Backwoods Bigfoot Stories

In the shadow of the ancient Appalachian Mountains, where morning mist clings to valleys older than memory, something walks on two legs that shouldn't exist. Tonight's bone-chilling episode takes you deep into the heart of America's most enduring mystery, beginning with a terrifying encounter from 1879 when the Henderson family of Craig County, Virginia came face to face with an eight-foot-tall nightmare peering through their kitchen window.This was no bear, no trick of the light, but something with eyes that held an intelligence both ancient and terrible. We journey back through centuries of horror, starting with the Cherokee people who knew these mountains harbored Tsul'Kalu, the slant-eyed giant with seven fingers on each massive hand. Their legends speak not of a simple beast but of a being with disturbing intelligence, one that could take human brides and transform into the horrifying Raven Mocker, capable of stealing hearts from living victims without leaving a single mark. These weren't campfire stories but warnings passed down with the deadly seriousness of survival knowledge, including the haunting tale of a Cherokee woman whose mysterious suitor turned out to be something that had to fold itself to fit inside her dwelling, its head scraping the rafters while its feet touched the opposite wall. As European settlers pushed into the wilderness, they encountered their own nightmares. We reveal the suppressed military records from the Civil War, when both Union and Confederate soldiers witnessed a massive figure walking among the battlefield dead at Droop Mountain, tenderly checking bodies and carrying wounded soldiers to safety with inhuman strength. The lumber camps of the late 1800s became theaters of terror, particularly the 1909 incident at Spruce Knob where something systematically destroyed an entire logging operation with its bare hands, tearing apart steam engines and leaving a message written in twisted metal and shattered wood that couldn't be clearer: leave these mountains or die.The modern era brought no relief from the terror. In 1959, a one-room schoolhouse in Buchanan County became a prison of fear when something tried every door and window while eight children and their teacher huddled in terror, watching massive fingers with yellowed nails reach through a partially open window. The creature's face appeared at each window in turn, ancient and terrible, with glowing yellow eyes that showed an intelligence that made its interest in the children all the more horrifying.The creation of the Appalachian Trail opened a new chapter of encounters, with experienced hikers and military veterans reduced to cowering in their tents as something massive circled their camps, attempting to speak in sounds that almost formed words, as if desperately trying to communicate across an impossible divide. The 1976 case of former Marine David Carpenter, who abandoned his thru-hike after something rehung his food bag fifteen feet higher than humanly possible, demonstrates that even hardened soldiers found themselves outmatched by whatever walks these ridges.We explore the modern explosion of sightings, including the 2006 Hungry Mother State Park incidents witnessed by multiple families, where a creature showed particular interest in tents containing children, approaching with a curiosity that parents found more terrifying than any aggression. The narrative reaches into the digital age with thermal drone footage from 2023 showing multiple bipedal heat signatures moving through the forest canopy, communicating with each other using vocalizations that linguistic experts claim show patterns consistent with language structure.Throughout this journey into darkness, we hear from the witnesses themselves, from nineteenth-century German settlers who watched in horror as something lifted entire roof structures off cabins, to modern researchers like Jeff Carpenter who looked into the eyes of these creatures and saw an intelligence that challenged everything he thought he knew about the natural world. The West Virginia Bigfoot Museum's collection of over three hundred footprint casts shows anatomical features that experts say would be nearly impossible to fake consistently across decades of hoaxes. But perhaps most chilling are the habituation sites, where property owners claim to have established ongoing contact with these entities, revealing not mere animals but beings with family structures, moral codes, and a culture that predates human presence in these mountains. One retired biology professor's five-year study suggests these creatures possess an intelligence that may equal or exceed our own, watching us from the forest edge with patience that spans generations. As we reach our terrifying conclusion, we're left with the understanding that every night in the six-hundred-thousand square miles of Appalachia, someone experiences something that will haunt them forever. The mountains themselves seem complicit in hiding these creatures, keeping secrets in their shadowed valleys and mist-shrouded peaks.The Cherokee elders remind us that Tsul'Kalu never left; we simply stopped seeing him, existing as he does in the space between the physical and spirit worlds, appearing when he chooses to remind us that we are not the only intelligence walking these ancient paths.When you hear something outside your window tonight, when your dog refuses to go outside, when you glimpse movement in the forest that doesn't match any known animal, remember that in the darkest corners of Appalachia, the monsters are real, they are intelligent, and they are closer than you think.Sleep well, if you can, knowing that somewhere in those blue-ridged mountains tonight, ancient eyes are watching from the treeline, massive footprints are being pressed into the soft earth, and the thin veil between legend and reality grows thinner with each passing hour. The mountains remember what we choose to forget, and in that remembering, the terror endures, waiting for the moment when humanity is finally ready to accept that we were never alone in these hills.

