Hello friends Steve Stockton here with you!
Welcome to our latest episode!
In this video, we bring you High Strangeness on the Appalachian Trail!
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Now, The Appalachian Trail is arguably one of the best known hiking destinations in America.
Renowned for its staggering length of close to 2,200 miles, and stretching from Maine to Georgia.
It is one of the longest trails dedicated solely to hiking in
the world and has made a significant impact on American culture and history.
Given its magnitude, it is not surprising that
numerous urban legends and eerie tales have arisen around the trail.
With much of the trail passing through isolated mountain ranges and dense forests,
the lack of civilization can play tricks on one's mind.
But, is it just the imagination or are there truly
mysterious events and beings lurking in the wilderness?
The list below showcases the most frightening stories from the Appalachian Trail,
leaving it up to you to decide if you still want to embark on the hike. Let us know
in the comments which creepy Appalachian Trail story sends shivers down your spine.
Taken
In 1988, a hiker on the Appalachian Trail had a
traumatic experience that was arguably even more frightening than a ghostly encounter.
He was walking along the trail when he spotted a bright light coming from the nearby forest.
Not wanting to disturb anyone, he set up camp close by and went to sleep.
However, in the middle of the night, he was awakened by a stranger standing over his hammock.
The hiker was shocked and quickly fled, shouting to unseen individuals that he was awake.
Frightened, he packed up and hiked non-stop for several days to put as
much distance between himself and the stranger as possible.
Despite the relief of several days of uninterrupted hiking,
the hiker's peace was short-lived.
That night, as he was sleeping in his hammock, he was suddenly cut down,
wrapped up, and dragged away by an unknown group of people.
He was beaten mercilessly while the attackers shouted at each other, preparing something.
Fortunately, the hiker managed to escape by cutting through
his hammock and eventually made it back to civilization.
Despite police inquiries, the kidnappers were never found.
Followed by unknown
A young couple hiking on the Appalachian Trail in southern
Virginia encountered something mysterious and unexplainable.
While camping one night, they suddenly woke up to the sound
of rustling and strange noises coming from outside their tent.
The man went to investigate and managed to scare off some
figures he saw lurking around. He almost gave chase, but thought better of it.
The following night, they camped with their backs to a cliff, both armed and ready.
Sure enough, the figures returned,
but the man's announcement that they were armed caused the figures to retreat.
The couple quickly hiked the next day, always feeling as though they were being watched.
At noon, they rounded a corner and saw the
silhouette of a figure standing in the distance, observing them.
They rushed to leave the trail and reach civilization,
shaken by their unsettling experience.
Scary Children
The presence of children can often make things even more eerie,
and this man's experience on the Appalachian Trail is no exception.
According to his account, he was backpacking with a few others when something strange occurred.
One morning, they woke up to find their campsite surrounded by a dense fog.
As they were packing up, they began to hear the laughter of children coming from all around them.
Just as they finished packing, a group of children led by a single
parent emerged from the mist and passed by the backpackers.
The kids asked where the hikers were headed, and when someone replied that they were
on the Appalachian Trail, the children started to laugh and one of them said,
"This isn't the Appalachian Trail," before continuing on their way.
Throughout the day, the backpackers could still
hear the children's giggles echoing all around them.
Ghost From Another Time
In May 1972, a solo hiker had an encounter with a ghost from the past.
As the hiker walked, he noticed that a heavy ground fog had begun to envelop him.
Suddenly, he spotted a person walking ahead of him,
clad in a heavy coat and wearing a wide-brimmed hat.
The man was staggering and appeared to be searching for something he had lost,
as he looked down at the ground.
The hiker tried to move out of the way, but as they approached each other,
the man suddenly looked up and locked eyes with the hiker.
The hiker was struck by fear, as the man had cloudy,
blue eyes that seemed to look right through him.
He was also shocked to see that the man's clothing appeared to be from a different time period.
Despite the hiker's attempts to greet him, the man did not respond.
After a short time, the hiker turned back to see if the man was still there,
but he had vanished into thin air.
The hiker was left with an eerie feeling,
wondering if he had truly encountered a ghost from the past.
Pierce Pond Ghost
A hiker was camping at Pierce Pond in Maine when
he encountered a haunting experience that still haunts him to this day.
One night, he was sitting by his campfire when he suddenly saw a ghostly figure walking towards him.
The figure had the appearance of an outdoors man, carrying what seemed like fishing gear.
The figure disappeared into the night before the hiker could react.
The next night, the same figure appeared again, this time stopping to stare at the hiker.
Frightened, the hiker quickly left his camp and fled into the forest,
hiding behind a tree until the morning.
He packed up his belongings and quickly left the area,
never forgetting the ghostly figure he had encountered.
Spearfinger
The story of Spearfinger is a part of the folklore of the Cherokee people and has
been passed down through generations as a cautionary tale for children.
