Haunted Hollers & Eerie Encounters: Stories from the Smoky Mountains & Beyond

Stormy Skeyes

Hidden deep within the hollers and ridges of the Smoky Mountains are stories few dare to tell: ghosts wandering abandoned cabins, mysterious lights drifting through the forest, and strange creatures watching from the shadows. Haunted Hollers & Eerie Encounters is a paranormal storytelling podcast exploring true encounters, Appalachian folklore, cryptid sightings, and unexplained mysteries from the Smoky Mountains and beyond. Episodes dive into eerie firsthand accounts, haunted locations, chilling wilderness encounters, and legends passed down through generations in the mountains of Appalachia.

Episodes

  1. Eerie Encounter #2: Water Holds Memories

    3D AGO

    Eerie Encounter #2: Water Holds Memories

    ⛈️⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Welcome to Haunted Hollers & Eerie Encounters, where we explore the strangest legends, ghost stories, and unexplained encounters from the Smoky Mountains and beyond. ⛰️ 💧Tonight, on the 2nd episode of Eerie Encounters: Firsthand Frights , I share another one of my experiences...👀 ✨New episodes are added every Saturday @ 5 PM EST. Be sure to follow & subscribe to be notified of the latest episode! 📬 Have you experienced something strange in the mountains? Strange lights in the woods… phantom footsteps on an otherwise abandoned trail… or something watching you from the tree line?📧Give me a holler! Send your story to MyHollerStory@gmail.com and your encounter might be featured on a future episode.

    7 min

  2. MAY 3

    The Lost Treasures of The Smokies

    ⛈️⁠Welcome to Haunted Hollers & Eerie Encounters, where we explore the strangest legends, ghost stories, and unexplained encounters from the Smoky Mountains and beyond. ⛰️ ✨New stories are added every Saturday @ 5 PM EST. Be sure to follow & subscribe to be notified of the latest episode! ✨ Tonight, we search for gold in them there hills of The Great Smoky Mountain National Park. 🪙⛏️ 📬 Have you experienced something strange in the mountains? Strange lights in the woods… phantom footsteps on an otherwise abandoned trail… or something watching you from the tree line?Give me a holler! Send your story to MyHollerStory@gmail.com and your encounter might be featured on a future Eerie Encounters episode. 👀  📚 SOURCES & FURTHER READING This episode draws from regional history, Appalachian folklore, and documented accounts of mining activity and lost treasure legends in the Great Smoky Mountains. ⛏️ PRIMARY LEGEND SOURCE Smoky Mountain Camping — Legend of the Lost Smoky Mountain Gold Mine at Greenbrierhttps://www.smokymountaincamping.com/blog/legend-of-the-lost-smoky-mountain-gold-mine-at-greenbrier/ 🌲 REGIONAL LEGENDS & FOLKLORE Visit My Smokies — Great Smoky Mountain Myths & Legendshttps://www.visitmysmokies.com/blog/smoky-mountains/great-smoky-mountain-myths-legends/ Hearthside Cabin Rentalshttps://www.hearthsidecabinrentals.com/blog/smoky-mountains/legends-myths-smoky-mountains/ 🏛️ HISTORICAL CONTEXT National Park Servicehttps://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/historyculture/index.htm Tennessee State Library and Archiveshttps://sos.tn.gov/tsla 🌲 APPALACHIAN HISTORY Appalachian Historyhttps://www.appalachianhistory.net

