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Audioboom Studios

Hosted by two friends who share a passion for the wilderness and a fascination with what can go wrong there, each week hosts Danielle and Cassie explore the darker side of our National Parks and explore these treasured places in a whole new way - because behind the iconic arches and towering trees lie layered histories, grisly encounters, extraordinary stories of survival, tragic ends and so much more. But it isn’t always chills and thrills. By sharing inspiring tales and their desire for protecting our planet’s wild places, they hope the show will inspire listeners to lace up their own hiking boots and take a walk into the wild to create meaningful adventures of their own.

National Park After Dark

When the Pilgrim family ventured to the remote Alaska town of McCarthy, they were in search of a simple life, free from the constraints of the modern world. However, it wasn’t long after their arrival that they began to clash with the National Park Service. What seemed to be a loving family, soon would reveal some very dark secrets.

*Trigger Warning: This episode contains domestic and sexual abuse.*

For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at:

Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark

Twitter/X: @npadpodcast

TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark

Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page!

Thank you to the week’s partners!

Quince: Use our link to get free shipping and 365-day returns.

Naked Wines: To get 6 bottles of wine for $39.99 and join the Naked Wines community, head to NakedWines.com/npad.

Soul: For 30% off your order, head to GetSoul.com and use code NPAD.

Liquid IV: Use code NPAD at checkout to get 20% off you first order.

For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes

267: Madness in McCarthy. Wrangell - St. Elias National Park. Part 1.

Today we follow Elishaba and Jerusalem’s escape through the unforgiving terrain of Wrangell - St. Elias National Park. With their father right on their tail and temperatures dropping far into the negatives, they’re in a fight for survival.

*Trigger Warning: This episode contains domestic and sexual abuse.*

Resources: 

Book: Out of the Wilderness Escaping My Father’s Prison and My journey to Forgiveness by Elishaba Doerkson. 

For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at:

Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark

Twitter/X: @npadpodcast

TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark

Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page!

Thank you to the week’s partners!

Sierra Club: Book your 2025 trip today at sierraclub.org/outings, and use code NPAD to get $100 off.

IQBAR: Text PARK to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products and free shipping.

BetterHelp: National Park After Dark is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off.

268: Madness in McCarthy. Wrangell St. Elias National Park. Part 2.

Today’s stories include boat explosions, unexpected friends, questionable decisions doggie miracles, rescue attempts and almost being killed by a hot air balloon. Outsiders Only bonus stories available for Patreon and Apple Subscribers!

For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at:

Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark

Twitter/X: @npadpodcast

TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark

Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page!

Thank you to the week’s partners!

MasterClass: Use our link to access the current offer. 

Prose: Use our link for a free in-depth hair consultation and 50% off your first subscription order.

Rocket Money: Use our link to get started saving.

269: Trail Tales 61

In March of 1973, Holly and Gerald Fitzgerald were lost, starving and on the brink of death in the middle of Bolivia. The first leg of their planned honeymoon around the world was almost their last, as they fought for their lives atop of raft amongst a flooded jungle. Their love for one another and desire for a shared future kept them alive for 26 days until, of all things, a monkey led to their rescue.

For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at:

Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark

TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark

Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page!

Thank you to the week’s partners!

Zocdoc: Use our link to download the Zocdoc app for free.

MasterClass: Use our link to access the current offer.

For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes

270: Honeymoon From Hell. Manuripi-Heath National Amazonian Wildlife Reserve.

Today we are joined by Leitah Mkhabela of the Black Mambas - the world's first officially formed, registered and recognized all-women anti-poaching unit that operates within Greater Kruger National Park. She highlights the importance of educating and inspiring the next generation to care for our wild world and how her life is a reflection of one of her greatest teachers - her cousin Anton Mzimba.

Justice for Anton - sign the petition, donate to the cause and learn more about the movement to bring Anton’s killers to justice HERE

Learn more about the Black Mambas HERE and support the Bush Babies HERE

For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at:

Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark

Twitter/X: @npadpodcast

TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark

Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page!

Thank you to the week’s partners!

Liquid IV: Use code NPAD at checkout to get 20% off you first order.

Sierra Club: Book your 2025 trip today at sierraclub.org/outings, and use code NPAD to get $100 off.

271: Carrying the Torch with Leitah Mkhabela of the Black Mambas

Director Andrew Kightlinger joins NPAD to give us all a glimpse into the making of the much anticipated film - Lost on a Mountain in Maine. From his upbringing in Madagascar to his working interview on Katahdin, Andrew shares how he became involved with Donn Fendler’s story and how proud he was to bring one of Maine’s legacies to the big screen.

