they have no idea who built the mounds Which is actually crazy to think how long people have been living in that area.

No one knows who built the mounds. No one knows how many people were buried at the site. Yet roadbuilders and developers who came before us thought little of bulldozing roads and highways through them.

👇🏼BELOW: Leading Theories About D.B. Cooper and 30 other unsolved mysteries + 25 True Crime Locations: Then and Now👇🏼

It's easy to see why many would feel uneasy passing this way. Add in the natural canopy of trees giving a claustrophobic feel to the route and it adds to the creepiness.

Finally, there's the case of Kane Coronado. The 19-year-old was shot and killed along Indian Mounds Drive in 2023. As of May 2025 the case remains open and unsolved although police have released both a sketch of the suspect and the description of the suspect's car.