REI—yes the sporting goods retailer—seems like an unlikely source for some of the best spooky campfire stories you’ll hear this Halloween, but Camp Monsters is a perfect fit. The limited podcast series is well produced and well told. You can practically hear the crackling fire and smell the burnt marshmallows. Camp Monsters tells spooky stories of your favorite cryptids from across America. Grab your flashlight and keep your eyes open.
REI/Tyler Grobowsky
Produced by REI, Camp Monsters is a podcast series currently in its second season. Writer Weston Davis perfectly narrates the podcast with a deep, friendly voice. In fact, his calm voice ratchets up the creepiness of the creatures he’s describing. From creatures you recognize from some of your favorite episodes of The X-Files, like the chupacabra and the Jersey Devil, to cryptids known only to locals like the Bat-Squatch, every tale is an eerie ode to an American legend.
The wilds of Washington, Montana, Louisiana, Texas, and more are the backdrop for some of the best scary stories you’ll treat yourself to this spooky season. But no matter the time of year you tune in, one listen of these campfire tales will have you tempted to tell it yourself the next time you and your friends sit under a starlit sky.
Kelly Knox
While the legends are based on real life rumors and excited sightings, the stories in Camp Monsters are fictional. “[Some] of them are based on the testimony of people who claim to have seen these creatures, but it’s up to you how much you believe,” says the podcast host in an episode introduction.
Find all episodes of Camp Monsters on Spotify, Apple, Stitcher, and REI.com. We apologize in advance for keeping you awake all night on your next camping trip.
Featured Image: REI/Tyler Grobowsky
Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her first book, Marvel Monsters, comes out in 2021 from DK Books.
