Podcasts · True Crime · History

National Park After Dark

Danielle LaRock & Cassandra Yahnian

300 episodes · Explicit

Hosted by two friends who share a passion for public lands and a fascination with what can go wrong there, each week hosts Danielle and Cassie explore the darker side of our National Parks. But it isn’t always chills and thrills. By utilizing storytelling as a form of environmental stewardship, they hope listeners will be inspired to take a walk into the wild to create meaningful adventures of their own.

Episodes page 1 of 6

  1. England’s Most Notorious Witch Trial: Pendle Forest

    · 1 h 14 min · Episode 409

    In 1612, a chance encounter on a road in rural Lancashire sparked an accusation of witchcraft that would grow into one of the most notorious witch trials in English history. As one accusation led to another, old…

  2. Trail Tales 104: Illegal Collections, Haunted Dreams & Men in Windows

    · 51 min · Episode 408

    Today’s stories include ghost brothers, illegal collections, haunted dreams, men in windows, dissipating apparitions, and Cassie almost killing a listener. Outsiders Only bonus stories available for Patreon and Apple…

  3. The Vampire Clan Murders: Land Between the Lake National Recreation Area

    · 1 h 16 min · Episode 407

    In 1996, a troubled 16-year-old boy named Rod Ferrell believed he was a 500-year old-vampire. He formed a small group of local teens in Murray, Kentucky obsessed with vampire roleplaying, blood drinking, and occult…

  4. Best Friend Killer: Angeles National Forest

    · 1 h 22 min · Episode 406

    In October 1985, 17-year-old Missy Avila left her home in California's San Fernando Valley to spend the afternoon with friends and never came home. Three days later, two hikers made a horrifying discovery in Angeles…

  5. Trail Tales 103: Grand Canyon Ghosts, RV Bats & Paranormal Wedding Crashers

    · 1 h 04 min · Episode 405

    Today’s stories include Grand Canyon Ghosts, RV bats, emergency poops, paranormal wedding crashers, local lore, and lovestruck teenage protectors. Outsiders Only bonus stories available for Patreon and Apple…

  6. Making a Monster: Werewolf Hiking Trail

    · 1 h 01 min · Episode 404

    Before America had witch trials, Europe had werewolf trials - and they were as dark as they sound. One of the most infamous cases of time was that of Peter Stumpp, a man who was convicted and executed for serial…

  7. The Nearly Forgotten Murder of Susan Poupart: Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest

    · 55 min · Episode 403

    In May 1990, 29-year-old Susan “Suzy” Poupart disappeared after a night out with friends on the Lac du Flambeau Reservation in northern Wisconsin. For decades, her family has lived alongside the men they believe know…

  8. Trail Tales 102: Wedding Day Emergencies, Near Death Brides & Bigfoot Anniversaries

    · 50 min · Episode 402

    Today’s stories include wedding day emergencies, near death brides, cave ceremonies, Bigfoot anniversaries, wedding ghosts, dragon approvals and phantom runners. Outsiders Only bonus stories available for Patreon and…

  9. The Schoolhouse Blizzard: Homestead National Historical Park

    · 1 h 03 min · Episode 401

    On January 12th, 1888 during an unusually mild winter day, a sudden and deadly storm descended onto the American Midwest. Hurricane force winds, blinding snow and plummeting temperatures caught hundreds completely off…

  10. Wildfire or a DEA Cover-up? Yosemite National Park

    · 1 h 20 min · Episode 400

    In the summer of 2013, one of the largest wildfires in California history tore through the Sierra Nevada, burning more than 257,000 acres and leaving homes, ranches and beloved landscapes destroyed in its wake. As the…

  11. Trail Tales 101: Arm Funerals, Scottish Fairies & Coins from the Beyond

    · 56 min · Episode 399

    Today’s stories include being stalked on the Highway of Tears, lights over the lake, ghost grammies, arm funerals, Scottish fairies & coins from the beyond. Outsiders Only bonus stories available for Patreon and Apple…

