April 24, 2025 • 18 mins
Deep within the shadowed silence of the woods, things aren’t always as they seem. In this chilling compilation, hear two true stories from people who headed into the forest—and came back forever changed. From an unexplained presence stalking a camper miles from civilization, to a solo visit to an excluded cabin, these disturbing encounters will make you think twice before stepping off the trail.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
When my cousin Cody and I were in our early twenties,
we went on a handful of camping trips around Colorado.
This happened when I was twenty two and he was
twenty three, and it took place in Urbo Forest. It
was my first time camping there, but not Cody's. As
(00:21):
we often did, we were camping in the middle of
the week, since our jobs allowed us to take off
days during the week and we liked to avoid the
weekend crowds. I always let Cody take charge on these trips,
since he's the eagle scout, not me. We parked near
a picnic area and set foot into the woods from there.
(00:44):
After about fifteen minutes of hiking deeper into the forest,
we found a good spot to set up camp, a
clearing big enough for two tenths, a portable stove, and
a camp fire. The first thing we did was unpack
our stuff and set up the tents. Cody was always
much quicker than me when it came to pitching a tent.
(01:07):
He could do it in just a few minutes, while
it always took me over twenty minutes. Or rather it
used to take me over twenty minutes since I haven't
been camping in the wilderness again since this trip. Next,
we created a ring of stones for the fire and
gathered some sticks and wood. Cody brought some fire starter
(01:32):
and a lighter, so I guess we kind of cheated,
but a well. By then, the sun was starting to
set and we had a fire going. Cody was grilling
up some steak and burgers. One thing about Cody is
he always went all out with food on these trips,
and he's a really good cook, so I always trusted
(01:53):
him to feed us. Of course, we had our bear
spray in case the smell of food attracted a black bear,
although Cody always said that was very unlikely. He always
claimed that the real thing to worry about in the
woods was other people. As we ate our steak and burghers,
(02:14):
we cracked open some beers and played classic rock on
the speaker. If you've never been camping, you might not
understand how good the vibe is sitting in the wilderness
with a friend or family member, having a few beers,
reminiscing about good times, and vibing to music. As it
(02:34):
got dark, we started playing card games on the little
folding platform table we brought specifically for cards. Eventually we
started playing uno. That was when we started hearing something
out in the woods. I paused the music on my
phone so the speaker went silent. It was clear now
(02:56):
we could hear a person humming and footsteps from beyond
the trees in the pitch blackness of the forest. Cody
urged me to find the flashlight, but by the time
I did, the sounds had faded away. I asked him
if it was something we should be concerned about, and
he said it was definitely unusual for someone else to
(03:18):
be that deep in the woods, let alone creeping around
without a flashlight by someone else's campsite and humming loudly.
I was a bit shaken, and I could tell Cody
was too, but we went back to playing cards, keeping
the music much lower now. Then, when we had finally
(03:41):
let our guards down again, a big stick landed in
the middle of the campsite, making us both jump out
of our skin. It didn't fall from a tree. This
thing had been thrown at us. Cody started yelling something
along the lines of whoever's out, they're messing with us,
get a life. Then footsteps could be heard again walking away.
(04:08):
I suggested that we pack up and move somewhere else,
but Cody said absolutely not. He told me to keep
the bear spray close by when we went to sleep.
It was the closest thing we had to a weapon.
We kept hearing sounds like tree branches cracking in the distance,
sounds you don't expect animals to make Someone was out there,
(04:34):
maybe even multiple people. Eventually we agreed to take turns
going to sleep while the other kept watch to make
sure no one came to our campsite. Cody agreed to
take the first watch. He said he would stay up
and read his book. So I crawled into my tent,
(04:54):
got into my sleeping bag, and went to sleep. Waking
up in the middle of the night. While camping is normal,
you're in a cold, outdoor environment, in an uncomfortable sleeping bag,
and any number of things could wake you up. I
didn't know what woke me up at first, though. My
(05:15):
brain was still foggy and I couldn't quite tell what
was happening. But then I looked up and saw a
head peering into my tent. I rubbed my eyes, but
the darkness made it hard to see anything. I said Cody,
thinking he was waking me up to take my turn
(05:36):
keeping watch? Is it my turn? I asked groggly. Then
I heard the zipper on the tent quickly zip up,
and his head disappeared. I laid back down in my
sleeping bag, but only for a second. Suddenly I had
(05:57):
a weird moment of clarity. I shot up into an
upright position and listened as the footsteps walked away. Cody
I said, he didn't answer. I unzipped my tent to
peek outside, and the fire was dead. Cody was gone.