She is described as a hag-like witch who can disguise herself as a friendly, elderly woman.
According to legend, she haunts the mountain tops of the Smoky Mountains,
on the lookout for lost children.
She would approach them, pretending to offer help
and lull them into a false sense of security with her singing,
before proceeding to remove their liver with her sharp finger while they are in a deep sleep.
Civil War Soldiers
The year 1862 saw three intense battles of the Civil War fought
on the Appalachian Trail in Maryland, resulting in countless casualties.
The sheer number of lives lost on these battlefields has led many
to believe that some spirits still linger there.
Hikers have reported sightings of ghostly soldiers, strange campfires,
and the echoes of cannon fire ringing in the distance.
Additionally, near the farm of Daniel Wise,
the bodies of 58 soldiers were dumped into an old well.
This event has led to tales of ghostly figures roaming around Wise's property.
Dudleytown CT Village of the Damned
Dudleytown, CT, is a location that has earned the ominous nickname, "the Village of the Damned."
This name stems from its association with a controversial history.
The town was established by descendants of Edmund Dudley,
who was executed for treason during the reign of Henry VIII.
Legend has it that the land and family were cursed as a result. The Appalachian Trail runs nearby.
Dudleytown was established in the 18th century but was eventually abandoned in the 19th century.
The reason for its abandonment remains unclear, but some people speculate that
the residents went insane or committed suicide after claiming to have been possessed by demons.
Despite its disuse, some people claim to have seen strange lights and orbs in the
area surrounding Dudleytown. However, these claims have not been scientifically verified.
Young girl sees her first ghost
A ghostly experience can be frightening even without any overt action.
During a camping trip with her parents, a young girl had her first ghostly encounter.
Despite her
father being fast asleep, something was causing her unease and she was unable to fall asleep.
The next morning, she asked her mother to go for a walk with her.
As they explored, the mother suddenly stopped and the girl followed her gaze
to see a hazy figure of a man standing against a tree nearby.
The man appeared calm and sad, and after a few tense moments,
he slowly disappeared, leaving the mother and daughter alone once again.
This unsettling experience left a lasting impression on the young girl and her mother.
Scorched man
In 2011, a man took a week off from work to embark on a hike along the Appalachian Trail.
However, what was intended to be a relaxing
adventure turned into a frightening experience he would never forget.
On the second night of his trip, he heard noises coming from outside his tent,
but he didn't bother to investigate.
The following night, as he was sitting by his campfire,
he was shocked to see a badly burned figure standing near his firewood.
The man's hands and body were severely burned and his face was smoking.
The hiker was too afraid to move,
and the burned figure just stared at him with blank eyes before walking away.
Terrified, the hiker packed up his things and left the trail as quickly as possible.
On his way out, he came across a house that had recently burned down,
with a sheriff investigating the scene.
The sheriff informed the hiker that the same day he started his trip,
four days prior, an entire family had perished in the fire.
While this story is likely a well-known urban legend,
it highlights the way ghost stories can adapt to their surroundings.
In this case, the Appalachian Trail served as
an eerie setting that added to the frightening atmosphere of the story.
Randal Lee Smith The Trail Slayer
The rare occurrence of crime on the Appalachian
Trail makes the story of Randall Lee Smith particularly unsettling.
In the 1980s, Smith was found guilty of murdering two hikers on the trail.
He admitted to building a friendship with the hikers,
only to shoot one and stab the other in the middle of the night.
He was sentenced to 30 years in prison, but was released after serving only half of his term.
Unfortunately, he repeated his heinous actions when he was released.
Smith made friends with two fishermen on the trail and attempted to kill them.
He shot them, but both managed to survive.
He then tried to flee the scene in a pickup truck,
but crashed and died from his injuries a few days later.
The actions of Randall Lee Smith are a stark reminder that even in a peaceful
place like the Appalachian Trail, danger can lurk around the corner.
Ottie Cline Powell looking for peaceful
The enduring urban legend of Ottie Cline Powell
is one of the most fascinating stories associated with the Appalachian Trail.
A marker on Bluff Mountain bears testimony to the death of Powell,
a four-year-old who passed away in that very spot over a century ago.
Since then, many hikers have claimed to have seen a young boy wandering
around the campgrounds, searching for something but never finding it.
The cause of Powell's death remains shrouded in mystery,
leading to numerous theories about his ghostly presence.
People have attempted to construct elaborate narratives to explain his death,
but the real truth has seemingly been lost to history.
Well friends, there you have it!
What do you think about these creepy stories from the Appalachian Trail?
As always, I look forward to your comments - but please be friendly and respectful!
Until we meet again - be good to yourselves on each other!
Stay safe out there!
Especially if you're on the Appalachian Trail!
As for me, I'll see you a little farther on down the trail!
I'm Steve Stockton and I'll talk to you next time!