  12. The Most Hated Man in Yellowstone: Yellowstone National Park

    · 1 h 15 min · Episode 398

    It’s hard to get an entire National Park to hate you … unless your name is EC Waters. Considered one of the most despised men to have ever stepped foot in Yellowstone, Waters left his mark - for better or worse - on…

  13. The U.S. Forest Service’s Deadliest Aviation Disaster: Nez Perce National Forest

    · 1 h 12 min · Episode 397

    In June 1979, a group of U.S. Forest Service employees and volunteers boarded a routine flight into the remote Idaho backcountry to begin another summer season at the Moose Creek Ranger District. They never arrived.…

  14. National Park After Dark X Red Handed: Louisiana Style

    · 1 h 03 min · Episode 396

    This week we are teaming up with the UK Queens of True Crime - Hannah and Suruthi of Red Handed! Today’s theme is Louisiana, and we all come with stories from the Bayou State that cover axe murderers, infamous outlaws,…

  15. The Family Annihilator: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

    · 1 h 10 min · Episode 395

    On March 1st, 1976 William Bradford Bishop Jr. bludgeoned his mother, wife, and three young sons to death in their Bethesda, Maryland home. He drove their bodies to North Carolina, where he dumped them a shallow grave…

  16. Leaving Earth to Join the Aliens: North Cowichan Municipal Forest Reserve

    · 58 min · Episode 394

    In November 1980, Granger Taylor vanished after leaving a note claiming he was departing on a 42-month journey aboard an alien spacecraft and was never seen again. What followed sparked decades of theories and left…

  17. Trail Tales 100: Popping P***y in Glacier, Trails of Horror, & Night Vision Ghosts

    · 1 h 02 min · Episode 393

    Today’s stories include p***y popping in Glacier, trails of horror, night vision ghosts, life saving shadow people & a horse named Miracle. Outsiders Only bonus stories available for Patreon and Apple Subscribers!…

  18. Pups in the Parks: Man’s Best Friend in America’s Best Idea

    · 1 h 18 min · Episode 392

    From conservation assistants, celebrities, protectors, and public educators - dogs have done it all in National Parks. Today we honor the stories of incredible canines who have ties to places like Yosemite, Denali,…

  19. Die or Amputate Your Arm: Canyonlands National Park

    · 1 h 22 min · Episode 391

    In 2003, Aron Ralston became trapped beneath an 800-pound boulder in Utah's Blue John Canyon after setting out alone without telling anyone where he was going. After 127 hours with no hope of rescue, he faced an…

  20. Trail Tales 99: Bike Heists, Scubavangelists & Camping Gone Wong

    · 1 h 13 min · Episode 390

    Today’s stories include scubavangelists, cave proposals, bike heists, and camping gone wrong. Outsiders Only bonus stories available for Patreon and Apple Subscribers! COME SEE US ON TOUR! For the latest NPAD…

  21. The Colorado Cannibal: Gunnison National Forest

    · 1 h 22 min · Episode 389

    In April of 1874, Alfred Packer stumbled out of the Colorado wilderness after months spent missing. Initially claiming his five companions had died in harsh winter conditions, investigators later found evidence that…

  22. The Deadly Hunt for the Lost Dutchman Mine: Tonto National Forest

    · 1 h 01 min · Episode 388

    When a dying prospector revealed the secret of a hidden gold mine deep within Arizona's Superstition Mountains, he ignited a mystery that has lured people to their deaths for more than a century. Cryptic maps,…

  23. Trail Tales 98: Spooky Sleuths, Tentacle Bunnies & Shaming Monkey Owners

    · 1 h 02 min · Episode 387

    Today’s stories include spooky sleuths, tentacle bunnies, satisfying curses, bully grouse, and shaming monkey owners. Outsiders Only bonus stories available for Patreon and Apple Subscribers! For the latest NPAD…

  24. What Happened to Sheila Kearns? Mount Rainier National Park

    · 52 min · Episode 386

    In the fall of 1996, 43 year old Sheila Kearns had just finished her first summer season working in Mount Rainier and was excited to begin a winter season in the park she had grown to love. When she failed to show up…