(06:19):
I went over to his tent, which was zipped up,
and opened it to find him fast asleep in his
sleeping bag. I got chills, goosebumps, whatever you call em,
and almost passed out at the realization. I started shaking
him awake. When he finally stirred, I told him someone
(06:40):
else is here. It took him a minute to come
back to reality, just like I did, but when he did,
he grabbed the bear spray. He said he must have
dozed off while reading. He told me I should sleep
in the tent with him that night, but I'd need
my sleeping bag. He came out outside with me to
(07:01):
stand watch while I ran to my tent to grab it.
While I was rolling up the sleeping bag, I heard
that goddamn humming again from outside. Do you hear that?
I asked Cody, and he said yes. We rushed back
to his tent and zipped it up with our cans
of bare spray by our sides. I'll tell you, in
(07:25):
those moments, I wanted nothing more than for a bear
to come and save the day. The hours dragged on
while I stayed up and Cody slept. After three long,
horrible hours, I woke him up and we switched. When
Cody woke me up in turn, it was almost dawn.
(07:47):
There was light outside. We packed everything up, and by
the time we were done, there was plenty of sunlight
to hike back to the car. While we could have
driven somewhere else for an hour night of camping, neither
of us were feeling it anymore. This had been a
haunting experience, and I think we both just wanted to
(08:09):
be home. It's been six years since that happened, and
Cody's asked me a few times about camping, but I
haven't had much interest since this happened. People are just
too scary. Why was someone stalking our campsite and the
sight of that person's head in the dark, just looking
(08:32):
into my tent. It was straight out of a nightmare.
I may never go camping again. I've always loved the quiet.
I moved up to this little cabin in rural upstate
(08:55):
New York about five years ago, away from the chaos
of the city. The place is big, secluded, and the
woods stretch far beyond my property. The nearest neighbor is
miles away, and the only sounds you can hear are
the wind in the trees and the occasional bird chirping
(09:17):
in the distance. It's peaceful, and that's how I like it.
Fishing is my thing. I spend most of my time
on the lake that sits just behind my house. It's
the perfect place to escape everything. I don't mind being alone, hell,
(09:38):
I enjoy it. The cabin has a huge deck that
looks out over the woods. I often sit out there
with a cold beer in my hand, watching the sun
dip behind the trees and listening to the nighttime sounds
of the woods. It's always been peaceful until two weeks ago.
(10:03):
I was on the deck like usual, just staring into
the dark, when I heard something, a snap of a
twig in the distance. I didn't think much of it.
A deer maybe, or a raccoon. The woods are full
of life, and I've gotten used to the noises over
(10:24):
the years. But as the days went by, the sounds
became more frequent. At first, it was just twigs snapping
or leaves rustling, things I thought were animals. But then
I heard something different, a scratching sound. It came from
(10:47):
the side of the house one night, somewhere near the
window of the spare bedroom. It was very quiet, almost
like it was trying to be sneaky. I stood up
from my chair, my heart pounding a little faster than usual,
and I waited, but nothing came. Probably just a squirrel,
(11:10):
I told myself, but something didn't feel right. I decided
to go inside and lock up for the night. The
next evening, I heard it again, the scratching. It wasn't
just at the side of the house anymore. Now it
was closer, and it sounded like it was coming from
(11:34):
right outside the window. I froze, listening carefully as my
nerves started to fray. I couldn't explain it, but something
felt off. I went to the window and pulled the
curtains back slightly to see what was outside. The moonlight
(11:57):
illuminated the trees, casting long shadows across the yard. The
wind was still, and everything seemed normal. I didn't see
any animals or people. I told myself it was just
my imagination running wild. It had probably been a branch
(12:19):
brushing up against the window, or maybe just the wind.
I told myself it wasn't anything to worry about, and
I went to bed. The next night, it wasn't just
scratching any more. It became a light tapping, as if
(12:39):
somebody were trying to get my attention. I jumped out
of bed and grabbed a flashlight, creeping through the dark
hallway toward the spare bedroom. When I reached the window,
I shone the flashlight outside. There was nothing there, just
the same empty woods. But I couldn't shake the feeling
(13:02):
that I wasn't alone. I knew something was wrong. I
tried to go back to bed, but I couldn't sleep.
Every little noise seemed louder, and every creak of the
floorboard sounded like someone moving around in the house. I
stayed awake listening, but eventually I fell asleep out of
(13:27):
sheer exhaustion. The nights went on and the sounds didn't stop.
