Shenandoah National Park, with its stunning 200,000 acres in Virginia, boasts breathtaking mountains, deep gorges, and wild rivers. Skyline Drive offers scenic views, but beneath this natural beauty lies a darker side. People sometimes go missing here, occasionally for good. Since the National Park Service began in 1916, over 1,000 individuals have disappeared on its lands, with Shenandoah being one such place of mystery.
What happens to them remains a puzzle. Some whisper of cryptids in the Appalachian Mountains. Others might fall victim to harsh weather, accidents, or simply vanish without a trace. While some are thankfully found, others are never seen again, leaving behind unanswered questions and haunting stories.
10 M.N.
In 1987, a large search involving 200 volunteers began for M.N., a Shenandoah National Park ranger. Known as an excellent hiker who had covered most of the Appalachian Trail, he went missing after not showing up for work for two days.
M.N.’s journal revealed he was severely depressed, a fact confirmed by family and friends. However, his journal didn’t mention suicide. Searchers found his pack and personal items, including clothing, a walking stick, a canteen, empty drug containers, and running shoes. The drugs, if taken together in large amounts, could cause hallucinations.
The search was later reduced. Days after, a father and son spotted M.N. on a trail, hiking in his socks and heading south. The search expanded again to 280 volunteers but yielded no new clues. M.N.’s backpack, boots, pants, and a stick with his initials were eventually found. One witness reported seeing a man resembling M.N. near Waynesboro, who hid when spotted. Unfortunately, M.N. was never found.
9 Henson Airlines Passengers
In September 1985, a Henson Airlines commuter plane with 14 people aboard crashed near Harrisonburg, Virginia. It was flying from Baltimore-Washington International Airport to Shenandoah Valley Airport. Rescue workers found no survivors. At the time of the crash, dense fog covered the Shenandoah Mountains, and the plane’s electronic guidance beam wasn’t working correctly.
The pilots had radioed that the plane would be a few minutes late. Then, 15 minutes after it was due, the aircraft vanished from radar. This airport is about 30 miles from Shenandoah Park. Initially, Henson workers weren’t too concerned, as planes often disappeared from monitors when dipping below the Blue Ridge. But when it didn’t reappear, worry set in.
The FAA rules at the time allowed planes to land if the pilot could see the Shenandoah Valley airport from half a mile away. If not, the pilot had to abort the landing. The plane is thought to have crashed on wooded mountains west of Skyline Drive. Tragically, none of the passengers were ever found.
8 Donald “Donny” Wentz
Young Donny Wentz got separated from his church group in 1992 during a park outing. He was only wearing a light jacket over a sweatshirt. Miraculously, he survived for two days in the cold, harsh environment by sleeping under leaves and eating Butterfingers candy bars.
Some elderly hikers, unaware he was lost, even offered him a sandwich. Rangers were concerned because Donny lacked hiking experience. However, he hiked during the day and slept under rock overhangs at night, covered in leaves and sticks. Donny even waved at a helicopter that couldn’t see him through the thick trees.
Eventually, Wentz met a park ranger. He told the ranger he was tired, cold, and worried about missing wrestling practice. After a quick medical check and a more detailed one later, Donny was found to be in good health, apart from a cut knee, some scrapes, and minor hypothermia. He explained he got lost trying to beat his friends to the parking lot. His group lost sight of him after they had hiked over seven miles.
7 David Wayne Harting
In September 2017, Shenandoah National Park announced trail closures for a search. They were looking for 62-year-old David Wayne Harting. The report described him as having gray hair and brown eyes. He drove a Dodge Dakota pickup with Virginia tags, notable for a dent on its rear passenger side. Though often pictured with a full beard, authorities said he might be clean-shaven.
Harting had gone missing on August 25, 2017, from Front Royal, Virginia, less than two miles from the park. He was considered “endangered missing” because he had glaucoma in one eye and needed medication. The case is still active, and Harting remains missing, likely somewhere in the Shenandoah Mountains.
6 A Father and Sons from Baltimore
In August 1962, a father and his two sons from Baltimore, Maryland, got lost near the Lewis Mountain campground in Shenandoah National Park. Lewis Mountain, at mile 57.5, is the park’s smallest campground, appealing to those seeking privacy near popular spots.
Once park rangers learned the family was missing, they quickly formed a search party and looked for them throughout the evening. The next morning, a bloodhound was brought in to assist in the search.
