National Park After Dark

Salem is famously home to the witch hysteria of the late 1600's but there is a lot more history to this New England town. Join us as we dive into the history of how Halloween started, the witch trials, and the lengthy history of the Maritime Salem Historic Site.  A site that now preserves over 600 years of global trading and a history of underground tunnels that still lie beneath the town today. W...

In this segment, we will be having conversations with people of all kinds who are involved with the NPS. As we have gotten deeper into research for the show, our love and appreciation for those who dedicate their time, expertise and passion to the park system as grown deeper as well. For our first guest, we spoke with Kevin Grange. He is a wilderness first responder who has spent seasons in Yellow...

It’s safe to say you have heard of the Bermuda Triangle. That terrifying slice of sea that swallows ships whole and plucks planes out of the air. But did you know this isn’t the only place where strange phenomena occurs? There are other triangles to be feared. This week we visit Yosemite National Park’s Tenaya Canyon, where an alleged curse is to blame for deaths and mishaps, Vermont’s Green Mount...

Join us this week as we head into Mexico and join one of the most famous celebration in the world, Dia de los Muertos. Many people believe that this is Mexico's version of Halloween, and although there are some parallels, this could not be farther from the truth. We discuss the love story that created the volcanoes of Parque Nactional Iztaccíhuatl. We will visit the elaborate and colorful celebrat...

This week we travel to northern California and into Six Rivers National Forest to learn how the iconic Bigfoot image was captured, what happened in the aftermath, and how it changed the world of cryptozoology. We'll give you information from both sides of the Bigfoot fence, but it’s up to you to decide … do you believe? For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us o...

Bring all of your hiking gear, plenty of water, and a ghost meter as we travel to various haunted trails in Channel Islands, Rocky Mountain, Indiana Dunes, Grand Canyon and Great Smoky Mountains. NPAD is featured on @Stitcher's second annual True Crime Week. You can listen to our show and all the other True Crime Week podcasts on the Stitcher app or at stitcher.com/discover #StitcherTrueCrimeWeekF...

This week we travel overseas and back in time to visit Galapagos National Park. Floreana, a small island in the archipelago has acted as a siren, lulling people from all over the world to her shores. Although her call was heard by many - some wanted her all to themselves. Come along as we learn about the history of the island, and discuss a real life Clue story, where we ponder 'who dunnit?' in wh...

We asked, you delivered. Welcome to our second Trail Tale episode where we share stories from you – to you! Our mix of stories today include personal tragedies, animal attacks and otherworldly experiences. Thank you to everyone who submitted a story – keep them coming! All stories shared with the permission of submitting partiesWe love our National Parks and we know you do too but when you're out...

In this episode we will explore a series of short amazing stories from around the globe. We are exploring almost unbelievable incidents of animals who rescue people, other species than their own, and even the environment.  Join us as we head to Serengeti National Park for the Great Migration and an unlikely hero who resides there. Keep your toddler close as we head to the national forests of Monta...

Have you ever wondered what it was like to witness your own death? Your friends, siblings, parents – even your wife – have moved on. Accepted you as dead. There may have not been a body – but you went missing, deep in the Sierra Nevadas. But what if you survived? After weeks on end, alone and on the brink of starvation – you make it, returning home as a hero. Only to find the world you left behind...

Join us this week as we head to Dry Tortugas National Park, but before we can go there we need to take a deep dive into some U.S history. We're going all the way back to the 1860's into the Civil War and following along with John Wilkes Booth after he assassinates Abraham Lincoln. When Dr. Samuel Mudd gets convicted after helping John when he is injured fleeing the scene of the assassination, he i...

With so many National Parks around the world, we can’t help but venture to far off lands. Someone else who had that urge, was Cody Roman Dial. The son of a National Geographic explorer and field biologist, Cody (who preferred to go by his middle name, Roman) followed right in his father’s footsteps. His own travels brought him all over the world. His final adventure brought him to Costa Rica, wher...