    7 min

  3. APR 25

    What Still Walks Those Halls

    ⛈️⁠ Welcome to Haunted Hollers & Eerie Encounters, where we explore the strangest legends, ghost stories, and unexplained encounters from the Smoky Mountains and beyond. ⛰️ ✨New stories are added every Saturday @ 5 PM EST. Be sure to follow & subscribe to be notified of the latest episode! ✨ Tonight, we are exploring a historical landmark that is now a popular jazz club, where people have heard a lot more than music... 👀 📬 Have you experienced something strange in the mountains? Strange lights in the woods… phantom footsteps on an otherwise abandoned trail… or something watching you from the tree line? Give me a holler! Send your story to MyHollerStory@gmail.com and your encounter might be featured on a future Eerie Encounters episode. 👀  📚 SOURCES & FURTHER READING Episode 8: What Still Walks Those Halls This episode draws from historical accounts, local reporting, and documented paranormal investigations related to the Baker-Peters House in Knoxville, TN. 🏛️ HISTORICAL & PRIMARY ACCOUNTS Find a Grave — James Harvey Baker Memorialhttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/228553801/james-harvey-baker KPR Crew — History of the Baker-Peters Househttps://kprcrew.com/portfolio/history-of-the-baker-peters-house-in-knoxville-tn/ 🌲 LOCAL HISTORY & HAUNTED BACKGROUND Gatlinburg Haunts — Haunted History of the Baker-Peters Househttps://gatlinburghaunts.com/haunted-history-of-the-baker-peters-house-in-knoxville-tn/ WBIR — Haunted History of the Baker-Peters Propertyhttps://www.wbir.com/article/news/haunted-history-embraced-by-new-baker-peters-restaurant/51-311585210 WATE — “Baker Peters House is Haunted — They’re All Good Spirits”https://www.wate.com/haunted-tennessee/baker-peters-house-is-haunted-theyre-all-good-spirits/ 👻 PARANORMAL REPORTS & INVESTIGATIONS Tennessee Haunted Houses — Baker-Peters Mansionhttps://www.tennesseehauntedhouses.com/real-haunt/baker-peters-mansion.html The Ghost Doctor — The Vengeful Ghost of the Baker-Peters Jazz Clubhttps://theghostdoctor.com/the-vengeful-ghost-of-the-baker-peters-jazz-club/ 🔍 INVESTIGATION REFERENCES Alternate Realties Center (2005 Investigation)(Stacey Allen McGee & Michael Combs — photographic and divining rod sessions referenced in paranormal sources) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272351954_Amateur_Paranormal_Research_and_Investigation_Groups_Doing_'Sciencey'_Things ⛈️⁠⁠

    11 min

  4. APR 18

    The Hard-Hearted Pair: Spearfinger & The Stone Man

    ⛈️ Welcome to Haunted Hollers & Eerie Encounters, where we explore the strangest legends, ghost stories, and unexplained encounters from the Smoky Mountains and beyond. ⛰️ ✨New stories are added every Saturday @ 5 PM EST. Be sure to follow & subscribe to be notified of the latest episode! ✨ Tonight, we will be exploring two Cherokee legends as old and as tough as the hills: Spearfinger & The Stone Man. 🪨 📬 Have you experienced something strange in the mountains? Strange lights in the woods… phantom footsteps on an otherwise abandoned trail… or something watching you from the tree line? Give me a holler! Send your story to MyHollerStory@gmail.com and your encounter might be featured on a future Eerie Encounters episode. 👀  📚 SOURCES & FURTHER READING This episode draws from documented Cherokee oral traditions and historical sources: 🪶 PRIMARY TEXTS Myths of the Cherokee — James Mooney https://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/cherokee/ 🌲 CULTURAL & HISTORICAL Museum of the Cherokee Indian https://motci.org Smithsonian Institution https://www.si.edu Great Smoky Mountains National Park https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/historyculture/cherokee.htm 🪨 SPEARFINGER (U’TLÛÑ’TA) North Carolina Digital Heritage — Spearfinger Legendhttps://www.ncpedia.org/spearfinger-legend Appalachian History — Spearfingerhttps://www.appalachianhistory.net/2017/10/spearfinger.html Smoky Mountain Living — Spearfinger Legendhttps://www.smliv.com/stories/spearfinger-cherokee-legend/ 🪨 STONE MAN (NÛÑ'YUNU'WÏ) Sacred Text Archive — “The Stone Man” https://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/cherokee/67.htm Native Languages of the Americas — Cherokee Legends http://www.native-languages.org/cherokee-legends.htm Legends of America — Stone Man https://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-stoneman/

