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.
11 Aug 1h 8min
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.
4 Aug 2h 44min
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.
31 Jul 44min
313: People Are Food, Too. Kakadu National Park.
Val Plumwood was an Australian philosopher, environmental activist and crocodile attack survivor. During a 1985 trip to Kakadu National park, Val was attacked repeatedly by a crocodile but miraculously survived. The experience completely reshaped her life and her perspective of her role within it. Sources: Book: The Eye of the Crocodile Documentaries: Kakadu: Land of the Crocodile Articles: The Guardian, National Museum of Australia, Websites: Val Plumwood, Remembering Val Plumwood, Kakadu National Park, Sightseeing Tours Australia, PBS 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! Smalls: For a limited time only, get 60% off your first order PLUS free shipping when you head to Smalls.com/npad. Pagagen: For 15% off your order and a special gift, head to Pacagen.com/NPAD and use code NPAD. BetterHelp: National Park After Dark is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off. Hello Fresh: Use our link to get up to 10 FREE meals and a free item for life.
28 Jul 1h 2min
The Mother of Science Fiction: Inventing Frankenstein
This week NPAD is on vacation, but as a special treat, we wanted to share an episode of our other podcast, Watch Her Cook, with you. This episode has a few surprising NPAD tie ins, and we are so excited to share it with you all. We will be back to our regularly scheduled National Parks programing next week! - Cassie and Danielle What began as a vivid dream on a stormy night during the “Year Without a Summer,” after a round of German ghost stories by the fire, would go on to spark the birth of science fiction. In this episode, we will explore Mary Shelley’s journey from her childhood to becoming the author of Frankenstein, and how her imagination–and pain–brought a creature to life that still resonates with us so deeply today. Listen to Watch Her Cook on Apple and Spotify! Follow us on Instagram Sources: • Time: Did a Real-Life Alchemist Inspire Frankenstein? • Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus • Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley- Poetry Foundation • JStore: Mary Shelleys obsession with the cemetery • Artificial intelligence and Frankenstein- comparative analysis • Frankenstein or Modern Prometheus: Issues in biomedical science • Frankenstein at 200: Why hasn’t Mary Shelley been given the respect she deserves? • Mary Shelley Biography • This day in history: Frankenstein published • Smithsonian Magazine- Breaking auction records 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!
21 Jul 54min
312: NPAD X Generation Why
In today’s exciting crossover episode we are joined by Aaron Habel from the Generation Why Podcast. We recap four of our most memorable NPAD true crime and mysterious disappearance cases, provide some updates and discuss what makes them so intriguing. Aaron also brings us a story we have never covered that remains one of the most puzzling cases to ever come out of Yosemite. Listen and follow Generation Why wherever you get your podcasts! 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! 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!
17 Jul 51min
311: The Great Flood of 1889. Johnstown Flood National Memorial.
Editors Note and Content Warning: This episode was recorded in June before the devastating floods that took place in Texas on July 4th. Listeners should be aware that this episode includes descriptions of mass death, including children. Please take care while listening. Our hearts are with the families and communities affected by the floods. For more information about how to help the survivors and families impacted by the Texas floods please see: The American Red Cross Kerr County Flood Relief Fund TEXSAR Additional organizations can be found here. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Text or call 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. On May 31, 1889, a wall of water tore through the valley town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, killing more than 2,000 people in minutes. It was the deadliest single-day loss of civilian life in U.S. history — until 9/11. This is the story of how the South Fork Dam failed, how the flood devastated an entire city, and how the American Red Cross stepped in. Grab some Merch! Listen to Watch Her Cook on Apple and Spotify! Follow us on Instagram Sources: The Johnstown Flood, by David McCullough (1968). Johnstown Flood, film (1926). “Statistics About the Great Disaster,” from the Johnstown Flood Museum. “The Johnstown Flood of 1889,” from the Johnstown Flood Museum. “Run for Your Lives! The Johnstown Flood of 1889,” by the National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior. “Case Study: South Fork Dam (Pennsylvania, 1889),” by the Association of State Dam Safety Officials. “The Great Johnstown Flood - May 31, 1889,” by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. 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! Quince: Use our link to get free shipping and 365-day returns. Rocket Money: Use our link to get started saving. IQBAR: Text PARK to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products and free shipping. 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
14 Jul 59min
310: Our Quarterly Tooth & Claw Collab
Come for the animal stories, stay for the giggles. T&C and NPAD are reunited for another collab episode! Listen to Tooth & Claw: True Stories of Animal Attacks here, snag some fun merch here, and keep an eye on their upcoming trips here! 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. BetterHelp: National Park After Dark is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off. Cash App: Download Cash App Today! Use our referral code NPAD10 for our exclusive offer #CashAppPod SelectQuote: Life insurance is never cheaper than it is today. Get the right life insurance for YOU, for LESS, and save more than fifty percent at selectquote.com/npad
7 Jul 1h 45min