Journey into the heart of Kentucky's most terrifying legend with this comprehensive exploration of the Pope Lick Monster, a cryptid that has haunted Louisville for over eight decades.This ten-thousand-word narrative traces the evolution of a local legend that refuses to remain merely legendary, examining documented encounters, mysterious deaths, and the increasingly disturbing pattern of events surrounding the Norfolk Southern Railway trestle that spans Pope Lick Creek.Our investigation begins in the 1940s with the first recorded sightings of a creature that defies biological explanation—a seven-foot-tall hybrid of man and goat that stalks the shadows beneath the railroad bridge. Through meticulous research of historical records, witness testimonies, and investigative reports, we explore how what started as whispered folklore has evolved into something far more complex and terrifying. The narrative examines multiple origin theories, from a circus train disaster in the early 1900s to the curse of a Depression-era sheep herder, each attempting to explain the impossible existence of this creature.The story takes a dark turn as we document the deaths and disappearances associated with the trestle, including the tragic fate of teenagers who dared to cross the bridge, the mysterious three-day disappearance of university student Jennifer Walsh in 1984, and the recent vanishing of seventeen people in 2024. We analyze the disturbing pattern that emerges from these incidents, particularly the reports of victims being "called" or "invited" by the creature through dreams and visions.Special attention is given to the scientific investigations that have attempted to understand the phenomenon, including Dr. Lawrence Kingston's 1968 expedition that recorded unexplained acoustic anomalies and hormonal markers, and the 2008 University of Kentucky study that discovered pre-Columbian cave paintings depicting the creature beneath the trestle. The narrative also explores the controversial DNA evidence collected from the caves that shows markers from both human and caprine sources, along with genetic sequences that match no known terrestrial life form.The digital age has brought new dimensions to the Pope Lick Monster phenomenon, from the 2018 mass sighting witnessed by over 300 Louisville residents to the final livestream of paranormal investigator Derek Matthews, who jumped from the trestle while fifty thousand viewers watched in horror. We examine how the creature appears to be adapting to modern technology, including reports of it mimicking human voices in phone calls and learning from social media content posted by its victims.Four primary theories are explored to explain the creature's existence. The interdimensional hypothesis suggests the monster is a visitor from a parallel dimension, manifesting at a weak point between worlds. The genetic experiment theory points to classified military documents referencing "Operation Chimera" and escaped specimens from caprine-human hybridization trials in the 1940s.The tulpa theory proposes the creature is a manifestation of collective human fear and belief, while the ancient entity theory, supported by indigenous oral traditions and pre-Columbian artifacts, suggests something far older and more terrifying has dwelt in this area since before recorded history.Recent developments have attracted federal attention, with a joint task force comprising the FBI, CDC, and Department of Defense establishing operations in Louisville in 2024. Leaked documents suggest the government has been monitoring "Biological Anomaly PL-1" since 1953, with multiple failed attempts to capture or eliminate the entity.The escalating situation, including seventeen missing persons in 2024 alone, has raised concerns about what investigators cryptically refer to as "potential multiplication events."The narrative draws from over eighty years of documented encounters, newspaper accounts, police reports, and witness testimonies to construct the most comprehensive examination of the Pope Lick Monster phenomenon ever assembled.From the creature's evolution from local folklore to its current status as an active federal investigation, we trace how a legend has become a terrifying reality for the people of Louisville.This is not merely a collection of ghost stories or urban legends, but a serious examination of one of America's most persistent and disturbing cryptid phenomena. The Pope Lick Railroad Trestle remains an active railway bridge where multiple people have died in recent years, and the area is now under federal investigation.Whether the Pope Lick Monster is an interdimensional being, a genetic experiment gone wrong, a manifestation of collective fear, or something beyond our current understanding, the evidence suggests that the phenomenon is real, it's escalating, and according to those who claim to know, something significant is coming.The narrative serves both as a historical document and a warning. As reports of encounters increase and the creature's behavior becomes more aggressive and purposeful, the question is no longer whether the Pope Lick Monster exists, but rather what it wants and whether we're prepared for whatever it's planning. The caves beneath the trestle echo with prophecies written in multiple languages, all carrying the same chilling message about bringing others in exchange for being spared. The monster that once lurked in local legend has become something far more dangerous, and its story is far from over.Listen to the locals. Heed the warnings. Stay away from the trestle. Some mysteries are better left unsolved, and some bridges should never be crossed.

Welcome to a story that will make you question every creak, every shadow, and every whisper you hear in your own home after dark. Today we present "The Whispering Fields," a deeply personal account of supernatural terror that unfolds not in some distant, fictional realm, but in the familiar setting of a family trying to start fresh in a new home.This is Marcus Hartwell's story, told in his own words as an adult reflecting back on the summer he turned twelve—the summer his family moved to an old farmhouse in rural Tennessee that had been waiting patiently for just the right occupants to arrive.What begins as a typical tale of moving-day chaos and the adjustment period that comes with any old house quickly transforms into something far more sinister and personal.Marcus narrates his experience with the unflinching honesty of someone who has carried these memories for decades, someone who has had years to process what happened to him and his family during those terrifying weeks in 1985. His account reads like a confession, a testimony, and a warning all rolled into one.There are no embellishments here, no dramatic flourishes—just the stark recollection of a boy who found himself at the center of supernatural forces that had been building for over a century. The story takes us deep into the psychology of haunting, exploring how a house can choose its victims and systematically work to claim them.This isn't your typical ghost story filled with jump scares and rattling chains. Instead, it's a slow-burn psychological horror that examines what happens when something ancient and patient sets its sights on a child, and how that child must ultimately choose between surrendering to forces beyond his understanding or sacrificing something precious to save himself and his family.Set against the backdrop of rural Tennessee's rolling fields and forgotten histories, Marcus's account weaves together family dynamics, local folklore, and genuinely unsettling supernatural encounters.The Blackwood property carries secrets that stretch back to the 1800s, involving a reclusive man whose interests in the occult left a permanent mark on the land itself. Marcus discovers that some places hold onto their past with a grip so tight that the boundaries between what was and what is begin to blur.What makes this story particularly chilling is its intimate, first-person perspective. Marcus doesn't just tell us what happened—he makes us feel what it was like to be a twelve-year-old boy slowly realizing that his new home had been waiting specifically for him, that he possessed something rare and valuable that entities from spaces between worlds desperately needed. His voice carries the weight of someone who survived something that could have easily destroyed him, but who paid a price for that survival that he's still processing decades later.This is a story about choices—the ones we make and the ones that are made for us. It's about the price of sensitivity in a world where some things are better left unseen and unheard. It's about family bonds tested by circumstances beyond normal experience, and about the courage it takes to sacrifice a part of yourself for the greater good.Content advisory: This story contains supernatural themes, mild psychological terror, and situations involving a child in supernatural peril. While there is no graphic violence or explicit content, the story does deal with themes of possession and occult practices that some listeners may find disturbing. The horror is atmospheric and psychological rather than graphic, but it builds to genuinely unsettling encounters that may not be suitable for younger listeners or those particularly sensitive to supernatural content.As you listen to Marcus tell his story, you might find yourself checking the corners of your own room, wondering about the history of your own home, or questioning whether that sound you just heard was really just the house settling.That's exactly the kind of lasting unease that makes this tale so effective—it doesn't just entertain, it lingers, making you aware of all the sounds and shadows that surround you in your own daily life.So dim the lights, get comfortable, and prepare to step into Marcus Hartwell's world, where an old farmhouse holds secrets that span generations, where dreams and reality blur together in disturbing ways, and where a twelve-year-old boy must face a choice that will define the rest of his life.