  25. The Cog Railway Disaster: White Mountain National Forest

    · 58 min · Episode 385

    Mount Washington became the location of one of the deadliest accidents in American Railroad history in 1967. Home to the world's first Cog Railway, a routine descent turned catastrophic when the locomotive left the…

  26. Trail Tales 97: Hot Cowboys, Cold Nights & Bathroom Ghosts

    · 1 h 05 min · Episode 384

    Today’s stories include cold camping, hot cowboys, haunted first dates, high evacuations, bathroom ghosts, and a bad night in the Badlands. Outsiders Only bonus stories available for Patreon and Apple Subscribers! For…

  27. The Mysterious Death of Mostly Harmless: Big Cypress National Reserve

    · 1 h 23 min · Episode 383

    In July of 2018, two hikers in Big Cypress National Preserve stumbled across a deceased camper. The man was emaciated, surrounded with food and cash but no form of identification. The mystery surrounding who this man…

  28. The Grizzly Mauling That Changed Yellowstone National Park

    · 1 h 22 min · Episode 382

    In June 1972, 23-year-old Harry Walker left Alabama for the adventure of a lifetime. Days after arriving in Yellowstone National Park, he was killed by a grizzly bear. Harry's death exposed decades of controversial…

  29. Trail Tales 96 ft. LGBTQ Outdoors

    · 1 h 11 min · Episode 381

    Today’s stories includes campsite sabotage, bigfoot gaslighting, Yosemite Valley spookiness, type 3 fun, finding belonging, and titanic-ing in Voyageurs National Park. Outsiders Only bonus stories available for Patreon…

  30. The Sasquatch Scapegoat: Sierra National Forest

    · 1 h 26 min · Episode 380

    In June of 1987, 16 year old Theresa Ann Bier vanished while on a camping trip outside of Yosemite National Park. The man who accompanied her, 43-year-old Russell “Skip” Welch, returned alone days later with a…

  31. Abducted on Lake Champlain

    · 1 h 12 min · Episode 379

    On the shores of Vermont’s Lake Champlain in the summer of 1968, two camp counselors watched a glowing craft descend over the dark water before losing hours of time they could never explain. What followed were…

  32. Trail Tales 95: Ghost Grandpas, Faking Injuries & Spooky Flavored Lore

    · 53 min · Episode 378

    Today’s stories include ghost grandpas, tent crushes, trail angels and spooky flavored lore. Outsiders Only bonus stories available for Patreon and Apple Subscribers! For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details,…

  33. 2 Girls, 1 Fort: Castillo de San Marcos National Monument

    · 1 h 19 min · Episode 377

    Looming over St. Augustine, Castillo de san Marcos, the oldest stone masonry fort in the country, has drawn paranormal enthusiasts from far and wide. With over three centuries of history, the fort has seen its fair…

  34. Kidnapped by a Satanic Cult? Alpine National Park

    · 1 h 04 min · Episode 376 · Explicit

    A couple heads out for a picnic, but everything changes when they’re attacked by masked strangers and taken deep into the wilderness of Alpine National Park. Their disappearance sparks a massive search, but as police…

  35. Trail Tales 94: P***y Poltergeists, Dirtbag Dads & Wholesome Hauntings

    · 47 min · Episode 375

    Today’s stories include pussy poltergeists, wholesome hauntings, cobbler killers and horrible first impressions. Outsiders Only bonus stories available for Patreon and Apple Subscribers! For the latest NPAD updates,…

  36. Not Our War: Namib-Naukluft National Park

    · 1 h 02 min · Episode 374

    Henno Martin and Hermann Korn were two German-born geologists conducting research in present-day Namibia when World War II broke out. Instead of facing internment or being forced into a war they did not believe in,…

