We’re heading deep into Washington’s Olympic National Park — a place where mist hangs heavy in the ancient forests, and where the line between the living and the lost grows thin. From the storm-battered beaches of Rialto and Ruby, to the moss-draped silence of the Hoh Rain Forest, this landscape feels alive — watching, listening. Join us for today's installment of Haunted Parks.

Sources:

https://www.myolympicpark.com/park/history/the-lady-of-crescent-lake/

https://thenationsvacation.com/travel_guide/national-park-ghost-stories/

https://seattleterrors.com/olympic-national-park/

https://www.nps.gov/olym/index.htm

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National parks are supposed to be peaceful—untouched slices of wilderness. But dig through the right reports, and you’ll find something else: the weird stuff. The unsettling stuff. The “what the hell actually happened out there?” stuff. Join us for part two of bizarre incident reports from various national parks.

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In October 2020 a University of Washington professor and avid outdoorsman, set out on a solo overnight hike in Mount Rainier National Park. He was last seen on October 9th, and when he failed to return the next day, a massive search effort began. To this day, his disappearance remains an unsolved mystery, a haunting reminder of how even experienced hikers can vanish in the vast wilderness of our national parks. 

Tips: Mount Rainier NP at 360-569-2211 or [email protected]

Sources:

https://namus.nij.ojp.gov/case/MP74986

https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/mysterious-stories-blog/sam-dubal

https://ls.berkeley.edu/news/dr-sam-dubal

https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/23/us/missing-uw-professor-sam-dubal-trnd

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There’s a silent epidemic that has been happening for decades on our federal lands. Everyone loves recreating in national recreation areas, national forests, and national parks. But there’s an unseen danger about these places: you could become a missing person and there would be little done to bring you back into the known. 

Sources:

https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/exploration-survival/leave-no-trace/

https://www.newsnationnow.com/travel/mystery-missing-persons-national-parks/

https://dailycaller.com/2016/03/17/interior-dept-spent-15-million-on-a-crime-database-that-doesnt-work/

https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1563/cold-cases.htm

https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2018/11/gone-missing-national-parks

https://www.goldrushcam.com/sierrasuntimes/index.php/news/local-news/60473-california-u-s-senator-alex-padilla-announces-the-senate-passes-legislation-to-help-find-missing-persons-on-federal-land

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/2120

https://nypost.com/2020/07/04/why-hundreds-of-people-vanish-into-the-american-wilderness/

https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/questions-answers/national-park-stats

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1038/text

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On September 24, 2013, two friends set out to hike in Idaho’s Craters of the Moon National Monument but never returned. The remote volcanic landscape is known for its rugged terrain, lava fields, and extreme weather conditions. Their tragic disappearance underscores both the unforgiving nature of the monument and the dangers of venturing into isolated wilderness without adequate preparation.

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Tonight, on this Halloween-leaning episode, we’re going on a journey across America — coast to coast, forest to canyon, swamp to cliff — to explore 13 trails where something other than wind might be watching. These are hikes with history. With tragedy. With ghosts. With stories that linger in the trees.

So grab your headlamp, pull up the hood, step off the beaten path—and let’s go where the wild gets uneasy.

Sources:

https://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/destinations/haunted-hikes/

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This October, we have stories of bears, bison, caves, skulls… nature’s power and reminders that the wilderness is not always polite. So pull up your jacket, light your lantern in your mind, and let’s step into the wild. Tune in today for October 2025's nature news.

Sources:

https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/hiker-injured-in-idaho-bear-attack https://kdvr.com/news/local/black-bear-pass-closed-indefinitely-after-south-carolina-driver-ignores-warnings/amp/ https://amp.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/article312341837.html https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/bear-fatally-attacked-camper-arkansas-killed-by-hunters/527-f2d01d48-74c6-49e3-bd19-c15fb40ece79 https://www.thetravel.com/great-smoky-mountains-national-park-reopened-by-local-group-funding/ https://www.aol.com/articles/spelunker-thought-she-found-trash-152700696.html https://www.whiskeyriff.com/2025/10/09/yellowstone-campers-wake-to-find-herd-of-more-than-300-rutting-bison-surrounding-their-tents/ https://www.thv11.com/article/news/nation-world/human-skull-found-indiana-2300-bc-fayette-county/507-e413a22c-50d3-4a17-81a9-f3c00a454925

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Joshua Tree National Park is famous for its surreal desert landscapes, but it also carries a haunted reputation. From ghostly figures wandering abandoned mines, to hikers reporting strange lights and unexplained sounds, to real-life tragedies that still linger in the desert air, Joshua Tree is a place where beauty and mystery collide. In this episode, we explore the chilling legends and eerie encounters that make Joshua Tree one of the most haunted national parks in America.

