National Park After Dark – Episode 327: Trail Tales 78

Release Date: October 9, 2025
Hosts: Danielle and Cassie

Overview

In this special edition of “Trail Tales” for the National Park After Dark podcast, Danielle, Cassie, and guest reader Jay share listener-submitted stories at the intersection of wilderness adventure, folklore, survival, tragedy, and the supernatural. Celebrating “spooky season,” the episode leans into tales of hauntings, legends, unexplained wilderness encounters, near-misses, and heartfelt remembrances, with the hosts adding their own witty commentary and personal anecdotes. The tone weaves between playful, supportive, and occasionally somber, capturing the vast emotional spectrum of outdoor experiences.

Key Discussion Points & Listener Stories

1. Spooky Season & Haunted Trail Tales

[00:26] - [01:17]

• The hosts set the mood for spooky season, referencing past “cursed” episodes and promising to deliver either the best or most haunted Trail Tales yet.
• Danielle: “Maybe it [the episode] is haunted…This better be the best Trail Tales we’ve ever done.”
• Cassie: “Or the most haunted. One or the other.”

2. Legend of Annie Bangs – The Wolf Girl of Utah

[01:19] - [04:54]
Story by Brittany, read by Jay

• Annie Bangs is a local legend in Fish Lake National Forest, Utah—supposedly a girl raised by wolves after a tragic childhood.
• Her ghost is believed to haunt the Gooseberry Campground, especially attracted to children, longing for the childhood she missed.
• A third-grade field trip tradition includes the legend, with high schoolers dressing up as Annie to “terrorize” the kids.
• Jay: “You just might catch a glimpse of a wolf woman in red or hear a howl not quite human, not quite wolf, and you’ll know you’re being stalked by the ghost of Annie Bangs.”
• Danielle & Cassie discuss the thrills and “character building” of being frightened young and passing that experience along to the next generation.

3. Haunted House Anecdotes & Childhood Spooks

[06:13] - [10:55]

• Personal experiences with haunted houses; gentle scares for children vs. more intense paid haunted attractions.
• Discussion about how formative (and sometimes traumatizing) these childhood spooks can be—like Cassie’s friend Kayla being terrified by someone in a frog costume at a “family-friendly” haunted house.
• Cassie: “To this day, I feel so bad for…Kayla. She was so scared…She burst into tears and my dad had to carry her through the entire haunted house.” [07:47]
• Debate about preferring “real hauntings” to artificial jump scares, and gentle roasting of targeted algorithm ads for frog merch.

4. Call Mom If You’re Bitten By a Snake

[12:33] - [17:20]
Story by Carrie from Colorado Springs

• Carrie recaps being bitten twice by venomous snakes, first as a teenager (copperhead) and again as an adult (rattlesnake) while hiking solo.
• First time, she was sent to bed by a camp nurse with little care; only her mom (contacted via walkie-talkie due to lack of service) calmed her.
• Second time, Carrie’s dad again offers little support (“He hangs up and goes right back to sleep while I am still actively crying.” [16:34]) and her mom stays on the phone through her ambulance ride.
• Carrie's “lesson”: Always call your mom first in an emergency.
• Danielle: "Twice. Dad doesn’t care. Two times in a row. Third time's the charm." [17:24]
• Story ends on Carrie’s plan for tattoos representing her snake bite “dots.”

5. Legends from Mexico’s Smallest National Park & Indigenous Lore

[19:56] - [25:24]
Story from a listener living near Parque National Fuentes Brotantes, Mexico City

• The park’s volcanic ravines, ancient chapel (built after the fall of Tenochtitlán), and abundant wildlife (notably the cacomiztle, a raccoon-like mammal).
• Legends include the devil appearing in the ravines, exorcisms, mysterious screams, UFO sightings (possibly related to nearby military), cattle mutilations, and remnants of Santeria rituals.
• The area is said to be daunting at night and beset by both supernatural legends and modern-day dangers.
• Danielle’s reaction: “I don’t do devil stuff. I don't do exorcism devil things…I like being immersed in spooky stuff…But anytime there's anything to do with [that], I don't know why, maybe it's an upbringing thing.” [25:24]
• The hosts reflect on the blend of cultural, historical, and supernatural “scariness” present in these wild places.