In the summer of 2007, two sixteen-year-old boys from Mountain View, Arkansas set out for what was supposed to be the adventure of a lifetime—three carefree weeks at a remote hunting cabin deep in the Ozark National Forest. Days of fishing, video games, and freedom quickly gave way to something far darker.What began as innocent summer fun spiraled into a nightmare that would shatter their lives forever. The boys came face to face with beings that should not exist—creatures walking upright like men, yet inhuman in every way.Their wolf-like faces were twisted into unnatural smiles, lined with too many teeth, and their piercing, intelligent eyes carried a predatory awareness no animal should ever have.Fifteen years later, one of those boys is finally ready to speak. Haunted by the trauma that led to his best friend Tyler’s tragic death in an alcohol-related accident, the survivor reveals—for the first time—the horrifying truth of what really happened during those four nights in the cabin… and why he stayed silent until now.While we cannot independently verify every detail of his account, the psychological trauma he describes is undeniably consistent with severe PTSD. Whether these creatures existed as reported—or represent a traumatic reinterpretation of a violent wildlife attack—the impact on both young men was catastrophic and real.And it’s worth noting: multiple independent accounts from the Ozark region describe eerily similar encounters. Make of that what you will.

This episode contains one of the most haunting encounter stories we've ever featured on the show. Fair warning: this isn't your typical campfire tale about mysterious footprints or distant howls in the night. This is a confession, carried in silence for thirty-seven years by a man named Frank, about what really happened on a hunting trip in October 1988 that destroyed four lives and left a trail of tragedy that echoes to this day.Frank and his three lifelong friends—Earl, Tommy, and Roy—had been running coons together every Friday night for over twenty years in the ridges above Copper Creek, Tennessee.They knew the local folklore, of course. Everyone did. Stories stretching back to the 1890s about hunting parties vanishing, about doors torn from cabins, about children glimpsing a "hairy man" by the water. The Carver family incident of 1952, where something too tall for the ceiling walked through their home. The two boys who disappeared in 1963, their trail going cold at the same clearing where searchers found bones arranged in patterns. Luther's claim that he'd shot one in 1985, only to watch it run away on two legs despite blood loss that should have killed anything.They knew these stories, laughed at them over beers, and kept hunting those ridges anyway. After all, they'd each had their own strange experiences up there—tracks that didn't make sense, deer cached impossibly high in trees, nests lined with pine branches and dark hair too long for any bear.But talking about those things would make them real, and it was easier to look away.That October night started like hundreds before it. Six dogs eager to run, four men who'd known each other since grade school, and a perfect autumn evening for hunting. For two hours, everything was normal. Then the dogs' voices changed from the musical baying of a chase to something else entirely—confused yelps escalating to screams before cutting off one by one like someone pulling plugs.What followed was an encounter that lasted perhaps ten minutes but destroyed four lives completely. Frank's account describes creatures that stood seven feet tall, covered in dark hair, with faces almost human but not quite. Hands with five fingers and opposable thumbs. Eyes that reflected yellow-green in the flashlight beams. And intelligence—clear, undeniable intelligence in how they moved, how they communicated with clicking sounds, how they herded the men toward a narrow trail where escape would be impossible.When the largest creature blocked their path—an old male with a twisted left leg from some ancient injury—Earl raised his rifle and fired.The bullet struck, blood flowed, but the creature didn't fall. Instead, it crossed twenty feet in two strides and swept Earl off the trail with one arm. The sound of Earl hitting trees on his way down the slope, then silence.In the chaos that followed, Frank and Tommy shot both creatures—the injured male and a female who charged when she saw him fall. But the female, Frank realized too late, had been nursing. Somewhere in those dark woods was an orphaned infant.They buried the bodies deep, concocted a story about Earl slipping in the dark, and carried their friend's broken body out at dawn. The lie held. The funeral was well-attended.Frank gave the eulogy, standing in his only suit and lying about how Earl died doing what he loved.But the real dying had just begun. Tommy crawled into a bottle and never climbed out, dead in a Memphis flophouse two years later at thirty-nine. Roy fell into religious mania, convinced they'd killed angels or demons, eventually disappearing into some compound in Idaho to wait for the end times.And Frank? Frank spent thirty-seven years researching, mapping sightings, understanding too late that what they'd killed weren't monsters but something parallel to us—intelligent beings with their own culture, their own families, their own art. He still keeps a river stone he found clutched in the female's hand, marked with deliberate patterns. A mother carrying something beautiful she'd made, perhaps for the baby she'd never see again.Frank's confession carries the weight of understanding that came too late. These creatures had names he'll never know, burial rituals that were interrupted, others who mourned them. The old male's sad eyes in that final moment before the killing shots—not angry anymore, just resigned to how it would always end between their kind and ours. Frank is seventy-nine now, hands too shaky for a rifle, knees too weak for mountain trails, but still hearing that roar of loss when the male saw his mate fall. Still knowing that somewhere out there, if it survived, is a creature his age who grew up without parents because of what happened that night on Copper Creek.The stories about that area have mostly stopped now. Development has pushed through with gas stations and subdivisions where ancient paths once ran. The young people don't know the history, and the old-timers who remembered are mostly gone. But Frank knows they're still out there in the spaces we haven't reached yet, teaching their young to fear us, to run rather than stand their ground. We won that night, he says, but what did we really win? The right to pretend we're alone? The comfort of not sharing the world with something that shows us what we might have been?This isn't a story that asks for forgiveness or understanding. It's a confession of something unforgivable, a truth that needed telling before it destroyed the last man carrying it. Earl didn't die in a hunting accident. Tommy didn't become a drunk for no reason. Roy didn't lose his mind from nothing.They killed two beings that might have been the last of their kind in those mountains, orphaned a baby, and covered it all up with lies that poisoned everything they touched afterward.Some encounters change you. This one destroyed four men as surely as those bullets destroyed two creatures who had the misfortune of crossing paths with humans on a dark mountain trail. It's a reminder that sometimes the real monsters in the woods carry rifles and flashlights, and the things we fear might have more reason to fear us.If you've had an encounter that's haunted you, whether for years or recently, reach out to Brian at paranormal world productions dot com.Every story adds another piece to the puzzle of what shares our world. Some stories thrill us, some mystify us, and some, like Frank's, remind us that contact between worlds doesn't always end with wonder—sometimes it ends with the kind of regret that follows you to the grave.

