Item #: SCP-778
Object Class: Euclid
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-778 is particularly dangerous in that it is immobile
and centered in [DATA EXPUNGED] National Park, which is frequented by civilians.
Signs or public documents displaying maps of or mentioning the existence of SCP-778
are to be erased, destroyed, or rewritten as necessary.
Public awareness of SCP-778 must be avoided as much as possible.
Placing signs over the trailhead marking it as "closed" and "dangerous" has been found
effective and is to remain in place.
Two undercover agents are to be located within the park at all times to monitor civilian
access to or awareness of SCP-778.
These measures should be effective in deterring civilians from contact with SCP-778.
Description: SCP-778 is an area of land of undetermined size located in [REDACTED] National
Park.
SCP-778 is currently defined on all maps, signs, and other media representing it as
a hiking trail leading to a destination known as "Paradise Falls".
Whether "Paradise Falls" exists is currently unknown and perhaps unknowable.
SCP-778 is constructed normally for trails in the area, and is labeled normally at the
trailhead and at irregular intervals along its length.
None of this is anomalous for trails in the area.
However, SCP-778 is extremely topographically inconsistent and easily dangerous to civilians.
Instead of leading to "Paradise Falls", SCP-778 will instead lead to other areas of the park
or on winding, inconsistent paths around the area.
SCP-778 is generally located in only one area of the park, although it varies from exploration
to exploration.
Ecologically and geologically, the area surrounding SCP-778 is consistent with that of the park.
A river running through the area may be part of "Paradise Falls", although the river is
difficult to follow and may be topographically inconsistent as well.
In addition, visitors hiking on SCP-778 have reported hearing the sound of rushing water,
consistent with that of a waterfall, although in all cases the trail soon veers away from
the assumed location of the waterfall.
Approximately 8.9 kilometers into SCP-778.
Footage recovered from Test 7.
SCP-778 also appears to "regenerate" somewhat regularly, usually every 10-25 years.
When it does, its name will change, it will shift to another area of the park, and all
park maps and signs will change to reflect this.
For a known history of SCP-778's changes, please see Document 778-130
For a record of tests performed in order to reveal the nature of SCP-778, please see Experiment
Log 778.
Addendum 778-A: In ████, an attempt was made to destroy SCP-778 with the use of
multiple Class-D personnel, machinery, and common tools.
Over 20 km of trail were destroyed (passed off as winter flood and storm damage) before
it disappeared.
Seven months later, the trail reappeared in a different location under the name Paradise
Falls.
Given the effort needed to destroy that much trail and the utter failure of the attempt,
total destruction of SCP-778 is not recommended again.
Document 778-130: List of Known Previous Incarnations of SCP-778
Initial Recovery in ████-████: Nightfall Pond
████-████: Fox Lake ████-████: Cedar Point
████-████: Western Ridge ████-Present: Paradise Falls
Experiment Log 778
A record of explorations of SCP-778.
Test 1 Three agents with two-way radios and standard
day-hike supplies instructed to follow SCP-778 until the trail ended.
Result: Sound of waterfall not heard.
Trail ended after 7.6 km in an area of the park not reachable within that distance.
Nothing unusual reported along the trail.
Test 2 Three agents with two-way radios and standard
day-hike supplies instructed to follow SCP-778 until the trail ended.
Result: Sound of waterfall heard.
Trail did not end.
After 12 km, agents were allowed to return.
Although it arrived in the same place, the trail back was reported as different from
the trail they had came in on, and required uphill travel in both directions.
Test 3 Three agents equipped with GPS tracking devices
instructed to follow SCP-778 until the trail ended.
Result: Devices recorded inconsistent movement within the park, at times moving much faster
or slower then normal.
Agents reported no anomalies and moved at a normal pace, arriving on a road approximately
20 km away from the entrance site.
Sound of waterfall noted.
Test 4 Three agents dispatched to the road where
SCP-778 ended after Test 3, instructed to follow it back.
Result: Area completely grown over.
No sign of trail.
Test 5 Three agents with two-way radios and standard
day-hike supplies instructed to follow SCP-778 until the sound of waterfall was heard, then
to travel off-trail until the source of the noise was reached.
Result: Waterfall noises heard at 4.2 km.
Traveling was immediately made very difficult by the presence of large shrubs and trees.
Agents persisted using knives to cut down vegetation until encountering several large
footprints resembling [DATA EXPUNGED].
Upon noticing several large shapes moving in vegetation in the distance, possibly [DATA
EXPUNGED], agents immediately returned to the trail and back to the starting point without
any problems.
Test 6 Three agents with overnight backpacking supplies
and equipped with semi-automatic weapons instructed to follow SCP-778 until the sound of waterfall
was heard, then to travel off-trail until the source of the noise was reached.
Result: Waterfall noises heard at 15.9 km.
Heavy cloud cover at night made exploration and aural detection difficult, and team soon
lost both the source of the noises and the trail.
Last radio transmission stated that they were going to set up camp for the night in an unknown
clearing, "at the edge of some sort of field", before radios were switched off for the night.
Radio was apparently never turned back on.
Communications operator at the base noted the sound of wolf-like howling in the distance,
although wolves are not native to the area and this was never mentioned, and possibly
never noticed, in the transmission.
All attempts to recover the team have failed.
Note: Recommended that unless the situation changes, all off-trail exploration of SCP-778
be done by Class-Ds or by solo agents, to avoid excessive loss of personnel, should
this happen again.
Test 7 One agent with two-way radio, standard day-hike
equipment, and radio-transmitting helmet-mounted camera was instructed to follow SCP-778 until
the sound of waterfalls was heard, then to travel off-trail until the source of the noise
was reached.
Noted that there was a dense fog that day that made vision beyond approximately 30 meters
impossible.
Result: Waterfall noises never heard.
Agent noted that the trail seemed to continue up a very steep, rocky alpine meadow, and
was hard to see.
Instructed to continue.
Agent began climbing and became distracted and unresponsive, noting that the trail just
goes "up and up and up".
Contact lost.