6. My Dad Got Haunted by a Wedding Dress Ghost

[26:53] - [32:46]
Story by Grace

• Family haunted house in Whale Center, NY, with recurring eerie incidents: furnace heating to 100°, turned-around pictures, phantom noises.
• The main event: As children, Grace’s father was levitated out of bed by a ghostly figure emerging from a wedding dress in the room, with his brother witnessing the event.
• Years later, the brothers confirm the experience while sharing stories at Thanksgiving.
• Danielle: “It’s just haunted.” [32:34]
• Additional anecdotes: spectral knocks, ghostly car-in-ditch episode, and a puppy dying mysteriously.
• Transition to hosts sharing their own “being haunted in Yosemite” sleep paralysis/weird vibes anecdote:
  Cassie: “I swear I see her sitting at the end of her bed…her hair over her face. And then I look and I see her in her bed sleeping…Maybe I was just seeing things, so I just rolled back over and went to bed.” [33:09-34:25]

7. Building Trails and Missing a Friend: A Story of Loss and Perseverance

[37:10] - [45:35]
Story by Jay

• Jay recounts her journey as a woman in the outdoor industry, including working in several national parks, overcoming workplace misogyny, and building confidence.
• Describes her friend R’s infectious spirit on a Utah trail crew, his struggles, and the sudden loss of R to suicide.
• The pain of working in Zion National Park while grieving and dealing with a toxic, narcissistic boss.
• Pregnant and jobless, Jay gives birth to her son and slowly rediscovers her identity and confidence in the outdoors.
• Powerful closing: “Maybe that’s the most feminist thing of all. Claiming space in an industry, in a landscape, in a life that doesn’t always welcome you standing in it.” [45:34]
• Danielle and Cassie reflect deeply on the story's emotional weight, relating to similar hardships they faced and offering support for women in male-dominated fields.
  • “Oh Jay, you are capable as hell…I hope you know, you deserve it." [45:34]

8. The Blacksburg 708 Incident – Unexplained Campground Terror

[48:33] - [62:44]
Anonymous letter submitted by mail

• An anonymous account from a father and son camping off Route 708 in Virginia’s national forest, practicing “leave no trace.”
• In the middle of the night, a series of unnatural whooping and screaming sounds wakes them. A physical attack on their tent follows—something pounces, and the son yells “It's grabbing me! It’s grabbing me!” [56:00]
• The creatures (implied to be plural) depart; the narrator glimpses reflective green eyes at a height above a bluff (suggesting something very tall or upright).
• The event is unsettling and inexplicable; local authorities attribute it to a mountain lion, but the writer’s description leaves it an open mystery.
• Danielle speculates about Bigfoot: “A lot of people when they’re talking about Bigfoot…describe the calls as a whooping sound. That’s so specific.” [61:31]
• Cassie: “My money is on Bigfoot and you had some sort of experience, so I’ll just leave my opinion at that.” [62:31]
• Discussion on the creepiness of anonymous, typed submissions adds to the story's eerie effect.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Danielle: “Let’s bring trauma back!” —on scaring third graders at haunted campgrounds [07:17]
• Cassie: “Always call your mom first in an emergency…Dad doesn’t care. Two times in a row.” [17:00]
• Jay: “Maybe that’s the most feminist thing of all. Claiming space in an industry, in a landscape, in a life that doesn’t always welcome you standing in it.” [45:34]
• Danielle (on devil-lore story): “I don’t do exorcism devil things…maybe that’s just an upbringing thing.” [25:24]
• Danielle (reflecting on loss and grief): “It’s so much harder in practice to actually stand your ground…especially when you feel like you’re on your own as one of the only, or few, women. But you’re doing the damn thing.” [46:09]
• Cassie (on Bigfoot story): “Immediately, Bigfoot, case closed.” [61:57]
• Danielle (on the anonymous letter): “Something about the grabbing coupled with those strange screams…that’s so specific…” [61:13]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |---------------------------------|-------------------| | Spooky Season Intro & “Curses” | 00:26 – 01:17 | | Annie Bangs Legend | 01:19 – 04:54 | | Haunted House Childhoods | 06:13 – 10:55 | | Snakebite Survival Story | 12:33 – 17:20 | | Mexican Park Legends | 19:56 – 25:24 | | Haunted Wedding Dress | 26:53 – 32:46 | | Hosts' Yosemite ghost story | 33:01 – 35:14 | | Trail Building & Loss | 37:10 – 45:34 | | Anonymous 'Blacksburg 708' Story| 48:33 – 62:44 |

Overall Tone and Engagement

The episode masterfully threads together “spooky season” energy with moments of vulnerability, humor, and candid reflection. The hosts keep the vibe accessible and conversational—frequently relating listener stories to their own wilderness and supernatural experiences.

Listeners are encouraged to submit their own tales, building a vibrant community of storytelling, catharsis, and sometimes, collective goosebumps.

Closing

Danielle and Cassie sign off with their customary reminder: “Enjoy the view, but watch your back!” and tease two bonus stories for subscribers: “Dogs Can Be the Third Man Factor” (Danielle) and “The Flute Player” (Cassie).

For listeners, this episode is a tapestry of spooky, heartfelt, and thought-provoking tales, set against the vast, mystical backdrop of North American wildlands. It’s a lively mix of folklore, survival, personal growth, dark humor, and deep compassion—a fitting tribute to the thrilling unpredictability of the great outdoors.