National Park After Dark

In July of 1897, three men were carried into the sky inside a hydrogen balloon with the goal of being the first to reach the North Pole. The fate of their ambitious expedition remained a mystery for decades until the 1930’s, when a chance discovery unveiled the location of their final camp. But that revelation only gave rise to more puzzling questions  we are still trying to answer today. For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at: Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark Twitter/X: @npadpodcast TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page! For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes Sources:  History, The New Yorker, Balloon Museum, Aurora Expeditions, National Geographic, Smithsonian Scary Interesting , A Nordic Heart Book – The Expedition: Solving a Polar Tragedy by Bea Uusma Thank you to the week’s partners! Boll and Branch: Use our link to get 15% off, plus free shipping on your first set of sheets. Soul:  For 30% off your order, head to GetSoul.com and use code NPAD. IQBAR: Text PARK to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products and free shipping. Naked Wines: To get 6 bottles of wine for $39.99, head to NakedWines.com/NPAD and use code NPAD for both the code AND PASSWORD.

Today’s stories include slapping the bag, a mother’s intuition, geocaching gone wrong, being saved by spirits, synchronicities and sibling pranks. Outsiders Only bonus stories available for Patreon and Apple Subscribers! For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at: Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark Twitter/X: @npadpodcast TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page! Thank you to the week’s partners! Graza: Take your food to the next level with Graza Olive Oil. Visit https://graza.co/NPAD and use promo code NPAD today for 10% off your first order. Ollie: Use NPAD to get 60% off your first box of meals when you subscribe today. iRestore: For a limited time only, our listeners get $625 off their iRestore Elite when you use code NPAD at iRestorelaser.com The Box of Oddities: Listen now wherever you get your podcasts!

In todays episode, we had the incredible opportunity to speak with Cecilie Skog. Cecilie has cemented her place in the world of extreme adventure sports as being the first person in the world to have skied across both the North and the South Poles and to have climbed all of The Seven Summits. She also completed the first unassisted and unsupported trek across the continent of Antarctica and has made several treks across Greenland. Cecilie was also among the 31 climbers who were on K2 on its deadliest day in August 2008. She survived one of the worst tragedies in Himalayan history, witnessed her husband lose his life on the mountain - and has persevered. This isn’t a conversation to miss. Listen to Extreme: Peak Danger HERE For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at: Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark Twitter/X: @npadpodcast TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page! Thank you to the week’s partners! BetterHelp: National Park After Dark is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off. Lume Deodorant: Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @lumedeodorant and get 15% off with promo code NPAD at LumeDeodorant.com! #lumepod Quince: Use our link to get free shipping and 365-day returns.

On Valentine’s Day 4,400 Public Land workers were abruptly and illegally terminated from their positions and since then, news of executive orders threatening to exploit our public lands for their natural resources have been flooding headlines. To better understand the gravity of this situation and to hear straight from those most directly effected we are joined by Yosemite and Devils Postpile Ranger Alex Wild, Liz Crandall a field ranger in Deschutes National Forest, and Morgan Smith a Biological Science Technician for the US Forest Service. All three were recently terminated from their jobs due to the recent federal budget cuts. They share their love of the outdoors, explain the importance of their jobs, and speak to the dangerous repercussions our public lands will experience as a result of these terminations and extreme staffing shortages. How you can help! SAVE OUR PARKS MERCH! - 100% of our proceeds will be donated to and evenly allocated between The National Park Foundation and The National Forest Foundation. Sign petitions and write to your reps! Tell Congress to Protect National Park Service Staff Tell Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to protect national monuments from oil, gas, and mining Tell Congress national parks are worth fighting for Tell Congress to fund historic and cultural sites nationwide Tell Congress to protect wildlife in national parks Whitehouse resources: Unleashing American Energy Unleashing Alaska’s Resource Potential Immediate Expansion of Logging Timber (including BLM land, National Forests, and National Parks) For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at: Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark Twitter/X: @npadpodcast TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page! Thank you to the week’s partners! IQBAR: Text PARK to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products and free shipping. AG1: AG1 is offering new subscribers a FREE $76 gift when you sign up. You’ll get a Welcome Kit, a bottle of D3K2 AND 5 free travel packs in your first box. So make sure to check out DrinkAG1.com/npad. For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes 

Today’s stories include dumpster lemons, haunted marathons, national park first dates, night hippos, hero dads and being saved by science. Outsiders Only bonus stories available for Patreon and Apple Subscribers! For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at: Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark Twitter/X: @npadpodcast TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page! Thank you to the week’s partners! SelectQuote: Use our link to get the right life insurance for YOU, for LESS. 