Tonight on Backwoods Bigfoot Stories, we venture deep into Alaska with seven chilling encounters that reveal an alarming rise in Sasquatch aggression. These aren't distant wood knocks—they're face-to-face confrontations forcing hunters to tears and driving families from their cabins.We open with Donnie and Becca’s harrowing winter camping trip near their Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta village. An ancient, leathery face circles their tent, sparking a desperate battle between their sled dogs and an unseen predator, ending in an eerie scream amid heavy snow.Bernard’s Copper River Valley tale from the 1960s reveals golden-yellow eyes watching him build his cabin, a mimicry of his tools, and impossible feats of strength suggesting intelligence beyond animal instinct.Kirk's family's moose hunt near the Koyukuk River spirals into terror as something imitates his calls—and horrifyingly, communicates telepathically with his wife, demanding their child.A cast-iron skillet twisted effortlessly emphasizes the frightening power they faced.Julius, near Sutton, introduces a spiritual element when a spontaneous prayer repels a nine-foot-tall Sasquatch, aligning with traditional Native beliefs about these beings.Tommy and Alice’s recent nightmare in the upper Kuskokwim demonstrates frighteningly intelligent teamwork from two creatures who stalked them and crushed kitchen implements, forcing an emergency evacuation with their daughter.Tony's encounter along the Nushagak River highlights relentless pursuit and infrasound-induced sickness, while Derek’s experience at Lynx Lake suggests calculated boundary-testing by multiple creatures.Finally, Randall and Gwen's highway encounters underscore the growing boldness of these beings, resulting in vehicle collisions and prolonged observations of humans.With sightings rapidly increasing and people mysteriously disoriented in familiar terrain, one message resonates loud and clear:Alaska is changing, and the Hairy Man is becoming bolder, smarter, and undeniably dangerous. Listen, heed the warnings, and trust your instincts.

After 25 years of silence, retired forest ranger Carl is finally ready to speak. Not about what he saw—but about what others brought to him. Hikers, fellow rangers, and search-and-rescue volunteers found their way to Carl, each one pale, shaken, and desperate to tell someone who wouldn’t laugh. Someone who knew the woods. Someone who might understand.In this chilling episode, Carl opens his personal archive of six unforgettable encounters—stories he quietly collected throughout his career. From a Vietnam veteran relentlessly pursued in the Oregon Cascades in 1974 to a tech-savvy couple whose 2019 hiking trip turned into a viral but quickly buried video, the accounts span decades but echo the same patterns: intelligence, intent, and something just beyond explanation.A deputy sheriff from Kentucky reports what she can only describe as “herding behavior” during a search for two missing hunters.A Colorado ranger finds strange objects left on the steps of his remote outpost. A woman alone in an Adirondack cabin experiences three nights of deliberate, methodical investigation. And a seasoned SAR volunteer recounts a baffling case of a missing hiker who reappeared days later—confused, unharmed, and with no memory of where she’d been.Carl watched these patterns emerge—year after year, region after region. What started as distant glimpses slowly turned into direct encounters. Fear gave way to curiosity.Whatever is out there, Carl believes it's getting closer. More confident. Less concerned with staying hidden.Told with the quiet authority of a man who spent a lifetime in the wild and learned to trust what the trees don’t say out loud, these accounts will stay with you long after the episode ends.And next time you find yourself deep in the woods, and that feeling creeps up your spine—that sense that you’re not alone—you’ll remember this episode. And you’ll wonder if it remembers you.

In this episode, Bill—a retired forest ranger—shares his full, unedited account of six encounters that changed the course of his 25-year career with the U.S. Forest Service. From 1994 to 2019, Bill worked in wildlife tracking and wilderness patrol, but early on, a senior ranger showed him a footprint and warned him about things they don’t put in reports. That moment marked the beginning of a quiet obsession. He  eventually left the job five years before qualifying for full pension. What drove him out was a long trail of unexplained phenomena—patterns he could no longer ignore, and stories the agency refused to acknowledge. His encounters span decades and locations, from Oregon to the Adirondacks, each one revealing signs of intelligence, curiosity, and restraint from something that doesn’t officially exist.

