EP1 - Haunted Places: Galster Park (West Covina, CA)

Step into the shadows of Galster Wilderness Park—one of Southern California’s most talked‑about haunted locations, hidden in the hills of West Covina and wrapped in decades of urban legends, ghost stories, and first‑hand encounters from locals and listeners alike. In this episode, I’m not just revisiting the park’s eerie reputation—I’m finally taking you deep into the stories that have flooded my inbox and comments for years.

After more than a decade of doing this podcast, I’m officially going all‑in full time alongside my social media channels, which means more episodes, more investigations, and a lot more nightmare fuel on a consistent basis—so make sure you’re following and have notifications turned on so you don’t miss what’s coming next. I start by exploring the true history of Galster Wilderness Park—42 acres of donated hillside land meant to be a peaceful nature preserve—and how it somehow became ground zero for chilling tales of missing children, occult activity, and a presence that seems to watch from just beyond the tree line.

From there, we break down the infamous “Galster Park Butcher” legend: the story of a shadowy killer in a shack, trails that supposedly lead straight to his hideout, and the rumors of KKK gatherings and dark rituals that have only added fuel to the park’s already sinister reputation—despite the fact that no official records have ever confirmed a serial killer operating there. You’ll hear about the ghost boy said to appear at the south entrance around midnight, his form changing from a terrified child warning you away to an older figure beckoning you inside, along with the unsettling prom‑night encounter from a Reddit user who claims to have seen a boy with no eyes and a mouth full of darkness.

We also dig into reports surrounding the park’s water tower and trail crossings, where visitors describe oppressive energy, the feeling of being watched from all directions, and a mid‑30s man said to have died by suicide there—contrasted with the one confirmed death on record: a man found hanging from a tree at the south end of the park in June 2013, ruled an apparent suicide by authorities. From disembodied children’s laughter and invisible swings that move on their own, to unexplained handprints on car windows and rocks thrown from the darkness, paranormal teams and casual visitors alike report signs of an intelligent, reactive haunting that seems to follow people long after they’ve left the park.

Then we dive into listener stories you won’t find in any article:

• A man who appears at the park entrance and somehow follows a car all the way back to Baldwin Park.
• A towering shadow figure that glides across the road with no visible feet, disappearing into the trees.
• An afternoon at the playground where a swing starts moving on its own, a lone doll in a white dress mysteriously vanishes, and an empty park suddenly doesn’t feel empty at all.
• A night where robed figures gather in a circle around a “baby” at the playground, chanting and advancing toward parked cars as dread settles over everyone watching.
• Plastic bags filled with children’s clothes hanging from a tree, a motionless dog in the lot, and a lingering question: what exactly is happening in those woods after dark?
• Multiple accounts of unseen kids laughing and playing in an otherwise silent, empty park, and giggles that travel from the playground to the locked bathroom with no living source in sight.

If this episode gives you chills, don’t forget to follow and subscribe to the podcast, drop a rating and review, and share it with a friend who loves creepy locations, urban legends, or late‑night drives to haunted parks. I’m planning a part two for Galster Park, so if you’ve had your own experience there—or at any other haunted spot—send your story in.

Get in touch with me:

• Instagram · TikTok · X: @thescarecast
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• Website: www.thescarecast.com
• Email (send me your stories): mike@thescarecast.com

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