    13 min
  5. The Mountain Whistler & The Things the Land Remembers

    APR 11

    The Mountain Whistler & The Things the Land Remembers

    ⛈️⁠⁠⁠ Welcome to Haunted Hollers & Eerie Encounters, where we explore the strangest legends, ghost stories, and unexplained encounters from the Smoky Mountains and beyond. ⛰️ Tonight, we are visiting the highest peak of the Smoky Mountains. 🌄 ✨New stories are added every Saturday @ 5 PM EST. Be sure to follow & subscribe to be notified of the latest episode! ✨ 📬Have you experienced something strange in the mountains? Strange lights in the woods… phantom footsteps on an otherwise abandoned trail… or something watching you from the tree line? Give me a holler! Send your story to MyHollerStory@gmail.com and your encounter might be featured on a future episode. 📚 SOURCES & FURTHER READING Episode 6: The Mountain Whistler of Kuwohi The stories shared in this episode are drawn from a blend of regional history, documented locations, folklore, and paranormal theory. If you’d like to explore deeper, here are the sources that helped shape this episode: 🌲 Regional History & Kuwohi (Clingmans Dome) National Park Service — Kuwohi Name Restoration https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/news/kuwohi-name-restored-to-the-highest-peak-in-the-smokies.htm National Park Service — Geology of the Smoky Mountains https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/nature/geology.htm Visit My Smokies — Things to Know About Clingmans Dome https://www.visitmysmokies.com/blog/smoky-mountains/things-know-clingmans-dome-smoky-mountains/ 🔍The Hidden Tunnel (Thomas Divide Area) Hiking in the Smokys — Secret Tunnel Beneath Clingmans Dome https://hikinginthesmokymountains.com/blog/secret-tunnel-beneath-clingmans-dome/ The Roaming Dad — Hidden Tunnel Adventure https://www.theroamingdad.com/our-adventures/hiddentunnel Visit My Smokies — Secret Tunnel Under Clingmans Dome Road https://www.visitmysmokies.com/blog/smoky-mountains/secret-tunnel-clingmans-dome-road 👤 Appalachian Legends & Encounters Lantern Media Group — The Phantom Hiker of the Appalachian Trailhttps://www.lanternmg.com/2026/01/26/the-phantom-hiker-of-the-appalachian-trail/ 🌌 Thomas Divide Ghost Lights Lantern Media Group (Facebook Post) — Thomas Divide Ghost Lights https://www.facebook.com/TheLanternNewsandMediaGroup/posts/the-thomas-divide-ghost-lights-cherokee-north-carol/864552959002834/ Thomas Divide Ghost Lights – Southern Spirit Guide https://www.southernspiritguide.org/thomas-divide-ghost-lights/ 🪨 Paranormal Theory & Geological Concepts Saint Mary’s University — Geological Study (Danielson) https://gis.smumn.edu/GradProjects/DanielsonL.pdf American Ghost Walks — Stone Tape Theory & Limestone Properties https://www.americanghostwalks.com/blog/2016/08/29/107-stone-tape-theory-timothy-yohe-paranormal-properties-limestone ⁠⛈️

    13 min
  6. Eerie Encounter #1: Cryptid Crossing

    APR 5

    Eerie Encounter #1: Cryptid Crossing

    ⁠⛈️⁠⁠⁠Welcome to Haunted Hollers & Eerie Encounters, where we explore the strangest legends, ghost stories, and unexplained encounters from the Smoky Mountains and beyond. ⛰️ Tonight, I think it's only fair that the first episode of Eerie Encounters: Firsthand Frights from the Foothills share my story... 🫣 There's no place like home... 👀 ✨New episodes are added every Saturday @ 5 PM EST. Be sure to follow & subscribe to be notified of the latest episode! ✨ 📬 Have you experienced something strange in the mountains? Strange lights in the woods… phantom footsteps on an otherwise abandoned trail… or something watching you from the tree line? 📧Give me a holler! Send your story to MyHollerStory@gmail.com and your encounter might be featured on a future episode. 📚 SOURCES & FURTHER READING Eerie Encounters: Firsthand Frights from the Foothills — Episode 1: Cryptid Crossing This episode explores firsthand encounters with cryptids reported across the Appalachian region and beyond—blending eyewitness testimony, regional folklore, and longstanding mythological traditions. If you’d like to explore further, here are the sources that helped shape this episode: 🐺 Dogman Encounters & Cryptid Canines Dogman Encounters — Eyewitness Reports & Encounter Databasehttps://dogmanencounters.com/about-dogmen/Cryptidz Wiki — Michigan Dogmanhttps://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Michigan_DogmanCryptidz Wiki — Minnesota Dogmanhttps://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Minnesota_Dogman🌲Cherokee & Navajo Traditions Smoky Mountain News — Cherokee Wolf Lorehttps://smokymountainnews.com/archives/item/3470-wolf-loreEBSCO Research Starter — Walker of the Skin Researchhttps://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/religion-and-philosophy/skinwalker-mythology🧬 Shapeshifter Mythology Dr. Nicole Poell — Shapeshifting & Human-Animal Transformation Conceptshttps://www.drnicolepoell.com/blog/2018/7/10/blog-headline-376gb-tm28t👁️ Pale Crawlers & Other Cryptids Cryptidz Wiki — Pale Crawlershttps://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Pale_CrawlersSharon A. Hill — The Carolina Pale Crawler Case Studyhttps://sharonahill.com/the-carolina-pale-crawler-tale-that-got-my-attention/Cryptidz Wiki — White Things / Devil Dogshttps://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/White_Things_(Devil_Dogs)Appalachian Historian — The White Thing to Sheepsquatchhttps://appalachianhistorian.org/the-white-thing-to-sheepsquatch-boone-countys-most-famous-west-virginia-beast/

