Nature, it provides something for everyone, whether it be peace, pleasure, exhilaration,

or solitude.

Deep down, beneath the layers of to-do lists, work commutes and schedules, is the desire

to explore it, to get lost in it, and to become part of it.

That's the beauty of national parks.

Relatively small corners of our planet shielded from modern-day development, little oasis

where nature is left to be wild.

Mountains of people flood the gates of national parks every year to get a taste of that wild.

To explore unfenced lands and to catch fleeting glimpses of free roaming wildlife who have

never known cages.

But the wild has its dangers.

We all know that Mother Nature rules all.

Accidents, exposure to the elements, animal encounters, and ill-prepared tracks can all

lead to disaster.

Out of the average of six people who perish in U.S. national parks each week, some of them

have nothing to do with Mother Nature.

Another danger lurks in the thick of the forest, and it takes cover and darkness.

A handful of people who set out to make memories in national parks have died by the hand of

some who use wild places like a cloak, concealing their murderous intentions.

People who walk the same trails as we do, who appear in the background of our family photos,

murderers and hikers clothing, and some of those murders have never been solved.

Welcome to National Park After Dark.

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