In 2019, a couple living near one of America’s newest national parks started noticing odd things on their property that defied rational explanation. Over several years, they came to believe the impossible: that there are more things in the woods than we’ve been told. By obtaining what they believe is photographic evidence, this couple joined thousands of others with similar experiences in America’s national parks. Today, we explore three of these stories, each more disturbing than the last. You won’t want to miss this.
Key Takeaways
- America’s national parks are not just havens for natural beauty but also hotspots for strange and unexplained occurrences.
- Encounters with mysterious creatures, including Bigfoot, have been reported by numerous individuals.
- These stories often involve eerie silences, unexplained noises, and sightings of large, hairy creatures.
The Humphrey’s Encounter at New River Gorge National Park
Since the creation of the first national park in 1872, the United States has consistently preserved more wilderness each year. While this is great for conserving natural beauty, many people have noticed something else: these spaces seem to be hotspots for strange occurrences that some describe as supernatural.
One of the most recent additions to the park service is New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, located in the Appalachian region of Southern West Virginia. This park encompasses nearly 300 square miles of dense forests, mountains, and waterways, including some of the best whitewater rafting in America. The area has officially been a national park since late 2020, but shortly before its creation, local residents started experiencing things they couldn’t explain.
Billy and Sheena Humphrey live in Fayette County, near the town of Denise, just a stone’s throw away from New River Gorge National Park. In October 2019, Billy, a veteran US Marine, coal miner, and avid hunter, noticed odd activity near the hunting blind on his property. He often put out bait to attract wildlife, but this fall, the bait vanished almost instantly. Billy said, “Everything was gone within hours, all of it.” It was something he had never experienced before.
To catch the thief red-handed, Billy set up a light 9 feet off the ground, pointed at the bait, and settled in his hunting blind. On the second night, something approached the bait—something he had never believed in before. Billy noticed the woods were eerily calm that night. From the safety of his blind, he texted Sheena, “Something is eerie up here; there ain’t nothing moving.” Moments later, the silence was broken by the sound of something carefully picking its way through the leaves.
Billy heard whatever it was move through the forest behind him until it was right behind the blind. He never dared to look in its direction. He texted Sheena again, “There’s something heavy moving behind the blind.” Moments later, the figure passed in front of the blind. Billy hoped the light set up on the bait would give him a good look, but all he could make out was a silhouette. “I thought it was a bear because it was tall enough to cast a shadow when it passed in front of the light, but the light was 9 feet up, so whatever it was, it was big,” Billy said.
The next night, the same thing happened. Despite the precautions, Billy still couldn’t get a good look. By the third day, Billy was out of bait but eager to share his experience with Sheena. They went out to the hunting blind around 4 in the afternoon, hoping the culprit might appear in broad daylight. This time, Sheena saw it first. She calmly announced, “There it is.” When Billy asked who, Sheena replied, “Bigfoot.”
Billy snapped a picture with his cell phone. While it isn’t especially convincing, it does seem to show something peeking out between two trees. “I didn’t believe in Bigfoot. I 100% didn’t believe in it,” Billy later told reporters. “It was massive, about 8 and a half feet tall. It had a cone head, was tan under the eyes, and had a barrel chest.”
The creature remained in place for a moment, then turned and left, releasing a long whoop as it did so. Over the coming months, the Bigfoot continued to make its presence known on Billy and Sheena’s property. They lost 44 chickens, all disappearing without a trace. Today, Billy believes in Bigfoot and even invites people to his property, hoping it might appear again.
David’s Encounter at McCloud River
Our next story takes place in Northern California, where the McCloud River snakes through several national forests, including the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Around 2015, an outdoorsman named David got more than he bargained for while fly fishing.
David was relatively new to fly fishing but had already found some favorite fishing holes. One of them was a series of slow rapids where Claiborne Creek meets the McCloud River. On the day in question, David parked his car and hiked about 100 yards upstream. The weather was warm and partly cloudy, perfect for a day of fishing.
David caught and released three fish, enjoying his time outdoors. The entire time, things were relatively quiet. That was when David first heard it—a whining cry coming through the trees. He initially thought it was a coyote. The whimpering eventually stopped, and the forest came back to life. But after another hour, everything returned to silence, and the weird sounds began again.
This time, it started with a whoop sound. David looked over his shoulder and heard another whoop, louder and directed at him. He tried to peer into the forest but couldn’t see anything beyond a few feet. David put down his fishing pole and took a few steps toward the sound. He saw some movement but couldn’t tell what it was. He thought it might be an elk, deer, or even a small black bear.
David picked up his pole to keep fishing, but the moment he touched it, he heard a grunt. His mind raced, thinking it could be a bear or mountain lion. He knew he had to leave. As he packed up, he realized the path to his car took him straight in the direction of whatever was grunting at him. David saw a large, dark brown figure walking bipedally from one tree to another. His heart almost exploded. This was not a person; it was some kind of giant animal.
The thing started growling, and David picked up the pace. He heard it pacing him, crashing through the forest. David reached the main river and saw the figure again, now only 20 yards away. It was a female Bigfoot, with long arms and wide-open eyes. David instinctively dropped his eyes to the ground and started walking again. He could hear it pacing him back to his car. After a final grunt and one last whoop, David reached his car. While he still fly fishes today, he has never returned to Claiborne Creek.
Chris and Amy’s Encounter at Lassen Volcanic National Park
Not far from David’s encounter sits Lassen Volcanic National Park. In 1986, Christopher Sutton visited the park with his mother and younger sister, Amy. Their plan was to hike a few backcountry trails to see some geothermal features and the surrounding pine forests. They planned to hike 9 miles in one direction and then rejoin their mother at a parking lot.
As they neared the end of their eighth mile, Amy stopped dead in her tracks. She told Chris, “I think we should turn around right now.” Chris was irritated but pushed forward. Amy followed reluctantly, feeling increasingly scared. Chris noticed the side trail they were supposed to take was barely visible, despite being prominently marked on the map.
Amy refused to go any further, saying she would leave Chris behind if he didn’t turn back. Chris prayed for wisdom and decided to stop and listen. They stood there, noticing the forest had gone completely silent. Suddenly, they heard the loud crunching and snapping of a large limb breaking off a tree, followed by another crash. Chris saw the top of a tree swaying and realized something was very wrong.
Chris and Amy turned around and headed back the way they came. As they walked, Chris felt an icy sensation and a deep sense of wrongness. They walked briskly, not daring to run. After a mile, the oppressive feeling lifted, and the sounds of the forest returned. Amy told Chris she thought they were going to die if they had continued. Chris agreed, and they made their way back to safety.
In the years since, Chris has tried to locate that side trail on maps of Lassen Volcanic National Park but has never been able to find it. He remains at a loss as to what happened that day in 1986.
What do you think it was? Just their imagination, another Bigfoot, or something even more dangerous?