Tonight we venture into the deep wilderness of Northern California, where a family's simple vacation becomes a nightmare that challenges everything they thought they knew about the world. Tom and Sarah, along with their teenage sons Matt and Jake, were just trying to take a shortcut to their campground when they made a fateful turn onto an unmarked forest road that would change their lives forever.What begins as a minor navigation error quickly escalates into something far more sinister.The GPS fails, cell service vanishes, and most disturbing of all, the road they just traveled down seems to disappear entirely behind them. The forest itself appears to be closing in, trapping them in a place that shouldn't exist on any map. But the family isn't alone in these ancient woods. Something has been watching them since they first entered the treeline, something that moves just beyond the edge of vision and understands the forest in ways no human should. These aren't random wild animals or lost hikers gone feral. These are creatures that have evolved beyond humanity, adapting to survive in the deepest wilderness while never forgetting their hunger for what they once were.This story explores the thin line between civilization and savagery, between the world we think we know and the older, darker world that still exists in the forgotten places. It's about a family pushed to their absolute limits, forced to discover strength they never knew they had when faced with an enemy that defies all rational explanation. Tom finds himself wielding weapons he hoped he'd never need, while Sarah transforms from suburban mother to fierce protector. The boys, Matt and Jake, must grow up fast in an environment where childhood innocence becomes a luxury they can no longer afford. Together, they learn that sometimes survival isn't just about staying alive—it's about holding onto your humanity when everything around you has forgotten what that means.The creatures they encounter represent our deepest fears about what lurks in the spaces between the known world and the void beyond. They're intelligent, patient, and utterly alien in their understanding of human nature.They don't just hunt for food—they collect, they study, they adapt. And they've been doing it far longer than anyone realized.This episode examines themes of family bonds under extreme pressure, the price of knowledge that can never be unknown, and the question of what we're truly capable of when everything we hold dear is threatened. It's a story about ordinary people forced into extraordinary circumstances, and how they emerge forever changed by their encounter with something that should have remained hidden in the deep woods.The resolution brings both closure and wisdom, as we learn that some battles, once won, leave scars that serve as permanent reminders of how fragile our sense of safety really is. The family's ordeal becomes not just a tale of survival, but a transformation that redefines their understanding of strength, courage, and the unbreakable bonds that hold a family together when the world tries to tear them apart.Join us as we follow their journey from a simple wrong turn to a confrontation with ancient horrors, and discover how sometimes the most terrifying detours lead us exactly where we need to be to find out who we really are when everything else is stripped away.

In this  episode, we dive into one of the most harrowing Sasquatch encounters I've ever had the privilege to share. Our witness, David, reached out to me after years of listening to the podcast, drawn by my law enforcement background and approach to witness testimony. What he shared will stay with you long after the episode ends.The summer of 1976 was supposed to be a rite of passage for four thirteen-year-old boys from Troy, North Carolina. David, Tommy, Mark, and Joey had planned their first multi-day camping trip into the remote areas of Uwharrie National Forest, determined to prove they were old enough to handle real wilderness adventure. What started as an innocent camping expedition quickly became a fight for survival against something that shouldn't exist.David's account stands out for several reasons. First, the creature they encountered bore a distinctive injury - a severely damaged left arm that appeared to have healed incorrectly, creating a unique identifying characteristic that sets this sighting apart from others. This disability seemed to drive the creature's behavior, making it more desperate and willing to view the boys as potential prey rather than simply observing them from a distance.The intelligence displayed by these creatures is perhaps the most chilling aspect of David's story.What began as distant vocalizations quickly escalated into a coordinated siege that lasted an entire night. The boys found themselves under assault from multiple creatures using tools and tactics that demonstrated sophisticated planning and problem-solving abilities. Rocks became weapons, burning branches were turned against their own fire, and the attacks were timed to maximize psychological pressure.Mark's quick thinking with his grandfather's twenty-two rifle may have saved their lives, though the bullets that found their target only wounded and enraged the creature rather than stopping it. The boys spent a terrifying night feeding their fire and fighting off attacks from intelligent predators who understood that darkness and exhaustion would eventually work in their favor.David's narrative captures not just the terror of that encounter, but the profound way it shaped four young lives. Each boy processed the experience differently as they grew into adulthood. Tommy became obsessed with returning to find proof, a drive that may have contributed to his eventual military career and tragic death.Mark channeled his experience into scientific study, while Joey dedicated his life to protecting the very forests where they'd encountered the unknown. David himself found stability in numbers and logic, building a normal life while carrying the weight of extraordinary knowledge.What makes this account particularly compelling is David's measured, thoughtful approach to sharing his story. Nearly fifty years later, he can analyze the encounter with the wisdom of age while still conveying the raw terror of that night. His details about the creatures' tactical behavior, their apparent social structure, and their sophisticated understanding of human psychology paint a picture of beings far more complex and dangerous than the typical forest giant narrative.The Uwharrie Mountains have a long history of unexplained encounters, and David's story fits into a larger pattern of sightings in North Carolina's ancient hills. His correspondence with other witnesses and his ongoing relationship with Joey, who spent his career in forest management, provides ongoing context for understanding these creatures as part of a hidden ecosystem that most humans never glimpse.This episode also touches on the broader implications of such encounters.David discusses the government interest in the area over the years, the careful documentation of unexplained incidents by forest service personnel, and the consistent patterns that emerge when you look at these sightings objectively. His law enforcement appreciation for evidence and witness credibility adds weight to testimony that might otherwise be dismissed.Perhaps most importantly, David's story serves as a reminder that our understanding of the natural world remains incomplete. These aren't just campfire tales or folklore, but encounters with intelligent beings that have perfected the art of remaining hidden while maintaining complex social structures and sophisticated survival strategies.The episode concludes with David's reflections on how the encounter shaped his worldview, his parenting, and his approach to life's mysteries. His message isn't one of fear, but of respect for the unknown and the importance of approaching the wilderness with proper preparation and awareness.This is essential listening for anyone interested in serious cryptozoology research, unexplained encounters, or the ongoing mystery of what might still be hiding in America's deepest forests. David's story reminds us that sometimes the most extraordinary experiences happen to the most ordinary people, and that truth can indeed be stranger than fiction.