Crime House True Crime Stories is the ultimate destination for true crime fans. Every episode features two notorious cases from that week in crime history, tied by a common theme like infamous serial killers, mysterious disappearances, tragic murders, and more. Every Monday, uncover the full stories behind the headlines as host Vanessa Richardson takes you through high-profile investigations like the murder of Gabby Petito, the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart, and the mass suicide of the Heaven's Gate cult. Follow Crime House True Crime Stories — a Crime House Original — wherever you listen to podcasts. 

On April 10, 1815 the most powerful volcanic eruption in human history was recorded on an island in Indonesia. The ash cloud that formed with its explosion was as large and the entire country of the United States and hovered close to 12 miles above the earth, reaching the stratosphere. The results were catastrophic. It resulted in major climate changes, where in most of the world, summer never came. Wildlife and humans alike were left without sources of food while the landscapes changed around them. Roughly 100,000 people died in the immediately aftermath, but the death toll is estimated to be closer to 1 million around the globe. The time following the eruption has now been remembered in history as, The Year Without a Summer. Come see us in Joshua Tree! Buy tickets here. For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at: Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark Twitter/X: @npadpodcast TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page! Thank you to the week’s partners! Blueland:  Use our link to get 15% off your first order. Boll and Branch: Use our link to get 15% off, plus free shipping on your first set of sheets. Naked Wines: To get 6 bottles of wine for $39.99, head to NakedWines.com/NPAD and use code NPAD for both the code AND PASSWORD. Smalls: For 50% off your first order, head to Smalls.com and use code NPAD. For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes Sources: 1816 - The Year Without Summer (U.S. National Park Service) Taman Nasional Gunung Tambora https://www.history.com/news/the-deadliest-volcanic-eruption-in-history# https://www.history.com/news/the-deadliest-volcanic-eruption-in-history# Mount Tambora and the Year Without a Summer | Center for Science Education . Book:Tambora: The Eruption that Changed the World. by Gillen D’Arcy Wood

On July 17th, 1944 the worst home front disaster of WWII unfolded in an instant when a munitions base exploded with the force of 5,000 lbs of TNT just outside of San Fransisco. The catastrophic incident killed 320 people instantly and injured hundreds more. The event resulted in the largest mutiny trial in US Naval History and raised awareness of racial injustice and unsafe working conditions during the war and became a critical event in the Civil Rights Movement. For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at: Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark Twitter/X: @npadpodcast TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page! Thank you to the week’s partners! BetterHelp: National Park After Dark is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off. Prose: Use our link for a free in-depth hair consultation and 50% off your first subscription order. Rocket Money: Use our link to get started saving. IQBAR: Text PARK to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products and free shipping. For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes  Sources:  NPS, The National WWII Museum, CBS, US Naval Institute, NPS (2), Naval History and Heritage Command, NPS – Golden Gate Cemetery , CBS News, Legal Defense Fund

Today’s stories include check ins from the other side, underwater close calls, man ghosts, cases of mistaken identity, cursed Airbnb’s and bodies in the woods. Outsiders Only bonus stories available for Patreon and Apple Subscribers! For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at: Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark Twitter/X: @npadpodcast TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page! Thank you to the week’s partners! iRestore: For a limited time only, our listeners get $625 off their iRestore Elite when you use code NPAD at iRestorelaser.com Factor: Use our link and code npad50off to get 50% off your first box plus free shipping. Graza: Take your food to the next level with Graza Olive Oil. Visit https://graza.co/NPAD and use promo code NPAD today for 10% off your first order. Astonishing Legends: Astonishing Legends is available wherever you like to listen to podcasts. For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes

The area that is now Biscayne National Park was once considered a wasteland and worthless - but the Jones family, newly freed from slavery, saw the value it had. They purchased three islands there and created both a home and a lucrative business. When business tycoons finally realized the locations monetary worth, they fought hard to gain control of the land to develop high rises and oil refineries. Sir Lancelot Jones wasn’t willing to give up his land, and today remains a large part of why Biscayne National Park exists. Come see us live in Joshua Tree National Park! Grab tickets here ! For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at: Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark Twitter/X: @npadpodcast TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page! Thank you to the week’s partners! Ollie: Use NPAD to get 60% off your first box of meals when you subscribe today. Quince: Use our link to get free shipping and 365-day returns. Lume Deodorant: Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @lumedeodorant and get 15% off with promo code NPAD at LumeDeodorant.com! #lumepod Zocdoc: Use our link to download the Zocdoc app for free. For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes

Jake Haendel has been handed a death sentence. He has a terminal progressive disease that's eating away at the white matter of his brain. In six months, he'll be dead.  As the months progress, Jake slips into a coma, laying there in total darkness. But something odd has happened... Jake is fully conscious.  Nobody knows that he can hear them. They’re certain he's no longer in there. With the promise that Jake will never recover, friends and family visit less and less. Until there is just one person left. A person who begins to whisper strange admissions in his ear. It is here, helpless in his hospital bed, that Jake realizes what may have gotten him here in the first place. The scariest thing in the room is no longer the potential of dying, but rather, the person sitting right next to him. This is Blink, the untold true story and survival of Jake Haendel.  Listen to Blink: https://podcasts.apple.com/no/podcast/blink-jake-haendels-story/id1779813806

In April of 2010, a young woman from Colorado was living her dream in Asia. At the tail end of her five month solo journey to the continent, Aubrey Sacco elected to embark on a week long trek within Langtang National Park, a place known for its welcoming teahouses, ancient monasteries and incredible scenery.  When she vanished, the longest running search for a missing trekker in Nepal’s history began. Listen to Blink ! For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at: Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark Twitter/X: @npadpodcast TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page! Thank you to the week’s partners! IQBAR: Text PARK to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products and free shipping. AG1: AG1 is offering new subscribers a FREE $76 gift when you sign up. You’ll get a Welcome Kit, a bottle of D3K2 AND 5 free travel packs in your first box. So make sure to check out DrinkAG1.com/npad. Naturesage: Use our link and code NPAD for 40% off your order. Hello Fresh: Use our link to get up to 10 FREE meals and a free high protein item for life. For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes 

Today’s stories include ghostly gossip, nature soup, weird places, cursed stories, hellos and goodbyes from beyond and proof that fed bears are dead bears. Outsiders Only bonus stories available for Patreon and Apple Subscribers! For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at: Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark Twitter/X: @npadpodcast TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page! Thank you to the week’s partners! SelectQuote: Use our link to get the right life insurance for YOU, for LESS.  iRestore: For a limited time only, our listeners get $625 off their iRestore Elite when you use code NPAD at Minds of Madness: Listen to Minds of Madness wherever you listen to your favorite shows. For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes

It’s our birthday (or, anniversary)! Four years ago this week we released out very first episode with zero clue what we were doing. Since then we have covered over 200 stories, gained thousands of friends and made a lot of memories. Today’s episode is a look back to some (hilarious, cringy, sad and happy) moments on our journey here as well as some updates on cases we have covered along the way. Thank you to everyone who has made NPAD so special, we love you - cheers to us all! Come see us in Joshua Tree! Buy tickets here. Justice for Anton For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at: Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark Twitter/X: @npadpodcast TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page! Thank you to the week’s partners! Soul:  For 30% off your order, head to GetSoul.com and use code NPAD. Blueland:  Use our link to get 15% off your first order. Rocket Money: Use our link to get started saving. Smalls: For 50% off your first order, head to Smalls.com and use code NPAD. For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes

When Jordan and Cody met each other they quickly fell in love and tied the knot. But when Cody disappeared only eight days after their wedding, people began to suspect his new wife may have had something to do with it. For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at: Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark Twitter/X: @npadpodcast TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page! Thank you to the week’s partners! Prose: Use our link for a free in-depth hair consultation and 50% off your first subscription order. BetterHelp: National Park After Dark is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off. IQBAR: Text PARK to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products and free shipping. Sierra Club: Book your 2025 trip today at sierraclub.org/outings, and use code NPAD to get $100 off. For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes 

Today’s stories include acts of love, stiff pants, angry neighbors camp ghosts, Gila monsters and cougars in Maine. Outsiders Only bonus stories available for Patreon and Apple Subscribers! For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at: Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark Twitter/X: @npadpodcast TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page! Thank you to the week’s partners! Acorns: Use our link download the Acorns app to start saving and investing for your future today! Zocdoc: Use our link to download the Zocdoc app for free. Graza: Use code NPAD to get 10% off your Graza Starter Kit. Crime Weekly Podcast:  Listen to Crime Weekly every Friday wherever you get your podcasts. For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes

The Birthplace of Jazz, NOLA, The Big Easy - no matter how you know it, New Orleans is world renowned. While we visit today to toss beads and eat beignets, these streets - and swamps - were once home to one of the most mysterious pirates in history, Jean Lafitte. His smuggling operations throughout the South earned him quite the reputation in life, but the legends of his buried treasure solidified his story for generations after his death. To support the community of New Orleans in the wake of the New Year’s Day Tragedy, please visit United for New Orleans Relief Fund For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at: Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark Twitter/X: @npadpodcast TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page! Thank you to the week’s partners! Quince: Use our link to get free shipping and 365-day returns. Ollie: Use NPAD to get 60% off your first box of meals when you subscribe today. Boll and Branch: Use our link to get 15% off, plus free shipping on your first set of sheets Lume Deodorant: Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @lumedeodorant and get 15% off with promo code NPAD at LumeDeodorant.com! #lumepod For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes

Margarett McFaddin Harritt and Joel Polson sparked an unlikely friendship that lead them to plan a thru hike on the AT in 1974. On just their second night they met a strange man at the Low Gap shelter, who unbeknownst to them, was a criminal on the run from police. Their encounter left one of them dead and the other in a fight for survival. For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at: Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark Twitter/X: @npadpodcast TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page! Thank you to the week’s partners! AG1: Try AG1 and get a FREE bottle of Vitamin D3K2 AND 5 free AG1 Travel Packs with your first purchase at drinkAG1.com/NPAD. IQBAR: Text PARK to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products and free shipping. Sierra Club: Book your 2025 trip today at sierraclub.org/outings, and use code NPAD to get $100 off. BetterHelp: National Park After Dark is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off. For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes 

Director Andrew Kightlinger joins NPAD to give us all a glimpse into the making of the much anticipated film - Lost on a Mountain in Maine. From his upbringing in Madagascar to his working interview on Katahdin, Andrew shares how he became involved with Donn Fendler’s story and how proud he was to bring one of Maine’s legacies to the big screen. For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at: Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark Twitter/X: @npadpodcast TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page! Thank you to the week’s partners! The NoSleep Podcast: Visit TheNoSleepPodcast.com to learn more about the show and find hundreds of hours of archived episodes. For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes

Today we are joined by Leitah Mkhabela of the Black Mambas - the world's first officially formed, registered and recognized all-women anti-poaching unit that operates within Greater Kruger National Park. She highlights the importance of educating and inspiring the next generation to care for our wild world and how her life is a reflection of one of her greatest teachers - her cousin Anton Mzimba. Justice for Anton - sign the petition, donate to the cause and learn more about the movement to bring Anton’s killers to justice HERE Learn more about the Black Mambas HERE and support the Bush Babies HERE For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at: Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark Twitter/X: @npadpodcast TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page! Thank you to the week’s partners! Liquid IV: Use code NPAD at checkout to get 20% off you first order. Sierra Club: Book your 2025 trip today at sierraclub.org/outings, and use code NPAD to get $100 off.