Mysterious Stories Blog

Strange, disturbing and mysterious stories from the outdoors

Great Smoky Mountains, National Park Missing, North Carolina, Polly Melton StrangeOutdoors Great Smoky Mountains, National Park Missing, North Carolina, Polly Melton StrangeOutdoors

The Strange Disappearance of Polly Melton from Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Thelma Pauline "Polly" Melton disappearance

Thelma Pauline "Polly" Melton, Disappeared September 25, 1981, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina

Revised January 2024

On Friday, September 25, 1981, 58-year-old Thelma Pauline Melton, often called “Polly” by her friends, began a hike with two of her friends, Red and Trula, at around 3 pm, on the Deep Creek trail near the North Carolina side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. One hour into their walk, Polly vanished and was never seen again.

To read the full story of Polly’s disappearance, please log in or become a member of StrangeOutdoors to get exclusive content here: The Strange Disappearance of Polly Melton from Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great smoky mountains Deep Creek
Great smoky mountains Deep Creek trail sign

Become a member of StrangeOutdoors for exclusive content

Premium Members Area
$15.99
One time

Read More
Click here to Donate to StrangeOutdoors

RECENT BLOG POSTS

Featured
StrangeOutdoors Mysterious Stories Blog Articles
The puzzling disappearance and death of Mitchell Dale Stehling in Mesa Verde National Park
The incredible survival story of Lukas McClish after 10 days lost in the Big Basin Redwoods State Park
The strange disappearance of Samantha Sayers from Vesper Peak
The bizarre disappearance of Keith Reinhard and death of Tom Young in the Rocky Mountains
The disturbing deaths of Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon on their La Pianista Hike in Panama
The mysterious disappearance of Kat Hammontre in Diablo Canyon
The Baffling Death Of Jordan Grider in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
The mysterious case of the Yuba County Five
The shocking and tragic story of the Vance family’s attempt at off-grid living in Colorado
The world’s Most Haunted Roads Part 1 - Stocksbridge Bypass in South Yorkshire, England
The strange mystery of the Australian Button Man and the Victorian Alpine Park disappearances
The strange death of Elisa Lam in the LA Cecil Hotel
The very mysterious disappearance of Carl Landers from Mount Shasta
The Scottish Highlands’ most haunted hiking stopover - Luibeilt Bothy
The mysterious Observation Post Rock - Afghanistan’s Haunted Military Outpost
The puzzling disappearance of Barbara Bolick from the Bitterroot Mountains
The mysterious M Cave and the strange disappearance of Kenny Veach
The bizarre death of Charles McCullar in Crater Lake National Park - “the Melting Man of Crater Lake”
The Bizarre disappearance of Maureen Leianuhea Kelly -The Naked Hiker Who Vanished During A Spiritual Quest
The puzzling disappearance of ex-paratrooper Gilbert Gilman from Olympic National Park
The strange disappearance of Fern Baird from the Prairie Peak Trail in Idaho
The shocking deaths caused by bears in the United States and Canada
The mysterious disappearance of Michael Bryson from the Hobo Campground in Oregon
The baffling disappearance of the anthropologist Sam Dubal on Mt. Rainier
The disturbing disappearance of Daylenn Pua from Hawaii’s Stairway To Heaven walkway
The strange disappearance of Sammy Boehlke from Crater Lake National Park
The baffling disappearance and death of Aidan Roche near the Eiger in the Swiss Alps
The strange disappearance of the YouTube Survivalist Finn Creaney in the Scottish Highlands
The puzzling disappearance and death of Nicola Bulley in Lancashire
Featured
True Crime in the Outdoors Blog Articles
The Williams and Winans camping murders in Shenandoah National Park
The unsolved murders of Mary Cooper and Susanna Stodden on the Pinnacle Lake Trail in Washington
The unsolved Hinterkaifeck farm family massacre in Germany
The terrifying case of the National Forest Serial Killer - Gary Michael Hilton
The disturbing death of Helen Fiona Torbet in the Scottish Highlands
The Wonnangatta campsite murders in Victoria’s Alpine National Park
The disturbing murders of the Cowden Family near Applegate Lake
The real Wolf Creek - Ivan Milat and the Backpacker Murders in the Australian Outback
The Delphi hiking murders - Abigail Williams and Liberty German
The Nepal Backpacker Murders in Langtang National Park
The Starved Rock State Park murders
Shocking camping abductions and murders
The murder of Sophie Louise Hook whilst camping in her Uncle's garden in Wales
The miracle rescue of Alan Lee Phillips at Colorado’s Guanella Pass - the man who turned out to be a serial killer
The chilling story of Thomas Lee Dillon - the Ohio Outdoorsmen killer
The miraculous escape of the Brazilian and German backpackers at Salt Creek in South Australia
Murder on the Appalachian Trail
Robert Hansen “Butcher Baker” - the Alaska Serial killer who hunted his victims in the wilderness
The Oklahoma Girl Scout Camping Murders
The shocking unsolved Keddie Cabin murders
The disturbing story of David Shearing and the Wells Gray Park camping murders
The mysterious death of Carol Laughlin in Yosemite National Park
The frightening case of the Trailside Killer David Carpenter
The mysterious Koh Tao - Death Island in Paradise
The Yosemite National Park Sightseer Murders and the two faces of evil
The disturbing disappearance of the Beaumont children on Glenelg Beach
The Watts family annihilation
The Kamloops Triangle - The British Columbia murders and disappearances
The mysterious death of Alonzo Brooks