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/03/22/magazine/voyages-joshua-tree-lost-hiker.html

https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/mysterious-stories-blog/paul-miller

https://www.nps.gov/jotr/learn/news/missingpersonsearchcontinues.htm

https://sharonmfitzgerald.com/visiting-the-haunted-lost-horse-mine-in-joshua-tree-national-park/#:~:text=The%20Evidence%20is%20Out%20There,heart.%E2%80%9D%20source:%20WKNDR%20website

https://folklore.usc.edu/legend-of-skinwalkers-in-joshua-tree/

https://listverse.com/2024/04/11/10-tragic-disappearances-and-deaths-in-joshua-tree-national-park/

https://listverse.com/2024/04/11/10-tragic-disappearances-and-deaths-in-joshua-tree-national-park/’

https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/local/2017/10/21/death-hikers-joshua-tree-sympathetic-murder-suicide-uncle-says-we-hold-no-grudges/787476001/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z113802e005900v113802b0043xxd004365&gca-ft=130&gca-ds=sophi

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On June 18, 2014, a 54-year-old runner went out for a routine run in the Roaring Creek area of Pennsylvania’s Weiser State Forest—a terrain he knew very well. But he never returned. This is the tragic story of a runner's mysterious death. 

**Sorry to sound like a broken record, I recorded three episodes in a row and my mic was giving me issues! My mic was sent in for repair and they ended up replacing the whole thing due to some technical issues. Audio will be back to normal shortly!**

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weiser_State_Forest

https://news.adidas.com/running/new-adidas-study-finds-92--of-women-are-concerned-for-their-safety-when-they-go-for-a-run/s/c318f69e-7575-4ced-bbf3-9db6d2ab1642

https://www.theruncollective.com/statistics

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966692325000626

https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/northumberland-county/search-for-missing-man-continues/523-9f3fbfe9-8f77-458b-aaa4-d6a1557abe5b

Support the show

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Recreate responsibly and remember: sometimes the "great outdoors" aren't always great. Stay tuned & stay weird.

Email us case suggestions!

Connect with us on Instagram @morbidoutdoorspodcast

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Support the show

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In October 2020, a woman set out for a solo hike in Idaho’s rugged Sawtooth National Forest—and never came back. Her car was found parked neatly at the Prairie Creek Trailhead, her backpack missing, and no sign of a struggle. Searchers have been routinely looking for her for the past four years and not a clue has been found as to what happened to her. 

Tips: Blaine County Sheriff's Office 208-788-5555

**Sorry to sound like a broken record, I recorded three episodes in a row and my mic was giving me issues! My mic was sent in for repair and they ended up replacing the whole thing due to some technical issues. Audio will be back to normal shortly!**

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawtooth_National_Forest

https://www.parkrecord.com/2024/09/20/four-years-later-searchers-havent-given-up-on-finding-lost-hiker-from-park-city/

https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/mysterious-stories-blog/fern-baird

https://charleyproject.org/case/fern-alexandra-lovett-baird

Support the show

Join our Patreon for bonus content! Click here!

The 10 Essentials for Outdoor Recreation here.
Leave No Trace (LNT) principles here.

Recreate responsibly and remember: sometimes the "great outdoors" aren't always great. Stay tuned & stay weird.

Email us case suggestions!

Connect with us on Instagram @morbidoutdoorspodcast

Connect with us on Facebook Morbid Outdoors Podcast

Share a "Campfire Story" for us to read on the pod! email us: [email protected]

Buy Me a Coffee

Support the show

Join our Patreon for bonus content! Click here!

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Share a "Campfire Story" for us to read on the pod! email us: [email protected]

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