Unexplained Encounters
True Crime & Paranormal
About
(Formerly the Darkness Prevails Podcast) Host Darkness Prevails brings you Unexplained Encounters, a podcast where everyday folk share their most terrifying and unexplained experiences. From mysterious creatures seen in national forests to supernatural events disrupting peoples' lives, prepare to explore the unexplained. These stories might sound bizarre, but it's up to you to decide which to believe. Submit your story to Unexplained Encounters at darkstories.org
Episodes
- Eater
This episode of Unexplained Encounters describes a terrifying and allegedly true story. A teenager in the woods of Missouri encounters an almost human entity during a walk.
- Never Answer the Voices in the Woods of APPALACHIA
This episode features real accounts of encounters with skinwalkers, monsters in Appalachia, and experiences with unexplainable activity within homes.
- Something in the Mountains TOOK My Baby
This episode of Unexplained Encounters tells the story of two sisters on a road trip whose baby was taken by non-human hands. The event occurred in the mountains during a rainstorm.
- Moving to the Middle of Nowhere was the WORST MISTAKE I'VE EVER MADE
In this episode of Unexplained Encounters, a family relocates to a rural Texas property and discovers an ancient presence. The narrative describes the unsettling events they encounter in their new home.
- If You See THIS on the Appalachian Trail RUN
This episode of Unexplained Encounters details a multi-day hike on the Appalachian Trail where two friends are accompanied by a third, unexplained smiling presence. The entity follows them for the duration of their journey.
- I Found What Killed All the Cows on my Uncle's Ranch
This episode of Unexplained Encounters presents three stories, one of which involves a werewolf encounter in the Ozarks. Another story details a vile attack on a ranch.
- The Ultimate Wendigo Compilation
This episode features a compilation of wendigo stories, sightings, and encounters. It offers several hours of content for listeners interested in these tales.
- Something in New Mexico is HUNTING PEOPLE
This episode of Unexplained Encounters describes college students discovering a disturbing creature in the New Mexico desert. The creature then finds its way to their campsite.
- It Wears Human Skin
A national park ranger shares unsettling experiences about what appear to be hyper realistic but fake human bodies. This episode is from the podcast Unexplained Encounters.
- DON'T RESPOND if the Lake Calls Your Name
A couple moves into a home by a quiet lake and soon discovers a mysterious entity living in the water. The entity targets one of them, leading to an unexplained encounter.
- 577 | The Ozark Mountains Have Rules - Obey Them or DIE
This episode of Unexplained Encounters discusses strange events in the Missouri Ozarks. It centers on rules given by grandparents and the consequences of ignoring them, implying a hungry entity. More stories are available on YouTube.
- 576 | If You Listen to This in the Appalachian Mountains, You Will Regret It (COMPILATION)
This episode of Unexplained Encounters features almost 5 hours of Appalachian Trail and Appalachian Mountains horror stories. The show offers scary stories to keep listeners awake.
- 575 | If It Rains While You're Hiking in Olympic National Park, EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY
Friends hiking in Olympic National Park stumble upon a living horror from indigenous legend. The experience forever changes their lives.
- 574 | It Wakes Up Every 17 Years (DON'T GO NEAR THE TREELINE)
This episode of Unexplained Encounters discusses an event in 1998 when Brood IV cicadas emerged in Missouri, and something else awoke with them, impacting five friends. The episode details how this mysterious occurrence changed their lives.
- 573 | What Happens When a Skinwalker Breaks into a Zoo
This Unexplained Encounters episode describes two zookeepers' disturbing night as an unknown entity, neither human nor animal, arrives at the zoo during a storm. The episode explores their unexplained encounter.
- Why Wildlife Control Won't Enter the San Rafael Swell
A former predator control officer is hired to investigate cattle deaths reported by two ranch owners in the San Rafael Swell. The nature of the killings suggests an unusual perpetrator.
