We’re often all encouraged to spend more time in nature, to explore the forests, lakes, and mountains of our home countries. You know, that it’s good for the soul. And for many these places are a sanctuary, far removed from the dangers and grime of the modern city. But for some, this search for a serene spot in the countryside brings them face to face with fear, danger, and mystery. Here are 10 spooky wilderness mysteries.

1. Knocking at the Door

Several years ago, Redditor, Shadowhandler, was staying in a cabin in a remote part of the Idaho wilderness with a friend. The cabin itself was up a narrow track, 50 miles from the nearest town.

At midnight, the two friends were lying in bunk beds, laughing about something, when they heard a loud scraping noise at the door. Just as one asked the other, “Did you hear that?” Someone or something knocked loudly on the wooden door of the cabin. The friends were in disbelief that anyone could have found the cabin, and they were especially concerned that when challenged, whoever was at the door did not answer, they just knocked.

The friends waited for sunlight, keeping their eyes on the door. And when they investigated outside, there were no tracks in the ground. As if whatever it was, had never existed.

2. The Rider

Redditor, Rulybear, shared his experience of being involved in a spooky wilderness mystery. He and a few friends were riding quad bikes across remote desert trails one night. While they were taking a break for a moment, they heard a noise. It was another quad biker. He asked if he could ride along side them. On a narrow trail, they set off once more with the mysterious quad biker at the back of the line.

As they reached the top of the hill, which looked over the landscape. The bikers looked back to see their new companion had vanished. Even though he had been there moments before.

Looking down at the desert, there were no lights. And when they killed their engines, they should have heard him, even if he was some distance away. But there was no hum of an engine. The phantom rider had completely vanished.

3. Digging in the Woods

Another online poster shared their story. They were exploring a remote area in their car. The idea was that since they didn’t know the area well, that they could scout it out first then identify some good hiking routes that they could later tackle on foot. Turning onto a long stretch of track, they continued until reaching a dead end. Realizing it was getting dark, they drove back the way they came. But the return journey was very different.

Halfway along the road, the dimmed figure of a man in tattered clothes, came into view. He was covered in dirt and carrying a shovel. Clearly, he had been digging something in the woods. Shocked, the friends drove past him as he stared at them.

They never found out what the man was doing out there in the middle of nowhere in the dark like that.

4. Nearly There

One member of a search and rescue unit, going by the handle, Pmon13, shared an eerie story about a missing person case. Two men were hiking across a backcountry trail, when one of them began to feel ill. Knowing that they were close to where they parked their car, the sick man’s friend agreed to go to the car and get some medication for him. He left the man sitting in the middle of the trail, but when he returned the sick man had vanished.

The search and rescue team thought it would be easy to find the man, seeing as that it was a busy park, and he had been missing only for a short while. Despite bringing in sniffer dogs and countless park rangers, all they found was the man’s phone and a few personal items. Theories about the disappearance include, the man having taken drugs or that he was taken by something else entirely.

5. The Scent

One story circulating about strange mysteries in the wilderness is an unnerving encounter in the mountains north of Idaho City. A father and son were hunting in the woods, when they smelled something burning. Suddenly, something rushed through the trees towards them. The father instinctively grabbed his son and pulled him to the ground, making sure that they both lay as still as possible so as to not be found. But when the son looked up, he saw that an entire elk had been cremated. They headed for the car after that, but whatever was in the forest soon followed.

Once again they heard the sound of something rushing through the trees. But this time, even though it was dusk the sky around them lit up like daylight. When the light dimmed, they made it back to the car. But they were never quite sure what they had encountered out there.

6. The Lone Gunshot

Redditor, Verdict_US posted about a frightening experience that he had in 2012. At the time, he was with a couple of friends and had been camping in Northern California for three months straight. Things were going great, that was until they hiked south and then set up camp just as the sun began to set.

After relaxing for a while beneath the stars they went to sleep. In the middle of the night, they woke to the sound of voices in the distance. Worse still, one of the voices wasn’t just talking. It was screaming. As the friends strain their ears to hear what was being said, a solitary gunshot echoed out across the nocturnal landscape.

The screaming stopped, so did the other two voices. Replaced by the eeriness of the silent night.

7. Camouflage

A common experience when in a forest is to feel like you’re being watched. Most of the time it’s nothing, but in some instances that unsettling feeling of being watched is there for a reason.

Take the example of one Redditor, who used to go on climbing trips with some friends. One time, her friend left her bag outside of the tent overnight. When they awoke in the morning, the contents had been rummaged through. They thought that it must have been an animal. The following year however, they camped on the same spot. It was dark and the only light was from the campfire. That was when they noticed something moving.

A man in camouflage gear, lying on his stomach, watching the group. When he realized he had been spotted, he disappeared and they never found out who he was or what he would have done, had he not been seen.

8. Unknown Tracks

Blogger, The Vertical Adventurer came across an unsettling mystery while exploring Mt. Mee National Park in Australia. He was fascinated by the creeks there and the surrounding forest was lush, green, and life-affirming. He was fascinated by the creeks there and the surrounding forest was lush, green, and life-affirming.

As he crossed a creek on a tree log, which had fallen across the water, he noticed something on a sandy bank. Clear as day he could see some massive paw prints. Alongside them was a small set of similar prints. The blogger realized that the animal had young offspring with it and had crossed the creek across the fallen tree like he had.

There was just one problem, no known animal in Australia could have made those tracks. Despite being an experienced explorer, The Vertical Adventurer, took some photos and left the area as quickly and quietly as he could.

9. A New Friend

One couple, while hiking on a trail to Springer Mountain, encountered a man who offered to drive them to a nearby campsite.

The man drove through the wilderness with them, but ranted about how his wife was currently in labor and he was just out to clear his mind for a while. He then pulled up outside a strange old house in the woods. He persuaded the couple to take some pictures in front of the house, urging them to smile in one photo and then look angry in the next.

Worried, they persuaded the man to finally drive them to the campsite. The couple waited at the campsite for a while after leaving the man. And then decided to drive their own car to a nearby hotel just to be safe. When they did, they saw the man sitting in his car at the campsite, watching them. They never found out who he was or who’s house that was in the woods.