Forest Ranger Stumbled Upon A Mysterious Cabin In The Woods



Local woods can be mysterious settings, this man would make a startling discovery what would leave him shocked.

If You Go Down To The Woods Today…


Mark Andre, the environmental services director for Arcata, California, spent much time in the woods of a local forest. One day, he would make an unexpected discovery amongst the trees. The director had been marking trees to be harvested in the community forest when he made a jaw-dropping discovery.



ADVERTISEMENT

The Woods Have Many Secrets


Mark Andre had always loved the great outdoors. His job required him to spend hours upon hours in the local forest. The wilderness was familiar to him and he believed he knew the woods well… or so he thought.



ADVERTISEMENT

Stumbled Upon Somthing


In a recent escapade to mark the local trees that would be harvested in the forest, he stumbled upon something that he had never seen before. The discovery was more than unexpected. It had not been there the last time he visited the mysterious woods.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

A Tiny Bit Suspicious


Mark would not have usually thought to investigate something quite like this. But something instinctually told him to follow his gut and inquire further. He somehow knew that this was something different, undiscovered amongst his beloved trees. He set out to find out more.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

A Camouflaged Cabin


The scene was unlike anything he had seen before. Amidst the trees, he found a makeshift cabin, completely camouflaged against the green and brown of the woods. The cabin was most definitely had been illegally built. He decided to investigate further, to open the door of the cabin and discover what dwelled inside.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Eerie Presence


The dwelling was located in one of the most remote and untraveled areas of the community forest, along a deserted patch of forest that locals did not usually encounter. Mark had not explored this particular area in the last twenty years. The person – or people – who had built the cabin, had obviously not expected the structure to be easily discovered. Mark grew nervous to further explore his discovery but he was too intrigued to resist venturing inside the cabin.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Interesting Observation


The make-shift cabin was built on large concrete blocks. The structure had a small porch and the outer walls had been concealed by materials from the surrounding forest, brown plastic sheeting and brown pieces of tarp. From a few meters away, the cabin was almost invisible.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Exploring The Cabin


The first thing that Mark noted about the structure was that it was very well-thought out. The structure was not simply thrown together with found debris. The mysterious stranger who had built the cabin had obviously known what he was doing.  
ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Clearly The Work Of Someone Who Knew The Woods, But Who?


Located in the depth of the forest, there was no evident sign of what the builder had used to gather and transport the materials for the structure. The location was immaculate. There was none of the debris surrounding the cabin that was usually associated with forest campsites. How was this possible?

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

What Would He Discover?


The cabin measured 8 by 12 feet and Mark estimated that the cabin was about 15 feet high. The structure had a peaked roof and awning above the small porch. To Mark’s surprise, he even discovered the dwelling was built on a solid concrete foundation!

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Out Of Eyesight


Mark could only assume that the person who had built the structure was looking to maintain complete isolation. “I didn’t see it until I was 12 feet from it,” he explained. “It’s in the perfect out-of-the-way spot where it wouldn’t be detected.”

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Mysterious Vibes


Mark discovered yet another mysterious thing about the cabin. There were no footprints that led to the door or porch of the structure. Whoever had built it was careful to eliminate any tell-tale evidence about himself. Mark had to find out: Who had built the cabin?

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Trespassing


Mark knew that it was illegal to build a camp or make-shift home on public property. He decided to call in some help before he investigated further. The door was pried open and Mark was shocked to discover what was inside. The interior of the cabin only added to the mystery.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Recruited Help To Uncover The Mystery


Mark called his fellow forest technicians Javier Nogueira and Nick Manfredonia to help him discern more about the strange cabin. Along with local park ranger Heidi Groszmann, they followed Mark’s footsteps back to the sight of the structure. They finally cut the door’s padlock and flung open the doors, they didn’t know what they would find inside.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Staying Close To One Another


Heidi entered the cabin door, with her gun cocked and ready, she shouted “Arcata Police!” No one answered. There was no one side. The group began to search the contents of the place. They hoped to find something that would tell them more about the unknown cabin-dweller.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Astonishing Sight


The group was quick to note that the cabin was definitely being lived in. It was well-kept and tidy. There was a living room and kitchen area well-stocked with spices, cans of food, condiments and housekeeping supplies. The interior seemed ordinary but there was an eerie atmosphere inside the small cabin. There was more to uncover…

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Creepy Furniture


There was a creepy looking rocking chair in the home. There was a coffee table covered in graffiti with a small kettle upon it. There was also a small stove in the space. Someone had made themselves very comfortable. The scene looked like something out of a horror movie.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

What Would The Clues Tell Them?