    12 min
  7. The Cussing Cover & The Witch of Gatlinburg

    MAR 27

    The Cussing Cover & The Witch of Gatlinburg

    ⁠⛈️⁠⁠ Welcome to Haunted Hollers & Eerie Encounters, where we explore the strangest legends, ghost stories, and unexplained encounters from the Smoky Mountains and beyond. ⛰️ ✨New stories are added every Saturday @ 5 PM EST. Be sure to follow & subscribe to be notified of the latest episode! ✨ 🌄Tonight, we will be exploring a story that was carried down through generations in the mountain community of Cades Cove, TN.⚡ 📬Have you experienced something strange in the mountains? Strange lights in the woods… phantom footsteps on an otherwise abandoned trail… or something watching you from the tree line? Give me a holler! Send your story to MyHollerStory@gmail.com and your encounter might be featured on a future episode. 📚 SOURCES & FURTHER READING Episode 4: The Cussing Cover & The Witch of Gatlinburg The stories in this episode are rooted in Appalachian folklore, mountain superstition, and generational storytelling passed down through the Smoky Mountains. If you’d like to explore further, here are the sources that helped shape this episode: 🧵 The Cussing Cover (Cades Cove Legend) The Smokies — Witches & Superstitions of the Smoky Mountainshttps://www.thesmokies.com/witches-smoky-mountains/Experience Cades Cove — Cades Cove History & Ghost Storieshttps://experiencecadescove.com/blog/category/cades-cove-history/🕯️ Appalachian Superstition & Mountain Beliefs The Smokies — Southern Superstitions & Witch Lorehttps://www.thesmokies.com/witches-smoky-mountains/🧙‍♀️ The Witch of Gatlinburg Fear Mythos Wiki — The Witch of Gatlinburg (Crow Face / Mountain Witch)https://thefearmythos.fandom.com/wiki/The_Witch_of_Gatlinburg⁠⁠⛈️

    8 min
  8. The Headless Railroad Worker

    MAR 20

    The Headless Railroad Worker

    ⛈️⁠ Welcome to Haunted Hollers & Eerie Encounters, where we explore the strangest legends, ghost stories, and unexplained encounters from the Smoky Mountains and beyond. ⛰️ ✨New stories are added every Saturday @ 5 PM EST. Be sure to follow & subscribe to be notified of the latest episode! ✨ 🚂 Long before roads wound their way through the Smoky Mountains, trains were the lifelines of the region. Tonight, we will be exploring the haunted history of the railways of Tennessee. 📬Have you experienced something strange in the mountains? Strange lights in the woods… phantom footsteps on an otherwise abandoned trail… or something watching you from the tree line? Give me a holler! Send your story to MyHollerStory@gmail.com and your encounter might be featured on a future episode. 📚 SOURCES & FURTHER READING Episode 3: The Headless Railroad Worker This episode draws from a mix of documented railroad history, regional tragedies, and one of Tennessee’s most chilling legends—the Headless Signalman and the ghost lights said to haunt the tracks. If you’d like to explore further, here are the sources that helped shape this episode: 🚂 Railroad History & Appalachian Expansion National Park Service — African Americans and the Railroad in the Smokieshttps://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/historyculture/african-americans-and-the-railroad.htmTennessee State Museum — The First Railroad in Tennesseehttps://tnmuseum.org/junior-curators/posts/the-first-railroad-in-tennesseeGreat Smoky Mountains Railroad — History of the Murphy Branch Linehttps://gsmr.com/history/Tap Lines — Southern Railway & Regional Rail Developmenthttps://www.taplines.net/November/smry.htm👤 The Headless Signalman Legend Nashville Ghosts — The Legend of the Headless Signalmanhttps://nashvilleghosts.com/Lyle Russell — The Headless Signalman and the Chapel Hill Ghost Lighthttps://lylerussell.net/2022/09/25/tn-gl-episode-2-the-headless-signalman-and-the-chapel-hill-ghost-light/. 🌌 The Chapel Hill Ghost Light WKRN News — Chapel Hill Ghost Light (Haunted Tennessee)https://www.wkrn.com/special-reports/haunted-tennessee/chapel-hill-ghost-light/WKRN News — Ghost Light Haunts Chapel Hill Railroad Trackshttps://www.wkrn.com/special-reports/haunted-tennessee/ghost-light-haunts-chapel-hills-railroad-tracks/⛈️