In the 1800's settlers realized that with the beauty of Banff money and tourism provided a huge opportunity. They decided to build a beautiful hotel in the heart of Banff National Park. What they weren't expecting when it was built, were all the spirits that would never leave - and the mystery that lives in room 873. For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on n...

Man eaters. Two words that send shivers down your spine and spark a deep, primal fear. Come along with us as we spend this week in Africa discussing the famous Tsavo man eating lions – with a twist. The grisly tale of what happened here in 1898 is undoubtedly among the most notorious tragedies in Kenya, but what can we learn from it? What drives lions to hunt humans, and will they ever stop? For t...

When Colby Coombs, Tom Walter, and Ritt Kellog head out on a mountaineering expedition together the weather proved to be a huge obstacle. With inches of snow falling everyday, huge crevasses, and avalanche conditions, this was no easy trek. When an avalanche hits, trajedy stikes and leaves one climber with a broken neck. Making it back alive is going to be nearly impossible. For the latest NPAD up...

The 1980 Mount St. Helen’s eruption was the largest in US history, and claimed over 50 lives. Listen along as we meet one of the victims, Harry Truman, who left his mark on the mountain and whose legacy lives on in the PNW. For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at:Instagram: @‌nationalparkafterdarkTikTok: @‌nationalparkafter...

When Harold and Toni Henthorn first got married, things seemed wonderful. However,  overtime, red flags begin to emerge in this not so perfect marriage. When they head into the park for their wedding anniversary and Toni mysteriously dies, Harold is the first suspect. But no one could have ever guessed the lies he had told and what his previous life entailed. For the latest NPAD updates, group tra...

This week we take a journey through twists and turns to el despoblado – “the uninhabited land.” Big Bend National Park is a place on the far reaches of civilization that stands impartial as the troubles and toils of existence play out. Most of the beings here are in a fight for their lives, struggling every single day just to ensure they see another. But what if that wasn’t the case? What if, desp...

Forrest Fenn was dying when he decided to concoct treasure hunt. He had plans to give 2 million dollars worth of his gold and treasures to anyone that could find where he hid it. He wrote a poem with nine clues that would lead one lucky person somewhere into the Rocky Mountains. What he wasn't counting on was all the people that would die, the destruction it would cause, and the crimes that he him...

For this week’s adventure, we are heading to somewhere that prides itself on exploration of the park after dark. Bring those night vision goggles and an open mind as we travel to Colorado’s Great Sand Dunes National Park where we discuss one of the state’s longest running unsolved mystery - the case of Snippy the horse, lights in the sky above Colorado, and contemplate the age-old question – are w...

Bring your life preserves, lots of food and water, and a camera! We are taking you down an epic trip in the Grand Canyon down the Colorado River in a sweep scow boat. When newlywed couple Glen and Bessie Hyde set out to the Grand Canyon to set records, they had high hopes, but just after a month on their journey - they disappear. Their disappearance is anything but normal and it sparks lots of rum...

To celebrate National Indigenous History Month, we take a step back in history as Danielle flips back the pages of time and brings us to a dark chapter in US history. National Parks, some of our favorite places in the world, were once home to hundreds of indigenous nations. The lands we benefit from and enjoy today as parks came at the expense of others, others who lived and worshiped on those sam...

We are heading to the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest in Sagarmatha National Park. In the past 80 years over 300 people have died on this mountain and many of their bodies have never been recovered. While tourism to summit Mount Everest has brought money to the country of Nepal it has also brought a huge problem - litter. In a climate where survival is more important than being respec...

Fasten your seat belts folks, we are in for a wild ride. Come along if you dare as we wade through Everglades National Park. Walking the line between elegant and eerie, dynamic and deadly this is a park with danger around every murky corner. The largest wilderness east of the Mississippi has larger than life stories, and we have just barely skimmed the surface. For the latest NPAD updates, group t...

Welcome back Night of the Grizzlies - Part 2. Bring your medical supplies because this is a rescue mission to find and save the two missing girls who suffered horrific bear attacks. We'll conclude with lessons in bear safety and what you will need to do if you ever encounter one. For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at:Inst...