Locations Unknown

In September 2025, two experienced elk hunters traveled into the rugged backcountry of southern Colorado for what was supposed to be an eight-day trip in the remote South San Juan Wilderness. Both men were seasoned outdoorsmen, familiar with the demands of traveling deep into the wilderness and equipped with modern navigation and communication devices. But when their scheduled check-ins suddenly s...

In August 2023, we covered the disappearance of a 31-year-old Belgian traveler, who vanished after setting out on a short walk to Philosopher Falls in the dense rainforests of north-west Tasmania. What appeared to be a brief tourist hike quickly became a mystery shaped by harsh winter weather, difficult terrain, and weeks of intense search efforts. Now, nearly three years later, new developments h...

March 17th, 2012: a 24-year-old leaves a hotel in Cherokee, North Carolina, before dawn and drives into Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Hours later, his Ford Escape is found with his wallet, keys, cash, and survival gear still inside. A short note says, “Don’t follow me.” Search teams, helicopters, K-9 units, and volunteers scour the Appalachian Trail corridor, steep drainages, and dense off-...

October 19th, 2019: an elderly lifelong hunter is dropped off along Divide Road in Colorado’s San Juan National Forest for a short morning elk hunt. He’s told to follow a familiar trail down to a pickup point by 10 a.m. Around 9:00, a single gunshot echoes through the timber. By 10:00, he’s gone. Search teams, helicopters, K-9 units, and grid crews comb the aspen meadows and dense drainages but fi...

February 17th, 2018: after a night out at Sun Peaks Resort in British Columbia, a 20-year-old leaves a house party for the short walk back to staff housing and is never seen again. A winter storm batters the mountain village with plunging temperatures, gusting winds, and fresh snow. Search dogs, helicopters, drones, and hundreds of volunteers scour the resort and surrounding terrain, but find noth...

Hey friends! We’re taking this week off while we make a few upgrades to the studio. In the meantime, enjoy our latest subscriber only episode, where we listen to and react to the newest voicemails we’ve received. We also tease some exciting updates coming to the show later this spring. If you enjoy this kind of content and want to support the show, you can join us on Patreon for as little as $5 a...

September 6th, 2009: a 61-year-old fitness instructor, black belt, and seasoned bow hunter leaves his campsite near Elk Mountain in New Mexico's Santa Fe National Forest. He tells his two companions he won't go far and will return by nightfall. When he doesn't return the search begins. Helicopters, volunteers, and K-9 units scour the rugged terrain and find nothing. No body, no gear, no trace. Joi...

October 13th, 2025: a 65-year-old seasoned hunter leaves his Selma, California home for a routine day of deer hunting in the Sierra National Forest, a wilderness he's navigated for over fifty years. When he doesn't return that evening, his family sounds the alarm. A massive multi-county search unfolds across hundreds of square miles of rugged, snow-covered terrain, complicated by an early-season w...

April 1st, 1981: a 28-year-old elite solo climber leaves a remote shelter deep in Alaska’s Ruth Glacier, pulling a sled and heading alone toward Denali’s imposing east side. Experienced, deliberate, and traveling light, he moved into heavily crevassed ice beneath one of the most unforgiving mountains on Earth. When his expected return window passes, concern begins to grow, and search efforts expan...

May 2019 to May 2022: three men travel alone into the vast desert backcountry of Death Valley National Park; one to cache water in a remote canyon, another to check on a vehicle at an isolated hot spring, and a third who never returns from a campground on the park’s edge. Each disappearance triggers a search. None of them are found. What do these cases reveal about risk, scale, and survival in one...

February 13th, 2014: a 56-year-old experienced outdoorsman drives deep into Arizona’s Tonto National Forest for a planned multi-day solo hike. After parking along a quiet highway near the community of Young, he leaves behind a note describing his route and steps into some of the most rugged backcountry in the state. Days later, concern begins to grow, triggering a large-scale search across remote...

Today we’re sitting down with Tay, a Southern girl turned road-warrior and modern explorer who approaches adventure with confidence, intention, and a grounded perspective. A single mom and storyteller at heart, Tay creates outdoor and travel narratives designed to help women step into big, wild places feeling prepared and empowered. Through thoughtful destination inspiration, practical safety insi...