In another corner of the small space was a bookshelf constructed with planks of wood. There was another small table with an old typewriter on it as well as a vintage lantern. The rangers began to suspect it was an older person who’d been living there…

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Suspicions Confirmed


There were other items that seemed to point to the dweller being from a bygone time. The books on the bookshelf were over a decade old. Other items, like a stack of old videotapes, supported the search party’s existing suspicions. They continued to search for more clues as to who lived in this strange home.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

A Handwritten Note


The nervous group discovered a handwritten list of “Things To Do And Get.” The list, which included dates, detailed many tasks such as “build bench,” “extend brush wall,” “season cast irons,” “get six-inch stovepipe flashing,” and “Get tongs 1/22/11.” But where was this mysterious person now?

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

What Else Could They Discover?


Near the little stove, the intrigued group also found a copy of the local Humboldt State University’s The Lumberjack newspaper, dated March 25, 2015. With the details from the handwritten list, the newspaper and the books, Mark and his helpers started to piece together a timeline that might help them to discern when the cabin’s owner might have lived there.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Identity Revealed


To their bewilderment, the group made another discovery. In the corner of the cabin, they found two driver’s licenses. Each license had a different name. Had two people lived in this tiny dwelling? was this a case of identity theft? What could this mean?

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

It Was Getting Dark Now


The sun was beginning to set and the group began to feel uneasy in the creepy space. Mark didn’t like the idea of being inside the cabin at night. Whoever lived in the cabin might return at any moment and be angered to discover that they had made their way inside the home.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Illegal Moves


Despite the home being well-kept and the surrounding forest area being respected, the fact remained that living on public property and erecting a structure, was illegal. They made the decision to leave an eviction notice for the cabin-dweller. They would return in the morning to find out more.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Returning The Next Day


When Mark and the authorities returned to the cabin site the next day, they were absolutely shocked to discover that the cabin had been completely dismantled. There wasn’t a trace that the home had stood there. The only thing left by the mysterious person who lived there was a charcoal ‘squatters symbol’ where the cabin once sat. “That’s the cleanest camp cleanup I’ve ever seen,” said Michael McDowall, the natural resources technician for the Environmental Services Department. “There wasn’t a nail, not even a gum wrapper left behind.”

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Ghostly Presence


How had this person managed to dismantle this home without a trace? Who had helped him with the workload? No one had reported seeing anyone hauling items down the trails. There was no proof the cabin had ever existed.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

What Now?


The authorities knew that it was highly unlikely that the person who built and lived in the cabin would come forward. After all, the construction had been illegally carried out. The mystery would never be uncovered. But the group would always wonder…

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Sign Of Owner


The authorities were awestruck that the cabin0dweller had managed to dismantle the site without a trace. It was difficult to believe that a single person had managed to pull off the feat. The group wondered: Where were they now?

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Mystery Still Unsolved


Perhaps we will never know who the person who lived in the cabin was. One can only speculate about where they might be now. Whoever built the cabin did have a profound respect for nature. They also seemed to be content living entirely alone, without a companion or any connection to the outside world.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Still Scratching Their Heads


To this day, Mark and his crew do not know who was responsible for building the cabin in the woods. It will forever remain unsolved. “The thoughtfully composed, uncluttered tiny house appears to be the work of someone who knows who they are and what they need,” said Mark.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Come Out Come Out Wherever You Are


It’s a rare and incredible tale. Someone was able to construct the cabin, remain unfound for years and live on minimal supplies, without any apparent means of contact with the greater world. The story is only made more unforgettable by the fact that we will never know who this person was.