National Park Encounters: Case Files of the Strange & Mysterious: Volume 1

by Anonymous Ranger

Hidden within the sprawling beauty of America’s national parks are secrets that defy explanation. National Park Case Files of the Strange & Mysterious pulls back the curtain on eerie tales and perplexing phenomena reported by rangers, visitors, and locals alike. From unsettling sightings of humanoid creatures to unidentified flying objects in the sky, this collection delves into some chilling and unexplainable accounts recorded.

Each chapter explores a unique case through first-hand statements, journal excerpts, and reconstructed events, the book captures the fear, wonder, and curiosity of those who’ve come face-to-face with the unknown.

Perfect for fans of true crime, the paranormal, and the unexplained, this compendium is as much an ode to the wild as it is a chilling reminder of how much we have yet to understand about the natural world. Dare to wander into the untamed and uncover the mysteries lurking in the shadows of our most beloved landscapes.

National Park Encounters will make you think twice about what truly lies beyond the trailhead.

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 8, 2024

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine you snuck into a park ranger station after hours and just sat on the floor reading through all their most bizarre incident reports. That’s exactly what this book feels like!! Minus the breaking and entering.

What it’s about 📚

Raw, unfiltered accounts of mysterious sightings straight from the people who have to document this stuff for their jobs.

First impressions 🌀

Each chapter is literally one report, which means you can dip in and out easily between them without losing any plot threads because there are no plot threads.

What worked for me ✨

The episodic format was chef’s kiss perfect for my chaotic reading schedule. Listen for twenty minutes, put it down, pick it back up whenever.

But here’s where it gets really interesting: I started noticing that like half these witnesses are software engineers or work in IT. Which sent me down this whole rabbit hole of theories. Are programmers just more likely to hike? Do cryptids have beef with developers specifically? Are they more prone to actually reporting their experiences? Do these parks happen to be near tech hubs??

My husband (software engineer, avid hiker, zero cryptid encounters that he’ll admit to) is now my test subject for further research into this phenomenon.

Final thoughts 🎯

Spooky and weird in the best way. Makes you question how much strange stuff is happening out there that we never hear about — either because no one reports it, or because someone does, and the response is “No follow-up conducted due to lack of corroborative evidence.”

Read it if… 🔎

You’re into cryptid encounters or park ranger lore.

[Lisa]

I was not a fan of this book. The fact that the author wouldn’t tell the location of the incident makes the stories seem less valid. I understand redacting names and honestly even changing dates or seasons to hide when the people where supposedly there in case someone who knows them put two and two together, but these are supposedly “National Park” stories and the author won’t even tell us the park/forest/landmark they truly happened at- no something is fishy there. There should be no issue whatsoever saying something like “this happened at Yellowstone National Park” but instead we get redactions and made up park names.

[Ursula Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ranger Reports of Unusual Encounters

This was a series of reports filed by rangers from visitors who experienced strange encounters. What is interesting, besides the encounters themselves, is that lack of follow up for most. Only in a few cases were sections of the park closed. A great introduction for those new to strangeness in the woods. If you want to know more, look for They Live in the Woods by Ranger Ron Blade. Great book about more serious cases.

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this one…

But the “incident “ report format was so exceedingly dry and flat, I just could not enjoy it. The authors stuck unflinchingly to this “just the facts” format so that it quickly became very tiresome. No investigative reporting, no back information, not even a second account of the weather.

It was too dry and boring for me.

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am never sure of computer voice. When it mispronounces a common word, it throws me off. These are short ranger reports about something someone might have seen in the woods. It was a fun read. But nothing outstanding about the writing or the story.

[Mary Munson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book however the overwhelming majority of stories are of unidentified bipedal creatures described the exact same way over and over. Some were intresting and then the random off stories like of the cave creature or child in the woods were fantastic! But the blend wasn’t great

[Eddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am going to fall for these types of books every year. While I have not learned to trust this author yet. 100% the bland pace of LE reports I have read and wrote over 40 years.

[Vicky Peplow · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's ok

It's an ok read but a lot of the stories seemed the same which felt quite repetitive. Some of them were pretty interesting but others not so much.

[Angela Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite Missing 411. However, it will make you think twice before going to a national park. If all these incidents are true, Houston, we have a problem.