I'd hear them every night, always the same, A tap,
a scratch, sometimes even a faint whisper that seemed to
come from within the walls. I tried to ignore it,
(13:50):
but it was getting harder. One night, I decided to
confront whatever was causing it. I grabbed a crowbar from
shut out back, figuring it might be a good idea
to have something in case things got weird. I went
to the spare bedroom and carefully opened the door. I
(14:11):
hadn't used the room in months. I shone the flashlight
around the room, moving slowly, checking every corner, under the bed,
behind the dresser. Nothing. I stood there for a minute,
feeling like an idiot. There was nothing, just the same
(14:34):
old room. But as I turned to leave, I noticed
that the closet door was slightly ajar. I knew I
hadn't left it that way. My stomach dropped. I slowly
walked over and pulled open the door, and as the
(14:54):
flashlight filled the back corner of the closet, I saw
a small p piece of cloth caught on the edge
of the wall. It looked like a dark, torn piece
of clothing. I couldn't think straight. I backed out of
the room, slammed the door shut and bolted it. I
(15:17):
didn't want to stay in that house another second, so
I went outside, hoping the fresh air would clear my mind.
But the darkness of the woods felt like it was
closing in on me. I slept on the couch that night,
with my crowbar within reach, but I didn't hear anything else.
(15:37):
It was quiet. The next night, just as I was
about to drift off to sleep, I heard it again,
the tap, tap, tap against the window. I jumped up,
heart racing, and grabbed the flashlight. I ran to the
spare bedroom, not caring how loud my footsteps were this time.
(16:02):
When I pulled back the curtain, I saw a shadow.
Someone was standing just outside my window, barely visible in
the dim light. I froze. I didn't want to believe it.
Then I ran to my phone and called nine one one,
(16:22):
my hands shaking so much that I could barely dial.
I gave them my address and they said they'd send
someone out right away. I hung up and looked around
the room. I wanted to leave. I couldn't stay there anymore.
As I turned to grab my jacket, I heard something
(16:43):
from the hallway, A slow creak. Someone was moving through
the house without hesitation. I ran for the back door,
flinging it open and tearing through the woods. I ran
as fast as I could, not stopping to look back.
My lungs burned with every step. By the time I
(17:06):
made it to the edge of the property, I could
see the flashing lights of the police cars in the distance.
I waited behind a tree as the officers arrived at
the house, guns drawn, searching the place, but they never
found anything. I haven't been able to stay the night
(17:27):
there ever since. The cabin is still there, sitting alone
in the woods, but it doesn't feel like home anymore.
Every time I close my eyes, I hear that tap,
tap tap against the window.
When my cousin Cody and I were in our early twenties,
we went on a handful of camping trips around Colorado.
This happened when I was twenty two and he was
twenty three, and it took place in Urbo Forest. It
was my first time camping there, but not Cody's. As
(00:21):
we often did, we were camping in the middle of
the week, since our jobs allowed us to take off
days during the week and we liked to avoid the
weekend crowds. I always let Cody take charge on these trips,
since he's the eagle scout, not me. We parked near
a picnic area and set foot into the woods from there.
(00:44):
After about fifteen minutes of hiking deeper into the forest,
we found a good spot to set up camp, a
clearing big enough for two tenths, a portable stove, and
a camp fire. The first thing we did was unpack
our stuff and set up the tents. Cody was always
much quicker than me when it came to pitching a tent.
(01:07):
He could do it in just a few minutes, while
it always took me over twenty minutes. Or rather it
used to take me over twenty minutes since I haven't
been camping in the wilderness again since this trip. Next,
we created a ring of stones for the fire and
gathered some sticks and wood. Cody brought some fire starter
(01:32):
and a lighter, so I guess we kind of cheated,
but a well. By then, the sun was starting to
set and we had a fire going. Cody was grilling
up some steak and burgers. One thing about Cody is
he always went all out with food on these trips,
and he's a really good cook, so I always trusted
(01:53):
him to feed us. Of course, we had our bear
spray in case the smell of food attracted a black bear,
although Cody always said that was very unlikely. He always
claimed that the real thing to worry about in the
woods was other people. As we ate our steak and burghers,
(02:14):
we cracked open some beers and played classic rock on
the speaker. If you've never been camping, you might not
understand how good the vibe is sitting in the wilderness
with a friend or family member, having a few beers,
reminiscing about good times, and vibing to music. As it
(02:34):
got dark, we started playing card games on the little
folding platform table we brought specifically for cards. Eventually we
started playing uno. That was when we started hearing something
out in the woods. I paused the music on my
phone so the speaker went silent. It was clear now
(02:56):
we could hear a person humming and footsteps from beyond
the trees in the pitch blackness of the forest. Cody
urged me to find the flashlight, but by the time
I did, the sounds had faded away. I asked him
if it was something we should be concerned about, and
he said it was definitely unusual for someone else to
(03:18):
be that deep in the woods, let alone creeping around
without a flashlight by someone else's campsite and humming loudly.