- Something in the Appalachian Mountains TOOK My Brother
A man recounts a hunting trip in the Appalachian Mountains where he and his brother were stalked by an unknown presence that attempted to enter their cabin. This story is featured on the Unexplained Encounters podcast.
- When the Woods Go Silent, You Have 10 Minutes Left
A forest worker shares his traumatic and disturbing experiences while working in the woods. He discusses a specific rule he learned regarding why forests sometimes become completely silent.
- The Absolute SCARIEST Stories of 2025
This is a New Year's episode of Unexplained Encounters featuring a collection of scary stories.
- DON'T Drive Through the California Desert After Dark
In this episode of Unexplained Encounters, a group of teenagers on an unauthorized desert drive encounter an unsettling, hungry creature.
- The Police Covered Up Wendigo Killings in Wisconsin
This episode of Unexplained Encounters examines a case from a Wisconsin winter where a stranded family was killed by a creature, with claims of a subsequent police cover-up. It explores the disturbing evidence surrounding the incident.
- Why You Should NEVER Whistle in the Woods
In this episode of Unexplained Encounters, a man and his grandfather experience something unsettling while hunting near a cave close to their cabin in Minnesota.
- The "Alaskan Tree God" Incident of 1989
This episode explores the 1989 incident involving two friends on Dalton Road in Alaska and its long-lasting impact on them.
- Deadly Intent
This episode of Unexplained Encounters is titled Deadly Intent. Listeners can access the episode via the provided link.
- Doghead: The Story that will BREAK YOU
Two friends on a road trip encounter an unsettling situation involving an antique they purchased. This episode of Unexplained Encounters features music by LXZURAY and Darkness Prevails.
- Marines VS Skinwalker
Four marines stationed at an Arizona desert checkpoint share an account of an encounter with a skinwalker.
- The Skinwalker that Forced a Town to Evacuate
A police officer recounts a series of unexplained events in an Arizona town that resulted in a mandatory evacuation. The narrative explores the possibility that a skinwalker was responsible for the incident.
- What Killed 47 Sheep Overnight in the North Cascades?
This episode of Unexplained Encounters examines a 1952 incident in the North Cascades where a family's sheep were killed overnight by unknown creatures. The program explores the nature of these animals and whether they remain in the area.
- The Most Disturbing Appalachian Story I've Ever Read
In this episode, the host shares a disturbing story about four friends who went camping in the Appalachian Mountains, resulting in one of them not returning. The episode features music by LAZURAY.
- The Deadliest Secret of the Ozarks Hunted my Family for 15 Years
A storyteller shares a near-lifelong experience of being tormented by an unknown entity in the Ozark Mountains, an encounter linked to the death of various pets and animals. The episode explores potential connections to creatures like the…
- The Most Terrifying Skinwalker Story on the Internet
This episode of Unexplained Encounters features a skinwalker story centered on themes of distrust and behavioral change. Music for the episode is provided by LAZURAY.
- 544 | 5 Appalachian Trail Murders and Disappearances that will DISTURB YOU
This episode of Unexplained Encounters examines five cases of missing persons and murders along the Appalachian Trail, including the stories of Louise Chaput, Scott Lilly, Trenny Gibson, and Derek Lueking.
- 543 | DISTURBING Monster Found in Superior National Forest Lake - 9 REAL Encounters with the Unexplained
This episode of Unexplained Encounters features nine real-life stories involving strange phenomena, including encounters with a potential dragon or demon at Caribou Lake, a hellhound, skinwalkers, and other unsettling experiences.
- 542 | WARNING: Australian SKINWALKER Loose in the Countryside! 7 True HORROR Stories of the Unexplained
This episode of Unexplained Encounters explores seven true horror stories, including tales of shapeshifting creatures in Australia, Kentucky, and the Cascades, as well as accounts of haunted locations and mysterious entities.