    8 min
  9. The Phantom Hitchhikers of Tennessee

    MAR 14

    The Phantom Hitchhikers of Tennessee

    ⛈️ Welcome to Haunted Hollers & Eerie Encounters, where we explore the strangest legends, ghost stories, and unexplained encounters from the Smoky Mountains and beyond. ⛰️ ✨New stories are added every Saturday @ 5 PM EST. Be sure to follow & subscribe to be notified of the latest episode! ✨ 🛣️Tonight, we will be exploring the haunting beauty of the backroads of Tennessee. 📬Have you experienced something strange in the mountains? Strange lights in the woods… phantom footsteps on an otherwise abandoned trail… or something watching you from the tree line? Give me a holler! Send your story to MyHollerStory@gmail.com and your encounter might be featured on a future episode. 📚 SOURCES & FURTHER READING Episode 2: The Phantom Hitchhikers of Tennessee The stories featured in this episode are inspired by regional folklore, reported encounters, and one of the most enduring paranormal archetypes—the vanishing hitchhiker. If you’d like to explore further, here are the sources that helped shape this episode: 🛣️ Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail Knoxville News Sentinel — Roaring Fork Motor Trail Named One of America’s Most Haunted Roadshttps://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2023/10/19/tennessee-roaring-fork-motor-trail-named-americas-most-haunted-road/71237836007/👻The Legend of Lucy (Vanishing Hitchhiker) Moon Mausoleum — Lucy of Roaring Fork: The Vanishing Hitchhiker of the Smoky Mountainshttps://moonmausoleum.com/lucy-of-roaring-fork-the-vanishing-hitchhiker-of-smoky-mountains/🌌 Additional Accounts & Interpretations Hanson Capital — Paranormal Blog Entry on Phantom Hitchhiker Phenomenahttps://hansoncapital.co/post/new-blog-post-3941⁠⛈️⁠

    6 min
  10. The Ghost Who Never Left the Greenbrier

    MAR 13

    The Ghost Who Never Left the Greenbrier

    ⛈️ Welcome to Haunted Hollers & Eerie Encounters, where we explore the strangest legends, ghost stories, and unexplained encounters from the Smoky Mountains and beyond. ⛰️ ✨New stories are added every Saturday @ 5 PM EST. Be sure to follow & subscribe to be notified of the latest episode! ✨ Tonight, we will be exploring The Greenbrier Restaurant where dinner is served with a side of ghostly happenings. 🍽️👻 📬 Have you experienced something strange in the mountains? Strange lights in the woods… phantom footsteps on an otherwise abandoned trail… or something watching you from the tree line? Give me a holler! Send your story to MyHollerStory@gmail.com and your encounter might be featured on a future Eerie Encounters episode. 👀 📚 SOURCES & FURTHER READING Episode 1: The Ghost Who Never Left the Greenbrier The story shared in this episode is rooted in local legend, regional history, and firsthand accounts tied to one of Gatlinburg’s most well-known haunted locations. If you’d like to explore further, here are the sources that helped shape this episode: 🌲 The Greenbrier & Smoky Mountains The Smokies — Greenbrier Restaurant Review & History https://www.thesmokies.com/greenbrier-restaurant-gatlinburg-review Visit My Smokies — Things to Know About the Smoky Mountains https://www.visitmysmokies.com/blog/smoky-mountains/things-know-clingmans-dome-smoky-mountains/ National Geographic — America’s Most Visited National Parks https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/national-parks/article/most-visited-parks-photos 🕯️ The Legend of the Bride Vocal Media — Ghost of the Suicide Bride https://vocal.media/horror/ghost-of-the-suicide-bride The Smokies — Greenbrier Ghost Lore & Local Accounts https://www.thesmokies.com/greenbrier-restaurant-gatlinburg-review 👻 Reported Hauntings & Encounters WATE News — Haunted Tennessee: Greenbrier Ghost Bride & Spirits https://www.wate.com/haunted-tennessee/gatlinburg-restaurant-haunted-by-ghost-bride-others Greenbrier Restaurant — Official History & Background https://greenbrierrestaurant.com/blog/welcome-to-the-greenbrier ⛈️

    7 min
  • 10 Episodes

About

Hidden deep within the hollers and ridges of the Smoky Mountains are stories few dare to tell: ghosts wandering abandoned cabins, mysterious lights drifting through the forest, and strange creatures watching from the shadows. Haunted Hollers & Eerie Encounters is a paranormal storytelling podcast exploring true encounters, Appalachian folklore, cryptid sightings, and unexplained mysteries from the Smoky Mountains and beyond. Episodes dive into eerie firsthand accounts, haunted locations, chilling wilderness encounters, and legends passed down through generations in the mountains of Appalachia.

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