I was a bit shaken, and I could tell Cody
was too, but we went back to playing cards, keeping
the music much lower now. Then, when we had finally
(03:41):
let our guards down again, a big stick landed in
the middle of the campsite, making us both jump out
of our skin. It didn't fall from a tree. This
thing had been thrown at us. Cody started yelling something
along the lines of whoever's out, they're messing with us,
get a life. Then footsteps could be heard again walking away.
(04:08):
I suggested that we pack up and move somewhere else,
but Cody said absolutely not. He told me to keep
the bear spray close by when we went to sleep.
It was the closest thing we had to a weapon.
We kept hearing sounds like tree branches cracking in the distance,
sounds you don't expect animals to make Someone was out there,
(04:34):
maybe even multiple people. Eventually we agreed to take turns
going to sleep while the other kept watch to make
sure no one came to our campsite. Cody agreed to
take the first watch. He said he would stay up
and read his book. So I crawled into my tent,
(04:54):
got into my sleeping bag, and went to sleep. Waking
up in the middle of the night. While camping is normal,
you're in a cold, outdoor environment, in an uncomfortable sleeping bag,
and any number of things could wake you up. I
didn't know what woke me up at first, though. My
(05:15):
brain was still foggy and I couldn't quite tell what
was happening. But then I looked up and saw a
head peering into my tent. I rubbed my eyes, but
the darkness made it hard to see anything. I said Cody,
thinking he was waking me up to take my turn
(05:36):
keeping watch? Is it my turn? I asked groggly. Then
I heard the zipper on the tent quickly zip up,
and his head disappeared. I laid back down in my
sleeping bag, but only for a second. Suddenly I had
(05:57):
a weird moment of clarity. I shot up into an
upright position and listened as the footsteps walked away. Cody
I said, he didn't answer. I unzipped my tent to
peek outside, and the fire was dead. Cody was gone.
(06:19):
I went over to his tent, which was zipped up,
and opened it to find him fast asleep in his
sleeping bag. I got chills, goosebumps, whatever you call em,
and almost passed out at the realization. I started shaking
him awake. When he finally stirred, I told him someone
(06:40):
else is here. It took him a minute to come
back to reality, just like I did, but when he did,
he grabbed the bear spray. He said he must have
dozed off while reading. He told me I should sleep
in the tent with him that night, but I'd need
my sleeping bag. He came out outside with me to
(07:01):
stand watch while I ran to my tent to grab it.
While I was rolling up the sleeping bag, I heard
that goddamn humming again from outside. Do you hear that?
I asked Cody, and he said yes. We rushed back
to his tent and zipped it up with our cans
of bare spray by our sides. I'll tell you, in
(07:25):
those moments, I wanted nothing more than for a bear
to come and save the day. The hours dragged on
while I stayed up and Cody slept. After three long,
horrible hours, I woke him up and we switched. When
Cody woke me up in turn, it was almost dawn.
(07:47):
There was light outside. We packed everything up, and by
the time we were done, there was plenty of sunlight
to hike back to the car. While we could have
driven somewhere else for an hour night of camping, neither
of us were feeling it anymore. This had been a
haunting experience, and I think we both just wanted to
(08:09):
be home. It's been six years since that happened, and
Cody's asked me a few times about camping, but I
haven't had much interest since this happened. People are just
too scary. Why was someone stalking our campsite and the
sight of that person's head in the dark, just looking
(08:32):
into my tent. It was straight out of a nightmare.
I may never go camping again. I've always loved the quiet.
I moved up to this little cabin in rural upstate
(08:55):
New York about five years ago, away from the chaos
of the city. The place is big, secluded, and the
woods stretch far beyond my property. The nearest neighbor is
miles away, and the only sounds you can hear are
the wind in the trees and the occasional bird chirping
(09:17):
in the distance. It's peaceful, and that's how I like it.
Fishing is my thing. I spend most of my time
on the lake that sits just behind my house. It's
the perfect place to escape everything. I don't mind being alone, hell,
(09:38):
I enjoy it. The cabin has a huge deck that
looks out over the woods. I often sit out there
with a cold beer in my hand, watching the sun
dip behind the trees and listening to the nighttime sounds
of the woods. It's always been peaceful until two weeks ago.
(10:03):
I was on the deck like usual, just staring into
the dark, when I heard something, a snap of a
twig in the distance. I didn't think much of it.
