It's Dark Outside

Latest Stories

Books & Media

Our Obsession with Ghost Stories Reveals Something Much Darker

Author of 'This Haunted Land,' Betsy Gaines Quammen, explains why turning haunted places into thrills ignores centuries of unresolved trauma. Reckoning with that painful history, she argues, is the only way to truly understand the country's ghost stories.

Abigail WiseOctober 23, 2026

Exploration & Survival

I Was Camping in the Alaskan Wilderness When Three Shadow Figures Appeared Outside My Tent

Deep in Alaska’s Crescent Creek, a middle-of-the-night visit led to a lesson in Dena'ina spirit lore, archaeological memory, and what happens when we disturb the past.

Madison DapcevichOctober 22, 20262

Exploration & Survival

"Almost Nothing Is Easy." I Live in a Ghost Town and the Lifestyle Is Unrelenting.

My mailbox is an hour away, my driveway is an eight-mile dirt road, and winter mornings often drop to 17 degrees indoors. But six years after buying Cerro Gordo, I'm still here.

Brent UnderwoodOctober 21, 20263

North America

I Grew Up Near 54-Mile Ghost Town Trail. Here Is What Happens After Dark.

The 54-mile path winding through Cambria and Indiana Counties is a scenic outdoor escape by day. But after nightfall, the abandoned mining towns and centuries-old cemeteries give you the chills.

Bree MontoyaOctober 16, 2026

Water Sports

Whitewater Rafters Keep Seeing a Mysterious "Ghost Woman" in Idaho’s Backcountry

Banshee. La Llorena. Bean Nigh. Weiße Frau. The Lady in White goes by many names, her haunted tales spanning centuries and cultures. But on the River of No Return, modern-day backcountry explorers still hear the Salmon Siren's riverside wails.

Madison DapcevichOctober 15, 20261

Books & Media

I Have Run Outdoor Haunts for More Than a Decade. Here Is What Goes on Behind the Scenes.

A veteran of the scare industry explains how actors prepare in the dark, the strict protocols for physical contact, and what it really takes to keep terrified visitors safe in spooky outdoor haunts.

Angelica HaggertOctober 14, 20261

North America

Witches Are Taking Over America's Waterways on Paddleboards. Here's Where to See Them.

What started in 2013 as an informal California birthday outing has expanded into a coast-to-coast Halloween tradition of revelers in witch and warlock costumes floating on harbors, rivers, and lakes across the country. From Sleepy Hollow to Seattle, here is where costumed flotillas are gathering this month, and why the movement keeps growing.

Kinsey GidickOctober 13, 20268

Essays

“It Levels Time and Space.” What I Learned From the Cemetery Hiking Trend.

Outdoor enthusiasts are turning to historic graveyards for nature walks and quiet reflection. A trip through an abandoned Washington ghost town reveals why this Victorian-era tradition is making a comeback.

Ryleigh NucilliOctober 8, 20262

North America

6 Ghost Towns You Can Sleep In. Or Try to, at Least.

From restored miners’ cabins in Montana to desert outpost campgrounds in Nevada and California, these places offer an eerie overnight experience that no hotel can match.

Kinsey GidickOctober 5, 20261

Essays

It's Dark Outside

Every day for the month of October, we’re updating this page with a story that explores the spooky, the strange, and the mysterious sides of the outdoors. Check back daily as we count down to Halloween with a mix of brand-new tales and resurrected favorites from our archive.

Abigail WiseOctober 23, 2026

Exploration & Survival

That Creepy Feeling You’re Being Watched in the Dark? It Has a Scientific Name.

On a late-night drive to Zion, an unexplainable sensation of unseen eyes took over. It turns out that eerie backcountry feeling has a name—and a deep evolutionary purpose.

Nicole FacchinaOctober 1, 20262

Essays

Why We Love Getting Scared in the Woods

Researchers have identified a sweet spot between fear and fun that explains our obsession with creepy night hikes and haunted campfires. We compiled a month of terrifying tales in our It's Dark Outside series to celebrate that exact feeling.

Abigail WiseOctober 1, 20261

North America

The Strangest Unsolved Mysteries in America’s Great Outdoors

From a half-million symmetrical lakes to a lost gold mine, our national parks and public lands are home to fascinating and bizarre mysteries you can unravel on the ground

Mike BezemekOctober 29, 20252

Essays

What It's Like to Spend a Night with Ghost Hunters

I tagged along on a ghost hunt to explore why we keep looking for something beyond ourselves

Blair BravermanOctober 29, 20252

Destinations

America's Most Haunted Trails

Spooky season is here! We hit the road to explore some of the scariest treks from coast to coast. From the Witch's Castle in Oregon, to Maiden Cliff in Maine, these trails have frightening lore.

Emilee CoblentzOctober 16, 20252

National Parks

Spooky Ghost Stories from Haunted U.S. National Parks

A searching mother, a headless gunslinger, a mysterious light to show you the way: these national parks are home to hair-raising tales

Graham AverillOctober 28, 2025

Destinations

This TikToker Is Highlighting the Spookiest Lakes in the World

Swimming over dead bodies, haunted shipwrecks, and a mysterious floating stump

Abigail WiseOctober 3, 2025

North America

The Most Adventurous Ghost Towns to Explore Across the U.S.

From Arkansas to Wyoming, these abandoned towns are packed with history and located on stunning public land. For some of them, it’s an adventure just to reach them.

Mike BezemekSeptember 24, 2021

North America

Spend the Night at These Haunted Campgrounds—If You Dare

Forget haunted houses and corn mazes. Head out to the woods instead, where the real scares await.

Taylor GeeOctober 15, 2019

Exploration & Survival

How 1,600 People Disappeared on Our Public Lands

When 18-year-old Joe Keller vanished from a dude ranch in Colorado's Rio Grande National Forest, he joined the ranks of those missing on public land. No official tally exists, but their numbers are growing. And when an initial search turns up nothing, who'll keep looking?

Jon BillmanMarch 13, 2017

It's Dark Outside

Latest Stories

Our Obsession with Ghost Stories Reveals Something Much Darker

I Was Camping in the Alaskan Wilderness When Three Shadow Figures Appeared Outside My Tent

"Almost Nothing Is Easy." I Live in a Ghost Town and the Lifestyle Is Unrelenting.

I Grew Up Near 54-Mile Ghost Town Trail. Here Is What Happens After Dark.

Whitewater Rafters Keep Seeing a Mysterious "Ghost Woman" in Idaho’s Backcountry

I Have Run Outdoor Haunts for More Than a Decade. Here Is What Goes on Behind the Scenes.

Witches Are Taking Over America's Waterways on Paddleboards. Here's Where to See Them.

“It Levels Time and Space.” What I Learned From the Cemetery Hiking Trend.

6 Ghost Towns You Can Sleep In. Or Try to, at Least.

It's Dark Outside

That Creepy Feeling You’re Being Watched in the Dark? It Has a Scientific Name.

Why We Love Getting Scared in the Woods

The Strangest Unsolved Mysteries in America’s Great Outdoors

What It's Like to Spend a Night with Ghost Hunters

America's Most Haunted Trails

Spooky Ghost Stories from Haunted U.S. National Parks

This TikToker Is Highlighting the Spookiest Lakes in the World

The Most Adventurous Ghost Towns to Explore Across the U.S.

Spend the Night at These Haunted Campgrounds—If You Dare

How 1,600 People Disappeared on Our Public Lands

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