The bloodhound was taken to Lewis Mountain, picked up the father’s scent from an item of clothing, and began following a trail. The dog tracked the family for two miles. It then approached a field where the father and his two sons were found safe. It’s not entirely clear why they got lost, but inexperience is a common reason hikers go missing.
5 Robert “Bobby” Ray Fitzgerald
Bobby Fitzgerald disappeared on November 12, 2012, from Staunton, Virginia, which is less than 17 miles from Shenandoah National Park. The day before, he had been on a three-mile hike on Shenandoah Mountain where he lost his cell phone and shirt. It’s believed that on the day he went missing, Bobby returned to the mountain to find his phone on the Confederate Breastworks Trail, a popular half-mile trail.
Bobby was never heard from again. An extensive search of the area found no trace of him. However, a hiker later found Bobby’s phone. His car, containing a trail pack, was also found at the trailhead. Fitzgerald was an experienced hiker, suggesting he might have been able to survive the elements. His case is the first in Augusta County in over four decades where neither the person nor their body has been located. It remains unsolved.
4 Michael Hugh Camilletti
Michael Hugh Camilletti was last seen on May 22, 2014, at his home in Stanardsville, Virginia, just eight miles from Shenandoah National Park. A retired Army veteran, Camilletti was reported missing on June 12, 2014.
A week later, West Virginia State Police found Camilletti’s vehicle parked off West Virginia’s Williams River Road. This location is about 160 miles from Shenandoah National Park. A note on his windshield stated he was starting a hike on the North-South Trail in the Monongahela National Forest and planned to return in four days. Camilletti was never seen again.
Given Camilletti’s Army background and hiking experience, it’s possible he changed his plans and decided to hike back towards Stanardsville. This could mean that Camilletti might be missing somewhere within Shenandoah National Park. His whereabouts remain unknown.
3 Quinn Renard Woodfolk
Eleven-year-old Quinn Woodfolk went missing from Charlottesville in 1998. He was last seen at Charlottesville’s Friendship Court Apartments, where he had been home alone. When Quinn’s father returned, the boy was gone. It’s believed Quinn left on his own rather than being abducted. Authorities think he might still be in the Charlottesville area, which is about 23 miles from Shenandoah National Park.
The Center for Missing Children has noted that there are few details about this case. The organization collected DNA from several of Quinn’s family members. This was done in hopes of identifying Quinn’s body if it is ever found. If Quinn were alive today, he would be 34 years old. There’s a possibility he sought refuge in Shenandoah National Park and could still be there.
2 Earl Funk
Earl Funk, a ginseng hunter and experienced hiker, lived near Staunton, Virginia. He went missing in Shenandoah in 2008, despite knowing the area well due to living in a cabin close to the park. During the twelve-day search for him, several items were found: Funk’s hat, machete, a boot, cigarettes, and a tent stake used for digging. His ATV was also located.
Although Funk disappeared in early October, the weather was unusually cool, with temperatures dropping to nearly 40°F (4.4°C). Sadly, Funk succumbed to environmental exposure. His body was found by a search party of 150 people at the bottom of a 100-foot rock face in the Cedar Mountain area of Browns Cove. It was later revealed that Funk had an undisclosed medical condition that impaired his abilities.
Some have questioned the official story of Funk’s death. David Paulides, author of the “Missing 411” series, suggests Funk might not have been conscious when he went missing and could have been carried into the woods. However, there is no additional evidence to support these alternative claims.
1 Melissa Torgenson Robbins
Melissa Robbins vanished on July 1, 2016, in Waynesboro, Virginia, less than five miles from Shenandoah National Park. She was never heard from again. After six weeks with no contact, Melissa’s sister, who lived in California, alerted Virginia police. Police have stated that foul play is not suspected, but the long duration of her disappearance is concerning. There have been few, if any, developments in her case since 2016. Months after she went missing, her family members confirmed they still hadn’t spoken to her.
Police noted that Melissa drove a gray 2013 Honda with a Virginia license plate. It’s possible she ended up in Shenandoah National Park, perhaps getting lost while hiking or encountering some other misfortune. In the days after Melissa’s disappearance, local temperatures were in the 80s F (high 20s C). This suggests she might have wandered into the woods and suffered from heat exhaustion.
The vast wilderness of Shenandoah National Park holds many secrets. These stories of missing individuals are a somber reminder of the park’s wild, untamed nature. While many enjoy its beauty safely, for some, it has become the backdrop of an enduring mystery. The park continues to draw adventurers, but the tales of the lost echo through its valleys and peaks.
What are your thoughts on these unsettling disappearances? Do you have any theories? Share your opinions in the comments below.