October 30th, 2022: a 35-year-old counselor sets out alone into the storm-soaked rainforests of Olympic National Park. As an experienced hiker with survival training, she planned a multi-day trek into the remote backcountry. But as a powerful Pacific storm hammered the valley with freezing rain and rising rivers, she never returned. Despite an intensive multi-agency search, no trace of her has eve...

February 11th, 2017, a 40-year-old man from New York, deep in a mid-life crisis, vanishes into a brutal winter storm at Great Sand Dunes National Park. Miraculously he is rescued after five freezing nights, calling it his “mission to the stars.” Just three months later, he returns alone to the same vast Colorado wilderness—and disappears a second time with no trace. What drove him back to the dune...

November 12th, 2012, a seasoned hiker and devoted runner fails to show up for work after a solo trip to Virginia’s Confederate Breastworks Trail. His car is discovered days later, packed with food and supplies, but no sign of him. Despite a massive five-day search across rugged, fog-shrouded ridges and icy hollows, not a single trace is found. What happened on that cold, windswept mountain? Join u...

Last week, we introduced you to Bobbie Jo Oberholtzer and Annette Schnee, two women who vanished the same night while hitchhiking from Breckenridge, Colorado. As a brutal winter storm swept across the Rockies, searchers braved sub-zero temperatures through Hoosier Pass and the surrounding wilderness. What they found were only scattered belongings, and haunting clues buried in the snow. Tonight, we...

With all the buzz surrounding the Gwen Hasselquist case and the upcoming Crime Junkie episode (releasing October 27, 2025), we thought it was the perfect time to re-release our original four-part series on Gwen’s story, first published in 2021. For Gwen’s family, friends, and everyone who cared deeply for her, we’re truly grateful her case is finally receiving the attention it deserves. That said,...

With all the buzz surrounding the Gwen Hasselquist case and the upcoming Crime Junkie episode (releasing October 27, 2025), we thought it was the perfect time to re-release our original four-part series on Gwen’s story, first published in 2021. For Gwen’s family, friends, and everyone who cared deeply for her, we’re truly grateful her case is finally receiving the attention it deserves. That said,...

With all the buzz surrounding the Gwen Hasselquist case and the upcoming Crime Junkie episode (releasing October 27, 2025), we thought it was the perfect time to re-release our original four-part series on Gwen’s story, first published in 2021. For Gwen’s family, friends, and everyone who cared deeply for her, we’re truly grateful her case is finally receiving the attention it deserves. That said,...

With all the buzz surrounding the Gwen Hasselquist case and the upcoming Crime Junkie episode (releasing October 27, 2025), we thought it was the perfect time to re-release our original four-part series on Gwen’s story, first published in 2021. For Gwen’s family, friends, and everyone who cared deeply for her, we’re truly grateful her case is finally receiving the attention it deserves. That said,...

In January 1982, two women vanished just hours apart while hitchhiking from Breckenridge, Colorado, during one of the worst winter storms the Rockies had seen in decades. As temperatures plunged below –20°F, friends and rescuers scoured the frozen corridors of Pike National Forest, finding only scattered clues and a deepening mystery. Join us this week for Part 1 of Lost in the Shadow of the Rocki...

This week we take flight into the world of raptors, nature’s most skilled aerial predators. From hawks and eagles to owls and falcons, these incredible birds shape ecosystems and inspire conservation efforts across the globe. We explore how education, rehabilitation, and hands-on experience help protect them for future generations, and uncover what it’s really like to work up close with these powe...

In 2019, Locations Unknown covered a young photographer bound for winter shots at Crater Lake National Park. The case spawned wild theories, unsubstantiated lore, and even an episode of The UnXplained with William Shatner. This week, we return with new FBI releases to separate myth from record. We revisit his route near Stump Lake, the Bybee Creek discovery, and the brutal winter terrain that shap...

Nestled just beyond Los Angeles, Angeles National Forest sprawls over 700,000 acres of rugged wilderness, where jagged peaks, deep canyons, and twisting trails beckon hikers, climbers, and adventurers year-round. With stunning vistas of the San Gabriel Mountains and its close proximity to one of America’s largest cities, this forest is as captivating as it is untamed. Yet, while many leave with ch...

We’ve got a special episode for you this week! Joe and I recently joined the podcast Crime Off the Grid to dive into three fascinating cases alongside two former law enforcement park rangers. Since we’re out of the office, we’re excited to share their episode—ad free—right here on our feed in case you missed it. We hope you enjoy! Episode summary from Crime off the Grid: This week, we’re joined by...