National Park After Dark Trail Tales 87
Feb 12, 2026
True-crime brush with a known killer near Mount Pisgah and a spooky coincidence involving a returned book. A tale of a dad who smuggled and farmed cannabis in the woods turns lawful later. Pranks gone wrong, a lightning-trapped turtle survey team, and a mother beaver that attacks after campers disturb her dam.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Near Miss With A Serial Killer
- Jessie recounts how two scoutmasters gave vague directions to a stranger on a trail and later recognized him as Gary Hilton, the Blood Mountain killer.
- The close call highlights how small decisions on trails can have life-or-death consequences.
A Book Appears During A Goodbye
- Rose describes a book mysteriously appearing on her bookshelf the day her grandfather died and interprets it as a possible final message.
- The moment brought comfort during grief and felt like a meaningful, inexplicable sign.
Dirtbag Dad Turned Legit
- A daughter shares that her father smuggled and grew marijuana in national forests for years but later went legitimate after legalization.
- Despite felonies, she describes him as a loving, supportive dad with wild stories worth a memoir.
