People are missing in national parks and North American wilderness areas. The 2019 documentary Missing 411: The Hunted reports that up to 1,200 people have gone missing, but acknowledges that the number may be an underestimate.
David Paulides, a former police detective-turned-private investigator, is the author of the popular Missing 411 series and documentaries of the same name, and the CanAm Missing Project. He said, “We don’t know how many people are missing from those locations because of the USFS.” [United States Forest Service] and NPS [National Park Service] refuse to release a list of these missing persons.”
Several hundred cases per year
Paulides is dedicated to finding missing people in national parks and forests. When asked how many cases he typically investigates per year, he replied, “We probably investigate several hundred people per year.”
One thing is certain: people who hiked and camped in national parks or hunted in national forests and wilderness areas are gone. These sobering stories are documented in Paulides’ latest documentary Missing 411: The UFO Connection (2022).
Chantile Ferriera, TCA Content Manager at Wealth of Geeks, is a fan of the Missing 411 series. “I have a healthy respect for the mountains and the wilderness. I spent my childhood with a telescope, watching the sky and looking for comets. When tracing charts, I often saw things I couldn’t explain.
“After moving to Utah, I had a lot of events where I knew I wasn’t alone in the woods. If you’re in the forest and in the mountains enough, you can feel the wildlife around you and notice the difference between something that’s entered the area that belongs and something that doesn’t.”
Mysterious disappearances in national parks
Exploring the great outdoors is a rewarding activity—especially when visiting America’s most prized national parks. But one thing that can thwart plans when planning an outdoor adventure is safety.
Those visiting national parks and forests can get lost, and according to Paulides, there have been reports of some tourists disappearing without a trace.
Public data available from Statista shows that hundreds of thousands of people go missing in the United States each year, rising to over 500,000 in 2021. How many of these missing people have disappeared from national parks, forests and wilderness areas?
In his books and documentation, Paulides claims that numerous hikers and hunters have disappeared from these areas, leaving nothing behind. His passion for the work was originally sparked by two park rangers who reported “strange circumstances” in which hikers went missing, as discussed in Missing 411: The Hunted.
When asked if she was a skeptic or not, Ferriera says, “I’ve seen lights and UFOs, objects disappearing in front of us, and things appearing on the camera that weren’t there when the photograph was taken. It’s easy to dismiss something when you can’t experience it yourself. In my opinion, almost everyone has had an event or encounter, but they’re just too embarrassed, scared, or skeptical to admit it.”
cluster zones
Paulides’ Missing 411 series and the CanAm Missing Project present facts and uncanny similarities that investigators have found in missing persons cases of people who have disappeared from federal territories in “cluster zones” across North America. Yosemite National Park in California tops the list, as does Crater Lake in Oregon.
profile points
What is unique about the cases Paulides works is the unusual, mysteriously similar details in each missing person’s case that suggest something strange was happening. Paulides calls these similarities “profile points”.
Profile points include people becoming separated from their group, inclement weather immediately after a person’s disappearance, and search and rescue dogs (SAR) becoming untracked. If these individuals go missing, no traces or belongings will be left or found.
Record visits continue
In 2022, the National Park Service reported an estimated 312 million recreational visits to the parks it manages, with over 13 million people staying overnight. Visitor numbers increased 5% from 2021, fueling the trend for outdoor enthusiasts to visit America’s treasured and protected landscapes.
Most Visited National Parks in the USA
According to public data from nps.gov, top parks toured in 2022 included the Blue Ridge Parkway, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Blue Ridge Parkway alone saw nearly 16 million visitors.
Popular national parks like Zion, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and Rocky Mountain National Park welcomed more than 3 to 5 million people in the past year.
stay safe
If information from the Missing 411 series has travelers concerned, there are a few things travelers can do to stay safe while exploring the great outdoors and planning this epic backcountry trip.
Be prepared
Outdoor enthusiasts should always pay attention to the 10 essentials of national parks, which include wearing appropriate clothing, bringing enough food for energy needs, and water for proper hydration. In addition, travelers should bring a map, flashlight, first aid kit, repair kit and tools, fire starter, emergency shelter, and sunscreen.
Brian Smith, director of the Oklahoma SAR Council says, “Bring more than you think you need. You don’t know what’s going to happen. Anyone can break their ankle and end up staying out longer than expected.” Adds Smith, “It might not be a fast hike. People don’t think it can happen to them, but things happen to people all the time.”
Avid nature enthusiast Troy De Ville of Core Mountaineering agrees. He shares his perspective on enforced disappearances: “It has always been fascinating to see how mysterious disappearances happened in national parks and wilderness areas. But we have to step back and look at the bigger picture.”
As a skeptic, De Ville says, “Think about it: in 2022, over 312 million people visited these parks, and the number who went missing is a tiny fraction.” In cities, thousands of people go missing every year, but we’re not saying, that the cities are shrouded in mystery, aren’t they? Mother Nature is unpredictable.”
Stay on designated paths
According to an online study, people often get lost because they have lost their way.
Smith says, “Stay on track. Getting off track and unprepared results in dehydration and fatigue. Then you run out of strength or you trip and fall.”
If you get lost, stay where you are
“When you find yourself lost, stay where you are,” explains Smith. “If you don’t know how to read a map, use a compass, or have a GPS; You should not try to save yourself. Chances are you’ll lose yourself even more. It is easier for SAR to find a stationary person than a moving person [person] Goal.”
Actor Julian Sands made national headlines this summer for missing and never returning after beginning a solo trek in California in January. His remains were recovered from a gorge on Mount Baldy in the San Gabriel Mountains in June. The unimaginable can happen to anyone who explores nature.
Wear a personal tracking device; Never hike alone
Paulides’ top piece of advice, based on years of experience working with SAR teams, is “Always carry a personal tracking device and always hike with a partner.”
Brian Smith agrees. “Personal locator beacons are fantastic. For anyone who has health issues but still enjoys going out, I would highly recommend a personal tracking device. We’re seeing a surge in personal location beacons because technology costs have come down. It’s inexpensive for people to have and use.” He also emphasizes, “Never go hiking alone.”
Tell others about your plan
Smith urges hikers, “Tell others about your plan. It’s one of the best things you can do.”
Travelers should tell someone where they are going and when they plan to return. This helps searchers know where and when to start searching if they don’t get home by the advertised time.
Always think about safety
When someone goes missing outdoors and never comes home, it’s devastating. But there are also stories of people leaving their campsite, going hiking, or wandering alone through the forest, only to disappear without leaving any clues to help the rescue effort. While this may seem like a mystery on the evening news, it can happen to anyone.
To enjoy America’s beautiful parks and public areas with confidence, take all safety precautions and always be prepared.
This article was created by The Happiness Function and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
Ashlee is a national freelance travel writer who has carved a niche for herself in the adventure travel world. Her work has been featured on MSN, Wealth of Geeks, RV Industry Association and more. She specializes in writing about road trips, camping and hiking. Ashlee has traveled the world and grew up in the western United States. In her early years, she learned how the simple act of spending time outside makes us happier. She is also the founder of The luck function, a travel site that inspires happiness through outdoor recreation. keep following her Twitter.
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