For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at:

Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark

Twitter/X: @npadpodcast

TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark

Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page!

Thank you to the week’s partners!

The NoSleep Podcast: Visit TheNoSleepPodcast.com to learn more about the show and find hundreds of hours of archived episodes.

For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes

272: Bringing the Mountain to the Movies ft. Andrew Kightlinger.

Margarett McFaddin Harritt and Joel Polson sparked an unlikely friendship that lead them to plan a thru hike on the AT in 1974. On just their second night they met a strange man at the Low Gap shelter, who unbeknownst to them, was a criminal on the run from police. Their encounter left one of them dead and the other in a fight for survival.

For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at:

Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark

Twitter/X: @npadpodcast

TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark

Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page!

Thank you to the week’s partners!

AG1: Try AG1 and get a FREE bottle of Vitamin D3K2 AND 5 free AG1 Travel Packs with your first purchase at drinkAG1.com/NPAD.

IQBAR: Text PARK to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products and free shipping.

Sierra Club: Book your 2025 trip today at sierraclub.org/outings, and use code NPAD to get $100 off.

BetterHelp: National Park After Dark is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off.

For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes

273: Murder on the Appalachian Trail.

The Birthplace of Jazz, NOLA, The Big Easy - no matter how you know it, New Orleans is world renowned. While we visit today to toss beads and eat beignets, these streets - and swamps - were once home to one of the most mysterious pirates in history, Jean Lafitte. His smuggling operations throughout the South earned him quite the reputation in life, but the legends of his buried treasure solidified his story for generations after his death.

To support the community of New Orleans in the wake of the New Year’s Day Tragedy, please visit United for New Orleans Relief Fund

For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at:

Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark

Twitter/X: @npadpodcast

TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark

Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page!

Thank you to the week’s partners!

Quince: Use our link to get free shipping and 365-day returns.

Ollie: Use NPAD to get 60% off your first box of meals when you subscribe today.

Boll and Branch: Use our link to get 15% off, plus free shipping on your first set of sheets

Lume Deodorant: Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with

@lumedeodorant and get 15% off with promo code NPAD at LumeDeodorant.com! #lumepod

For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes

274: Lafitte’s Lost Loot. Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve.

Today’s stories include acts of love, stiff pants, angry neighbors camp ghosts, Gila monsters and cougars in Maine. Outsiders Only bonus stories available for Patreon and Apple Subscribers!

For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at:

Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark

Twitter/X: @npadpodcast

TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark

Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page!

Thank you to the week’s partners!

Acorns: Use our link download the Acorns app to start saving and investing for your future today!

Zocdoc: Use our link to download the Zocdoc app for free.

Graza: Use code NPAD to get 10% off your Graza Starter Kit.

Crime Weekly Podcast: Listen to Crime Weekly every Friday wherever you get your podcasts. 

For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes

275: Trail Tales 62

When Jordan and Cody met each other they quickly fell in love and tied the knot. But when Cody disappeared only eight days after their wedding, people began to suspect his new wife may have had something to do with it.

For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at:

Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark

Twitter/X: @npadpodcast

TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark

Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page!

Thank you to the week’s partners!

Prose: Use our link for a free in-depth hair consultation and 50% off your first subscription order.

BetterHelp: National Park After Dark is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off.

IQBAR: Text PARK to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products and free shipping.

Sierra Club: Book your 2025 trip today at sierraclub.org/outings, and use code NPAD to get $100 off.

For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes

276: Til’ Death Do Us Part. Glacier National Park.

Mt. Rainier has been the site of more than 400 recorded deaths since it was established as a National Park in 1899. Tragedy is no stranger of the glaciated peak with causes of death including climbing accidents, falls, avalanches, murder and suicide. However this 75 year old accident still holds the solemn title for the single greatest tragedy in the history of the park. Strap in and hold on tight as Danielle talks us through the Curtis Commando R5C crash of 1946.

We love our National Parks and we know you do too but when you're out there, remember to enjoy the view but watch your back. Please take a moment to rate and subscribe from wherever you’re listening to NPAD! Become part of our Outsider family on Patreon to gain access to ad-free episode, bonus content and more. Follow our socials Instagram, Facebook , and Twitter. To share a Trail Tale, suggest a story, access merch and browse our book recommendations - head over to our website. 

Sources: The Spokesman Review. Medium. Seattle PI. History Link. The Mountaineers.

6: The Greatest Tragedy. Mount Rainier National Park.

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