  37. Adventure, Death & A Mother’s Day Tradition: Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

    · 1 h 02 min · Episode 373

    Every Mother’s Day, hundreds of climbers hike up Mount St. Helens wearing bright and elaborate dresses, a tradition that’s fun and easy to laugh at. However, behind this celebration is the story of Kathy Phibbs, a bold…

  38. Trail Tales 93: ASStronauts, Butt Foam & Getting Too High

    · 1 h 10 min · Episode 372

    Today’s stories include full moons, lost partners, foam to the face, and getting high in God’s Country. Outsiders Only bonus stories available for Patreon and Apple Subscribers! For the latest NPAD updates, group…

  39. The Mountain That Moves: The Frank Slide Disaster

    · 59 min · Episode 371

    In April of 1903, Turtle Mountain fell. Long known by indigenous nations to be dangerous, the town of Frank built at its base and mined into its sides nonetheless. In the early morning hours of April 29th, 100 million…

  40. The Incarcerated Women Fighting California’s Fires: Santa Monica National Recreation Area

    · 1 h 04 min · Episode 370

    Across California, incarcerated women are sent to the frontlines of wildfires, risking their lives for a chance at reduced sentences and a small paycheck. On Malibu 13-3, an all-women fire crew, the work was brutal,…

  41. Trail Tales 92 ft. National Park Trust

    · 1 h 25 min · Episode 369

    Today we are joined by Aylish and Annaliese from the National Park Trust! They speak to us about all the wonderful programs the NPT facilitates while also helping us share trail tales that include thieving bears,…

  42. The Murder of Bianca Rudolph: Kafue National Park

    · 1 h 18 min · Episode 368

    In October 2016, Bianca Rudolph was killed while on a hunting trip with her husband Larry in Kafue National Park. Initially reported as an accidental firearm discharge, her death raised suspicions amongst family and…

  43. Acadia National Park, Just Skip It! ft. Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet

    · 1 h 34 min · Episode 367

    Acadia, it’s just not for everyone! Today we are joined by sibling hosts Christine and Xandy Schiefer of Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet to visit some of the most loved, and apparently loathed, locations in the park.…

  44. Trail Tales 91

    · 47 min · Episode 366

    Today’s stories include silent fury, collecting clouds, Titanic misses, cougar snacks, haunted Maine, and late night cheesy bread. Outsiders Only bonus stories available for Patreon and Apple Subscribers! WE WERE…

  45. The Bravest Little Dog in Alaska: Glacier Bay National Park

    · 1 h 09 min · Episode 365

    In the summer of 1880, John Muir set out to explore the icy wilderness of what is now Glacier Bay National Park. Traveling by canoe with a missionary and Tlingit guides, he reluctantly allowed a small black dog named…

  46. The Questionable Death of Duncan MacPherson: Stubai Alps

    · 1 h 24 min · Episode 364

    In August of 1989, 23 year-old Duncan MacPherson vanished from a ski resort in Austria. His parents relentlessly and fruitlessly sought answers for 14 years, until 2003 when a melting glacier revealed Duncan’s remains.…

  47. Trail Tales 90 ft. Rangers of the Lost Park

    · 1 h 49 min · Episode 363

    Today’s stories all have a theme - rangers! We are joined by former US Forest Service field ranger Liz Crandall to chat between the tales about the current state of public lands, what challenges they are facing - and…

  48. A Deadly Uprising: Manzanar National Historic Site

    · 1 h 08 min · Episode 362

    During World War II, the United States government rounded up over 120,000 Japanese Americans, most of whom were U.S. citizens, and sent them to remote incarceration camps across the western United States for suspected…

  49. A Sit Down With a Psychic

    · 2 h 09 min · Episode 361

    Today’s episode is unlike any other we have done before! We will be speaking to Alissa Smith Moore, an evidential medium and spiritual intuitive. She answers your questions about her gift, what she has learned on her…

  50. Trail Tales 89

    · 1 h 09 min · Episode 360

    Today’s stories include survival of the fittest, mistaken identities, mythical rangers, badass advocates and legendary names. Outsiders Only bonus stories available for Patreon and Apple Subscribers! For the latest…

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