We asked our readers “What’s the scariest thing you’ve seen while camping, hiking, or fishing?”
And they gave us some creepy tales.
Here’s one from Adam about his fishing trip:
Photo credit: flickr/52505951@N08
Nowhere to run
Updated 2/9/2020 – “My father used to love to go fishing; that was like his thing. I hated it, I found the whole thing boring.
You just sit there for hours on end with not much else to do besides hold a pole.
He retired pretty young and shortly after he bought a good size fishing boat.
When I reached a certain age I would go on fishing trips just to humor him.
This particular day we went on an overnight trip.
The boat was set up so you could sleep on a couple of cots in the cabin.
When we went to bed for the night I tried falling asleep, but I had trouble.
Usually the current and rocking of the boat passes me right out, but not tonight.
All of a sudden I started to hear these taps on the door.
Like someone was knocking at it.
I heard my Dad snoring, so I knew he was passed out.
I got up out of bed and walked over to the door.
From outside I heard footsteps quickly run away.
I opened the door to outside and heard a splash on the other side of the boat. I ran over and saw in the darkness ripples in the water.
I thought I was letting my paranoia get the best of me, but it seemed so real that I haven’t been on any overnight trips with my Pops since.”
– Adam D.
It was almost human
“In 2008 I used to be a tour guide for a trail in Northern California.
I had about eight or nine people in my guide in this instance, as well as another supporting staff member.
Now I’ve been hiking all my life, and I’ve heard noises and growls from mountain lions, bears, pretty much anything terrifying.
This night we’re all sighting around the fire, everything in the forest is silent.
hen out of nowhere comes this high pitched shrieking noise, like something in excruciating pain
Everyone in the tour jumped a foot in the air and the sound caught us all off guard.
When they asked what it was, I looked at them and nervously said that it was a wild cat, even though I know it wasn’t.
This sound was almost human.”
– Hootie C.
Photo credit: flickr/steviesteves
The Cabin
“My Mom’s cousin used to own a cabin in the mountains, and once a year we’d go there for a week on vacation.
The house was nice enough, but I always got a weird vibe from it.
I was uncomfortable all the time while I was by myself in it.
I never understood why and no one else in my family had this problem.
One day my parents and siblings went shopping and I wasn’t feeling too well, so I decided to stay behind at the cabin by myself.
I was just watching TV in the living room when I heard a loud SMASH in the kitchen.
I got up, and there on the floor was a wine glass that had been on the counter.
Nothing could have moved it, I knew I was the only one home.
I swept the pieces of glass up and stood in the kitchen for a bit, expecting to see something.
After a little bit, I started to see the portable camping grill move by itself!
It slid about two feet across the counter before coming to a stop right on the edge!
Just then my family got home and when I told them about what happened they seemed surprised, but I could kind of tell they were humoring me.
The next year my Mom’s cousin sold the cabin so we never went back.
But if I open up a newspaper one day, and see a story about something freaky going on in a cabin in the mountains, I’ll know which one it is.”
– Stacy E.