In this chilling episode, we share an anonymous account from Mike, a veteran search and rescue team leader with seventeen years of experience in the Colorado Rockies. What started as a routine missing hiker call three years ago became one of the most extraordinary and terrifying encounters ever documented by a SAR team. When twenty-eight-year-old Amy disappeared while attempting a solo hike in the treacherous Devil's Backbone area, Mike's team deployed their newly acquired drone to scan the deep ravines where traditional search methods would be too dangerous. The thermal imaging quickly located Amy on a narrow ledge two hundred feet down in the canyon, alive but trapped and clearly terrified.What the drone captured next defied all explanation. A massive, bipedal creature emerged from the shadows of the ravine, standing over seven feet tall with dark fur and unmistakably intelligent eyes. Rather than threatening Amy, the creature began making complex vocalizations that seemed designed to communicate with her. The team watched in stunned silence as this unknown being positioned itself protectively between Amy and some unseen threat deeper in the canyon.Mike's account details how the creature ultimately guided Amy to safety through treacherous terrain that would have challenged even experienced rock climbers, leading her along ancient routes through the ravine system that weren't marked on any map. When Amy was finally rescued, she described how the creature had been protecting her from other predatory sounds in the darkness and had used gentle vocalizations to calm her fears throughout the night.This encounter was just the beginning of Mike's journey into a hidden world that exists parallel to our own. As he reached out to other SAR teams across the country, a disturbing pattern emerged. Teams from Montana to California to Washington state had similar footage and encounters, all carefully covered up to protect professional credibility. Missing persons cases began clustering around areas where these creatures had been sighted, suggesting something far more complex than isolated incidents.Mike's investigation revealed what appears to be an entire ecosystem of intelligent cryptid species living in North American wilderness areas. Government documents allegedly classify these beings into three distinct categories: the Guardians who help lost humans, the Stalkers who view humans as prey, and the mysterious Watchers who seem to manage the delicate balance between the other two species.The account becomes increasingly urgent as Mike describes how this ancient balance is beginning to collapse.Climate change and human encroachment are forcing these creatures into smaller territories, making the predatory species more aggressive while driving the helpful ones deeper into hiding. The government's response has reportedly been to increase cover-up efforts rather than address the underlying crisis. Through drone footage, thermal imaging, and firsthand testimonies from experienced wilderness professionals, this episode presents compelling evidence that we share our wild spaces with intelligences that have been watching us, studying us, and in many cases protecting us for centuries. Mike's network has now documented over one hundred Guardian encounters that resulted in human lives being saved, while identifying dozens of disappearances that may be attributed to the more dangerous species.The implications extend far beyond individual encounters. If Mike's account is accurate, wilderness management policies may need fundamental revision to acknowledge relationships with species that possess intelligence, territorial behaviors, and the ability to either help or harm human visitors to their domains. The episode raises profound questions about what we truly know about the creatures that inhabit our most remote wilderness areas and whether the general public has a right to understand the risks and protections that may exist in these hidden ecosystems.Mike concludes his account with practical advice for wilderness travelers while calling for greater transparency from government agencies and wilderness management organizations.His message is clear: the truth is literally living in the shadows between the trees, and the time has come to acknowledge what SAR professionals have been quietly documenting for years. This episode contains authentic drone footage descriptions, thermal imaging analysis, and detailed documentation from multiple search and rescue operations across twelve states. Listener discretion is advised for those planning wilderness travel, as this account may fundamentally change how you view your next backcountry adventure.

In this episode of Backwoods Bigfoot Stories, we take a detour from the deep woods and follow a trail of glowing red eyes straight into the heart of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Between 1966 and 1967, something strange haunted the skies and backroads of this small town—something that defied logic and terrified everyone who laid eyes on it.They called it the Mothman.Described as a towering figure with massive wings and burning red eyes, this creature was more than just a strange sighting. For some, it was a warning. For others, it was a curse. And when the Silver Bridge collapsed in December of 1967, killing 46 people, many believed the Mothman had foretold the disaster—or even caused it.In this episode, we explore the origins of the Mothman legend, revisit the chilling eyewitness encounters that made headlines, and look at how fear, folklore, and tragedy fused into one of America’s most iconic cryptid mysteries. We also unpack the theories—ranging from secret government experiments to interdimensional visitors—and talk about how a small Appalachian town turned its nightmare into a lasting legend.Whether you think the Mothman is a paranormal prophet, a misunderstood creature, or just a case of mass hysteria, one thing’s for sure—once you hear the stories, you’ll never look at a dark country road the same way again.

