Scary Campfire Stories

From LoveToKnow Camping

While camping is most often one of the most relaxing and enjoyable activities to do in nature, there are a few scary campfire stories that may make you think twice before heading out into the woods alone.

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Two Scary Campfire Stories

If you plan to tell the following scary campfire stories during a camping trip, make sure that it's daylight when you share these tales. The first story is a true story that's famous among Appalachian enthusiasts, about two women who were shot during their hiking trip on the trail. The second story is a fictional tale that's based on a very common cause of death in the Grand Canyon.

Murder On The Appalachian Trail

The day that Claudia Brenner and Rebecca Wight were shot was a sunny spring day on the Appalachian Trail. The two women were lovers, and spending some time together after a long hiatus apart. After hiking south for many hours along the Pennsylvania section of the Appalachian Trail (A.T.), the two women pitched a tent at the Birch Run Shelter and slept through the night uneventfully.

The next morning, Rebecca walked over to a lean-to to check for their hikers' logbook. She did so nude, because it was a very warm day and nudity is a common luxury among many hikers in a secluded campground. Unfortunately, she encountered a man sitting there. After an uncomfortable exchange, Rebecca returned to the tent and both women quickly got dressed and left the campsite in search of a more private place where the two could enjoy nature in peace.

At one point, as they stopped to check their map for directions, the rough-looking man came up behind them and asked them if they were "lost already." This time the two women noticed that the man was carrying a rifle. Unnerved, Rebecca and Claudia headed a side trail to avoid the strange man. As the day progressed they soon forgot about the spooky encounter. Eventually, they came to a beautiful, secluded campsite beside a small stream. As they relaxed by the stream, the mood turned romantic. Claudia suggested that they pitch a tent for the evening, and seconds later the first gunshot rang out.

The first shot hit Claudia in the arm. Rebecca told Claudia to get down low, but the next four shots all struck Claudia, once even in the head. Realizing they had to take cover, Claudia first ran to the large hemlock in the middle of the campsite. But when Rebecca ran for the tree as well, she was hit twice, in the head and the back. As both women escaped the campsite in terror, Rebecca couldn't continue on, so Claudia had to leave her. After a long and terrifying hike out of the woods, Claudia hailed a car. Unfortunately, when the rescuers found Rebecca later, she had already died from her injuries.

Death In The Grand Canyon

In the summer of 1996, a group of college students from Phoenix, Arizona decided to take a road trip to the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is an amazing natural wonder - however, in the summer it is a giant bowl that collects solar radiation from the sun, catapulting temperatures to well over 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Every summer, dozens of tourists fall victim to dehydration, heat exhaustion and sunstroke. Unfortunately, this particular group of college students knew very little about the Canyon. In total, they brought along only four bottles of water each, and were wearing nothing more than shorts and t-shirts.

The group arrived at the South Rim at around 8:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning. The temperature was a mild 80 degrees Fahrenheit, so they felt comfortable and positive about the hike. The group consisted of three boys, Tom, Henry and John. There were also two girls, Sandra and Elizabeth. By 8:45 a.m., the group was standing at the edge of the canyon, soaking in the hypnotic view of the far-reaching vista. By 9 a.m., they were headed down the trail.

The hike down was uneventful. However, once the students made it to the bottom of the canyon, temperatures had already reached 95 degrees. After exploring the inner canyon briefly, all five students were perspiring heavily, and more than half of their drinking water was already gone. By the time they decided to leave, temperatures were already topping almost 115 degrees. No longer able to handle the heat, the group decided to hike out as soon as possible and get back to the car. However, about halfway up toward the South Rim, it became very clear that the hike out was going to be impossible. Due to dizziness from heat exhaustion, Sandra stepped poorly on a rock and tore her ankle so badly that she couldn't walk on it. Tom and Henry tried to help her along, but all three were becoming too exhausted to even stand.

Horror struck the group when Tom, attempting to peer out over a ledge to see how far they'd climbed, became dizzy, slipped and tumbled over the edge to his death on the rocks far below. Once the reality of this accident sunk in, panic ensued. John and Elizabeth decided they wouldn't wait on the trail to die, so they continued on up the trail, only to pass out from heat stroke less than a quarter of a mile later. Henry, who had stayed behind with his injured girlfriend, eventually succumbed to the heat, as did she. Once the Rangers discovered the members of the group hours later, they found four dead from the elements and one killed by the impact of the tremendous fall.

Have you ever experienced anything scary while camping? Share your experiences in the comments section below..

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