318: The Murder of Tomomi Hanamure. Grand Canyon National Park.
On May 8th, 2006 to celebrate her 34th birthday, Tomomi Hanamure laced up her hiking boots, as she had done so many times before, for an adventure. Her return journey to the Grand Canyon was a way to mark another year around the sun, to a place she felt so personally drawn to. Tragically, the date that marked her entrance into this world would also be the day someone violently ripped her out of it.
More info on WFA classes HERE
Sources:
Book: Pure Land: A True Story of Three Lives, Three Cultures and the Search for Heaven on Earth
Articles: High Country News, Backpacker
Web Pages: National Parks Service
Podcast: Park Predators
For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at:
Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark
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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!
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BetterHelp: National Park After Dark is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off.
Soul: For 30% off your order, head to GetSoul.com and use code NPAD.
Hello Fresh: Use our link to get up to 10 FREE meals and a free item for life.
IQBAR: Text PARK to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products and free shipping.
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317: Trail Tales 75
Today’s stories include traumatizing children, urns in odd places and a day of the grizzlies. Outsiders Only bonus stories available for Patreon and Apple Subscribers!
Listen to Watch Her Cook on Apple and Spotify! Follow us on Instagram
For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes
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!
Coyuchi: Get 15% off when you visit Coyuchi.com/npad.
Graza: Add Graza Olive Oil to your summertime patio party arsenal. Visit https://graza.co/NPAD and use promo code NPAD today for 10% off of the TRIO!
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316: The Wildest Woman in America and the Fight to Protect Cumberland Island National Seashore.
She’s been called the wildest woman in America—and with good reason. Carol Ruckdeschel has wrestled alligators, dissected roadkill in the name of science, and lived off the grid in the wilderness she vowed to defend. But behind the sensational headlines is a sharp, fearless conservationist whose tireless efforts helped protect one of the last truly wild places in the Southeast: Cumberland Island National Seashore. Taking on powerful families and even the National Park Service, Carol waged a relentless fight to preserve the island’s fragile ecosystems—and she won, but the fight isn’t over.
SOURCES:
“Wild Woman Carol Ruckdeschel, the ‘Jane Goodall of sea turtles’ and more,” by Maria Dintino (Nasty Women Writers, 2025).
“Last Stop on the Way to the Cosmos? No Thanks,” by Alexandra Marvar (The New York Times, 2021).
Untamed: The Wildest Woman in America and the Fight for Cumberland Island, by Will Harlan (2014).
“Travels in Georgia,” by John McPhee (The New Yorker, 1973).
For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes
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!
Blueland: Use our link to get 15% off your first order.
Ollie: Take the online quiz and introduce Ollie to your pet. Visit https://ollie.com/npad today for 60% off your first box of meals! #ToKnowThemIsToLoveThem
Quince: Use our link to get free shipping and 365-day returns.
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315: NPAD Goes Lights Out. The Butcher Baker of Alaska.
Today’s episode is a collaboration a long time coming! Our friends Josh and Austin of the Lights Out podcast hosted us in their studio during a recent trip to Denver to discuss the extremely disturbing case of Robert Hansen aka The Butcher Baker.
Listen to Lights Out wherever you listen to your favorite shows!
For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes
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!
Rocket Money: Use our link to get started saving.
IQBAR: Text PARK to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products and free shipping.
Naked Wines: To get 6 bottles of wine for $39.99, head to NakedWines.com/NPAD and use code NPAD for both the code AND PASSWORD.
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314: Trail Tales 74
Today’s stories include getting schmacked, stinky ghosts, victorian asylums, salty situations and rescues from beyond the grave. Outsiders Only bonus stories available for Patreon and Apple Subscribers!
Listen to Watch Her Cook on Apple and Spotify! Follow us on Instagram
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!
Soul: For 30% off your order, head to GetSoul.com and use code NPAD.
ZocDoc: Use our link to download the ZocDoc app for free.
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.
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