A deer maybe, or a raccoon. The woods are full
of life, and I've gotten used to the noises over
(10:24):
the years. But as the days went by, the sounds
became more frequent. At first, it was just twigs snapping
or leaves rustling, things I thought were animals. But then
I heard something different, a scratching sound. It came from
(10:47):
the side of the house one night, somewhere near the
window of the spare bedroom. It was very quiet, almost
like it was trying to be sneaky. I stood up
from my chair, my heart pounding a little faster than usual,
and I waited, but nothing came. Probably just a squirrel,
(11:10):
I told myself, but something didn't feel right. I decided
to go inside and lock up for the night. The
next evening, I heard it again, the scratching. It wasn't
just at the side of the house anymore. Now it
was closer, and it sounded like it was coming from
(11:34):
right outside the window. I froze, listening carefully as my
nerves started to fray. I couldn't explain it, but something
felt off. I went to the window and pulled the
curtains back slightly to see what was outside. The moonlight
(11:57):
illuminated the trees, casting long shadows across the yard. The
wind was still, and everything seemed normal. I didn't see
any animals or people. I told myself it was just
my imagination running wild. It had probably been a branch
(12:19):
brushing up against the window, or maybe just the wind.
I told myself it wasn't anything to worry about, and
I went to bed. The next night, it wasn't just
scratching any more. It became a light tapping, as if
(12:39):
somebody were trying to get my attention. I jumped out
of bed and grabbed a flashlight, creeping through the dark
hallway toward the spare bedroom. When I reached the window,
I shone the flashlight outside. There was nothing there, just
the same empty woods. But I couldn't shake the feeling
(13:02):
that I wasn't alone. I knew something was wrong. I
tried to go back to bed, but I couldn't sleep.
Every little noise seemed louder, and every creak of the
floorboard sounded like someone moving around in the house. I
stayed awake listening, but eventually I fell asleep out of
(13:27):
sheer exhaustion. The nights went on and the sounds didn't stop.
I'd hear them every night, always the same, A tap,
a scratch, sometimes even a faint whisper that seemed to
come from within the walls. I tried to ignore it,
(13:50):
but it was getting harder. One night, I decided to
confront whatever was causing it. I grabbed a crowbar from
shut out back, figuring it might be a good idea
to have something in case things got weird. I went
to the spare bedroom and carefully opened the door. I
(14:11):
hadn't used the room in months. I shone the flashlight
around the room, moving slowly, checking every corner, under the bed,
behind the dresser. Nothing. I stood there for a minute,
feeling like an idiot. There was nothing, just the same
(14:34):
old room. But as I turned to leave, I noticed
that the closet door was slightly ajar. I knew I
hadn't left it that way. My stomach dropped. I slowly
walked over and pulled open the door, and as the
(14:54):
flashlight filled the back corner of the closet, I saw
a small p piece of cloth caught on the edge
of the wall. It looked like a dark, torn piece
of clothing. I couldn't think straight. I backed out of
the room, slammed the door shut and bolted it. I
(15:17):
didn't want to stay in that house another second, so
I went outside, hoping the fresh air would clear my mind.
But the darkness of the woods felt like it was
closing in on me. I slept on the couch that night,
with my crowbar within reach, but I didn't hear anything else.
(15:37):
It was quiet. The next night, just as I was
about to drift off to sleep, I heard it again,
the tap, tap, tap against the window. I jumped up,
heart racing, and grabbed the flashlight. I ran to the
spare bedroom, not caring how loud my footsteps were this time.
(16:02):
When I pulled back the curtain, I saw a shadow.
Someone was standing just outside my window, barely visible in
the dim light. I froze. I didn't want to believe it.
Then I ran to my phone and called nine one one,
(16:22):
my hands shaking so much that I could barely dial.
I gave them my address and they said they'd send
someone out right away. I hung up and looked around
the room. I wanted to leave. I couldn't stay there anymore.
As I turned to grab my jacket, I heard something
(16:43):
from the hallway, A slow creak. Someone was moving through
the house without hesitation. I ran for the back door,
flinging it open and tearing through the woods. I ran
as fast as I could, not stopping to look back.
My lungs burned with every step. By the time I
(17:06):
made it to the edge of the property, I could
see the flashing lights of the police cars in the distance.
I waited behind a tree as the officers arrived at
the house, guns drawn, searching the place, but they never
found anything. I haven't been able to stay the night
(17:27):
there ever since. The cabin is still there, sitting alone
in the woods, but it doesn't feel like home anymore.
Every time I close my eyes, I hear that tap,
tap tap against the window.
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