- 541 | What Park Rangers DON'T Want You to Know | National and State Park HORROR Stories Compilation
This episode of Unexplained Encounters features a compilation of stories from national and state parks. The accounts include reports of unexplained disappearances and other frightening experiences shared by park rangers and visitors.
- 540 | NEVER Go Hunting in the Cumberland Mountains | 6 TRUE Horror Stories of the Unexplained
This episode features six true horror stories involving unexplained encounters, ranging from a strange meeting in the Cumberland Mountains to experiences with haunted houses and mysterious presences. Listeners hear accounts of supernatural…
- 539 | Evil Witch ATTACKED Our Cabin in the Woods - 6 TRUE Scary Stories of the Unexplained
This episode features six true stories of the unexplained, including an account of a couple terrorized by a witch in the woods, a dormitory encounter, a lake UFO sighting, and other paranormal experiences.
- 538 | 10 REAL Dogman Attacks and Mysterious Creature Encounters
This episode of Unexplained Encounters features ten stories regarding dogman attacks and other mysterious creature sightings.
- 537 | NEVER Whistle in the Appalachian Mountains - 9 TRUE Horror Stories
This episode of Unexplained Encounters features nine listener-submitted horror stories, including two accounts of dogman encounters. The stories cover various paranormal and unsettling experiences.
- 536 | Wendigo KILLINGS at the Cabin in the Woods - 6 TRUE Horror Stories
This episode explores six true personal horror stories, including accounts of a dangerous cabin experience and other unexplained encounters. Hosted on the Unexplained Encounters podcast, it features narration of listener-submitted tales.
- 535 | 6 NEW Hiking HORROR Stories
This episode of Unexplained Encounters features six listener-submitted stories regarding unsettling experiences while hiking. The accounts include encounters with Bigfoot, mysterious figures, and other strange occurrences in the woods.
- 534 | 5 Extremely Disturbing Wrong Turn Stories
This episode of Unexplained Encounters features five listener-submitted stories about unsettling experiences while taking the wrong path, including tales about the woodsman, camping incidents, and strange sightings.
- 533 | The Haunting that CHANGED Me Forever - 10 TRUE Stories of the Unexplained
This episode of Unexplained Encounters explores 10 true stories of the unexplained, including a road trip encounter at a secluded restaurant and a collection of personal ghost and supernatural experiences submitted by listeners.
- 532 | I'd Rather Die Than Work That Farm At Night Again - 7 TRUE Stories of the Unexplained
This episode of Unexplained Encounters features seven true stories detailing paranormal and mysterious experiences, including encounters with a humanoid creature on a farm, cryptids, and other unsettling phenomena.
- 531 | We Weren't Allowed Outside After Dark - 8 REAL Encounters with the Unexplained
This episode of Unexplained Encounters features eight listener-submitted stories detailing various paranormal and unexplained experiences. The narratives cover encounters with strange creatures, shadow figures, and mysterious entities.
- 530 | 5 REAL Sightings of the Wechuge
This episode of Unexplained Encounters features five listener-submitted accounts involving sightings of the Wechuge. The stories explore supernatural experiences and encounters shared by members of the community.
- 529 | 62 REAL Haunted Forest Stories - COMPILATION
This compilation episode of the Unexplained Encounters podcast features a collection of real stories about haunted forests.
- 528 | Wendigos Are REAL - 4 Real Sightings of The Wendigo
This episode of Unexplained Encounters features four personal stories about reported sightings of the wendigo. These narratives include accounts from anonymous contributors, F. Teller, and Blake W.
- 527 | 40 TRUE Cabin Horror Stories (COMPILATION)
This episode of Unexplained Encounters is a compilation of 40 true cabin horror stories.
- 526 | 4 TRUE Middle of Nowhere HORROR Stories
This episode of Unexplained Encounters features four true horror stories titled "Ol’ Boy Versus the Wendigo," "A Rope, Wet and Tied," "Stalked by Dark Beings in the Highlands," and "The Haunting of our Family Land."