In the early 1980s, a Florida family of four set out on a camping trip to the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area—and never returned. According to legend, they were attacked by a large, wolf-like creature. The father was found dead outside the RV, the mother mutilated nearby, one child torn apart inside the camper, and the other discovered high in a tree. No official reports confirm this event, but the story has taken root as one of the most unsettling pieces of American cryptid folklore.This episode explores one version of that story—possibly the most detailed account, but far from the only one. We retrace the history of Land Between the Lakes, starting with the forced removal of hundreds of families to make way for the recreation area.From there, we move into the eerie details of the alleged attack and the claims of a government cover-up that followed. Along the way, we examine decades of strange encounters, unexplained evidence, and witness accounts that continue to stir fear and fascination.The creature at the heart of the legend—often called the Beast of LBL, the Dogman, or simply the Monster—is described as a seven-foot-tall, muscular but lean figure with glowing red eyes and long claws. Stories about it stretch back over 200 years, with roots in Native American oral history. In this version, we look closely at the alleged victims: a family from Florida, including two children named Bradley and Megan, and the law enforcement officers who reportedly found the aftermath of something horrific.Some accounts mention that the case was reviewed by pathologists and examiners, but their findings were never officially released and were quickly classified. Reports speak of wounds that didn’t match any known animal, evidence that vanished into federal custody, and a rapid response that many believe suggests someone was expecting something exactly like this to happen.Even today, strange things are still reported in the northern parts of Land Between the Lakes: massive footprints, tufts of unidentified hair, signs of animal panic, and stories of electronic equipment suddenly failing.Those who spend time deep in the woods speak of an overwhelming sense of being watched—and sometimes, of seeing something that shouldn’t exist.Despite all of this, the U.S. Forest Service maintains that there is no verified evidence of any such creature. Official statements deny any knowledge, and the story is written off as urban legend.We don’t claim to offer proof. This episode is an exploration of a persistent and terrifying piece of American folklore. It's a story built on whispers, sightings, and the fear of what might be waiting just beyond the campfire’s glow.Whether it's myth, misremembered tragedy, or something far stranger, the tale of the Beast of Land Between the Lakes endures.This episode contains graphic descriptions of alleged violence, including harm to children. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

On September 12, 1952, a group of children in Braxton County, West Virginia, witnessed something that would shatter the quiet of their mountain town—a 10-foot-tall creature with glowing red eyes and a helmet-shaped head. What followed wasn’t folklore. It was one of the most thoroughly documented and chilling cryptid encounters in American history.In this episode, we unravel the full story of the Flatwoods Monster: a case supported not only by eyewitnesses, but by physical evidence, medical records, and official investigations. From the initial sighting of a fiery object streaking across the sky to two close encounters that left witnesses physically ill and investigators baffled, this wasn’t a hoax—it was a mystery that refused to fade. You’ll hear how a terrified group, led by a National Guardsman, came face-to-face with something that emitted toxic mist and moved in unnatural ways. We examine the physical traces left behind—radiation hotspots, metallic fragments, scorched vegetation—and the disturbing medical symptoms that followed. Despite explanations ranging from mass hysteria to barn owls, none have accounted for all the evidence.The Flatwoods case drew national media, Project Blue Book, and decades of scientific analysis. Modern experts have verified the trauma of the witnesses and found clues suggesting advanced technology far beyond what was available in the 1950s. To this day, the encounter remains unsolved—but not forgotten. Flatwoods now honors the event with a museum and festival, keeping alive the story of the night something not of this world may have crashed in the hills of West Virginia.

What begins as a quiet weekend camping trip for two off-duty Air Force servicemen spirals into one of the most disturbing and credible alien abduction accounts in modern history.In this episode, we explore the chilling true story of Terry Lovelace—an attorney, veteran, and former Assistant Attorney General—who has spent decades coming to terms with what happened to him in the summer of 1977 at Devil’s Den State Park.Terry and his friend had set up camp in a remote clearing, expecting nothing more than a peaceful night under the stars. But as darkness fell, the forest around them grew eerily silent—unnaturally so. Without warning, an enormous, black, triangular craft appeared overhead, hovering soundlessly above their campsite.That’s when time itself seemed to fracture. The next thing they knew, hours had passed, and they were back in their tent—terrified, confused, and unable to explain what had happened. Years later, under hypnosis, Terry would recall the horrifying details of that missing time: the pale, expressionless entities, the cold examination tables, and the overwhelming sense of powerlessness. Disturbingly, a routine medical X-ray would later reveal a mysterious implant in his leg—an object that doctors couldn’t explain, and which seemed to emit radio frequencies when scanned.This isn’t just a story of an abduction—it’s a story of trauma, buried memory, and the terrifying possibility that we are not only being watched… but taken. And if Terry Lovelace’s experience is to be believed, they may not have been the first… or the last.Whether you’re a staunch skeptic, a believer in the unexplained, or just someone fascinated by the dark fringes of reality, this is one story that will rattle your sense of what’s possible.🚨 Content Warning: This episode contains descriptions of abduction, physical trauma, and psychological distress. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

A Vietnam War helicopter mechanic named Frank vanishes in 2024. Left behind: a handwritten account spanning 50 years. It starts with “foo fighters”—strange lights pacing U.S. aircraft in Vietnam—and ends in the Oregon wilderness, where similar lights appear at a remote fishing spot called Devil’s Elbow. Frank returns decades later with a drone enthusiast named Chris. They pick up disturbing electromagnetic readings. Then Chris disappears too. Frank’s technical eye and military background give weight to his account—he wasn’t imagining things. The question is: what’s watching us, and why?Story 2: The Hitchhiker Beyond the Truck StopAlong I-40, truckers keep seeing the same thing: hitchhikers who vanish without a trace. They look real, talk normal, give directions—and then disappear, often right outside a truck stop or gas station. The pattern spans states and decades. The most haunted stretch? Between New Mexico and Tennessee.Some think these phantoms are tied to sites of past trauma—accidents, lost towns, graveyards buried under asphalt. Others think something older is using the roads—and us—for something we don’t yet understand.

In this episode, we explore one of the most disturbing and unforgettable stories ever told on Coast to Coast AM. A man calling himself “Bugs” phoned in with a confession that sounded more like a campfire ghost story—except he claimed it really happened.Back in the early 1970s, Bugs and a fellow hunter were out spotlighting illegally in the dense woods of Texas when they spotted what they first thought were bears.But as the figures stepped into the light, it became clear they were looking at something else entirely: two tall, broad-shouldered creatures walking upright, covered in hair, with faces that looked eerily human. Without hesitation, the men opened fire.According to Bugs, they dragged the bodies away and buried them in a shallow grave—then vowed never to speak of it again. But decades later, the memory was still eating at him.He called in not for fame, but out of guilt, fear, and the need to unload a secret he’d carried for most of his life.We revisit the full account: the setting, the killing, the horrifying realization that these might not have been animals at all—and the eerie calm in Bugs’ voice as he recounts it. Along the way, we’ll look at how this story fits into the broader world of Bigfoot lore, the culture of poaching in that era, and the strange intersection of trauma and the paranormal.It’s a tale that raises uncomfortable questions about what we believe, what we suppress, and how far people go to bury the truth.If you’ve ever wondered what it would really feel like to kill a legend, this is the story that makes you think twice.

For years, mainstream researchers insisted Sasquatch existed—if at all—only in the Pacific Northwest. But the witnesses in this episode know better. From Georgia’s Blue Ridge to the Florida swamps, these firsthand encounters, spanning over fifty years, reveal a hidden population thriving in the American South.Tonight, you’ll hear stories of a hunter who faced down an eight-foot creature shaking his tree stand, a ginseng picker who stumbled into a remote valley where intelligent beings debated his fate, and a solo hiker systematically stalked through the Appalachian wilderness.You’ll also hear the chilling account of a veteran Florida sheriff’s deputy who, after years of dealing with gators and fugitives, came face-to-face with a massive creature emerging from the cypress swamp, making it clear who really owned the land.Then, a Kentucky poacher finds himself hunted by towering predators, and an Alabama homesteader forms an unlikely, year-long bond with something not entirely human. These aren’t blurry-photo stories or secondhand rumors.These are raw, detailed accounts from people who came far too close to something impossible.Join Mireya's Explorer Society Get Our FREE NewsletterGet Brian's Books Leave Us A VoicemailVisit Our WebsiteSupport Our SponsorsVisit Untold Radio AM

These aren't your typical Bigfoot stories.No grainy photos. No stomping footprints. No overpowering stench.These five encounters go deeper—into something far more unsettling: the intelligence behind the presence.Jake was driving home from the paper mill when his headlights caught a figure by the roadside. It didn’t flinch. Didn’t even look his way. It stood there, still and distant, like it belonged—and Jake didn’t.At a remote campsite, Sarah and her friends joked and laughed until something in the woods began echoing them with eerie precision.Each response came with a ten-second delay, as if it were learning—processing—before answering back.Dorothy had been feeding birds outside her kitchen for years. Then one night, something much larger than a raccoon started emptying her feeders. The moment she locked eyes with it through the window, she knew: it wasn’t just scavenging. It was curious. Watching. Thinking.Dave had hunted the same woods for decades. He knew the terrain like his own backyard—until he realized something was retracing his exact path, studying his scent trails and tree marks like it was collecting clues.And then there's Maria. Her midnight guest didn’t roar or threaten. It organized the tools on her porch, arranging them with a care that felt deliberate, almost helpful. It was as if it wanted to communicate—on its own terms.These aren't stories of fear—they're stories of awareness.Moments where people realized they weren't alone.Moments where the watcher became the watched.Get Our FREE NewsletterGet Brian's Books Leave Us A VoicemailVisit Our WebsiteSupport Our SponsorsVisit Untold Radio AM

What if the monsters from your worst nightmares were real? What if there was an entire hidden war being fought in America's wilderness areas that the government will never acknowledge? Tonight's episode features an extraordinary firsthand account from someone calling himself  "Marcus" - a soldier who claims to be part of an elite military unit that doesn't officially exist. According to Marcus, his team handles the situations that are too dangerous, too weird, or too embarrassing for regular military and law enforcement to touch.In this chilling email confession sent exclusively to our show, Marcus details his unit's encounters with creatures that challenge everything we think we know about what's really out there. From massive, intelligent Sasquatch that hunt humans like prey, to crashed UFOs containing beings conducting horrific experiments on abducted Americans, to savage feral human communities that have abandoned all traces of civilization.Marcus describes battles with cryptid creatures in underground cave systems, government cover-ups of alien technology recovery operations, and organized groups of feral people who view other humans as nothing more than food sources. According to his account, these aren't isolated incidents - they're part of an ongoing shadow conflict that most Americans have no idea is happening in the forests and wilderness areas around them.Whether you believe Marcus's claims or not, his detailed descriptions of tactical operations, government protocols, and creature encounters paint a disturbing picture of a hidden world existing alongside our own. His military background comes through in every line, from his operational terminology to his matter-of-fact descriptions of extreme violence.WARNING: This episode contains extremely graphic descriptions of violence, death, cannibalism, and torture that may be disturbing to some listeners. The content includes detailed accounts of human and animal mutilation, psychological trauma, and systematic predation that some may find deeply unsettling.This episode is not suitable for younger audiences or those sensitive to graphic violence and horror themes.Listener discretion is strongly advised.