The Most DANGEROUS Man in the History of Hiking (many victims) 

I was hoping you would tell this one! I talked to him on October 23 2007. My wife and I were camping and mountain biking at Tsali. I made a run to the nantahala food mart/gas station before dark to get a few things. I decided to grab some firewood while I was there which they kept outside on the side of the building. As I was loading it I noticed a white Chevy van and an older guy standing there watching me. He ended up walking over to me and started making small talk. I immediately got a weird vibe from him. He then asked me what I was doing and I just said I was camping with some friends. He then asks me of some good places to camp and then asked me where I was camping! I just said it was some friends property and was trying as hard as I could to leave quickly. I actually turned the wrong way out of the gas station bc he was watching where I was going. I eventually worked my way back to the campsite and told my wife why I took so long. I probably shouldn’t have ha. I will never forget that day. I can still see him talking to me. It’s like he was staring through me. He would laugh a little bit and then just switch to a very menacing stare. I don’t think we slept at all that night!

For those like me, Meredith Emerson’s dog Ella was found near a Kroger in Cumming, Georgia on January 4, 2008 and was adopted by her parents. Hilton’s dog Dandy was also adopted into a good home

There’s something particularly awful about a sweet old couple coming to a bad end 😢

Hilton lived and occasionally worked in the Chamblee/Brookhaven area , a suburb of Atlanta. A neighbor, a retired auto mechanic, worked on his truck. For quite a while, Hilton lived out of his van in a neighborhood park. From all accounts, the guy was very creepy and menacing. I’ve hiked that section numerous times. One additional note: the guy who spotted him at the gas station called 911. When the operator didn’t seem concerned enough, he said if the cops don’t show up soon, I’m armed and will take him down! Wish he had.

This story absolutely breaks my heart! Always trust your gut - she fought so hard and he just got the upper hand 😢. My husband and I were hiking a portion of the Pinhoti trail last fall. We had our dog with us (he is a big sweet pea, loves everyone, but looks intimidating)! Anyhow we were hiking up this long steep section, prob about 3/4 a mile, but pretty much once you got to the top you could see at least half way down that section. We ran into a guy who was coming down as we made our way up, no pack, no water, wearing a short sleeve red shirt and dirty blue jeans. Just got weird vibes off him. Our dog was off the chain, barking and snarling - this dog loves everyone. I knew this dude was off. He was limping and carrying a walking stick, said he was rehabbing a torn meniscus. No one hikes up a climb that steep to rehab a torn meniscus. Everything was just off. My husband and I were both packing and made sure we were ready if things went sideways. This dude was limping and moving real slow. So about a min up the trail I said - I am going to see how far he has made it down that hill - he just gives me the creeps. I walked back to where you could see the trail at least half way down that long stretch we had come up - and the dude was gone! Absolutely zero chance he could have gotten down that fast moving the way he was when we saw him. My dog was right, he was a creep! We half expected to find a body a little further up trail, but never saw him again. 😮 Moral of the story - trust your gut and your dog! 😅

I live in the area and remember this well. Meredith suffered a horrible death, her dog was rescued unharmed.

It always makes me so mad when I hear things like "he shot his stepfather, but they declined to press charges." Or, "he touched his sister, but the family declined to press charges." People! If someone does something outrageous like that, PRESS CHARGES! I do not care if you care about the offender. Press charges anyway. You may be saving someone's LIFE later on.

My daughter was shopping in WalMart near 276 in Brevard, NC. While she was in that store, Gary Hilton was stalking her. My wife went into that store where she ran into our daughter. When she told her about Hilton, they went to the store management and got him to accompany them out to their cars. After the news cast, a few days later about Hilton got out, my daughter and my wife figured out what was going on, I went to the Sherrif Dept and told them what I knew about Hilton. That is how they placed him in this area where the elder couple was murdered. I'm glad he is in jail.

The thumbnail looks demonic. I guess in some cases a book really can be judged by its cover.

It’s ashame one must wander about someone’s intentions for being overly friendly. This makes me incredibly sad as exploring the woods with my Black Lab mix when I was a mid twenties adult (years ago) helped me deal with childhood trauma. Please be safe out there and trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, it’s not always what you ate earlier.

It just shows how cowardly these humans can be, when they try to avoid a death penalty, cmon you sissies if you murder someone don't expect to keep living your own life!wth!?

The search for him was all over the news in Atlanta and north Georgia. A friend of mine is a game warden who works the Dawson Forest. They were trying desperately to save Meredith and catch Hilton. If I recall correctly, he saw both of them, her dog, and his van, a day or two before the situation was fully understood. I may be off on some of the details , but you get the gist. It really tore him up how it all ended.

You’ve got to at least keep some sort of weapon on you. Pepper spray, utility knife……..Something. Better to give yourself a shred of a chance rather than none.

As my father would say "He looks like a deviant." Seriously looks evil.

For there to be justice, He should receive the same treatment as his victims.

I am an older guy who usually hikes alone and I carry a Redhawk .44 mag mostly for potential predators but hardly a passing thought against a fellow hiker. I am sure I've scared a number of people but I make the first move to show I am friendly and absolutely not a threat. It's jerks like this (thankfully rare) that ruin things and make people like me look scary. I'm glad he is facing justice. Be safe out there.

This is exactly why when I go hiking by myself, I am packing. I also am a owner operator truck driver with my husband and I carry my peace with me even when I’m driving. Every time I get out of the truck and stop to go to the bathroom or check the truck etc. I always lock my doors and I carry it with me. Just the other day I had a scary experience actually. I had stopped up on the top of the mountain on the way to Phoenix from Vegas. I had to take a mandatory 30 minute break because of the laws with trucking. I locked the doors and I sat in the passenger seat and closed my eyes for 20 minutes. When I woke up another truck driver had stopped behind me. And he was walking around my truck looking at my truck as if he was checking the tires and stuff. Then he looked up inside my cab and I screamed at him to leave! I don’t know what he was up to, but I quickly got in the drivers seat and left. I was very nervous so I stopped down the road about 10 miles because I wasn’t sure if he had messed with my trailer.

I don't think I've ever seen a human whose eyes were quite like this guy's before in my life. Sclera mostly obscured, irises completely visible all the way around, pupils always the same size regardless of lighting in all the photos, the man is disturbing.

It’s crazy to think, I hiked that same trail to Blood Mountain and never knew that happened. So sad people will do horrible things to others

I remember this story very well. I was actually living in Buford Ga. when this all took place and I was working 5 nights a week cleaning office buildings by myself. A girl I knew, she sold pot to my ex, came to me white as a sheep after this story aired and said she knew this guy and had sold him weed several times! The place she met up with him was at a convenient store and that store was behind my house! This guy, this serial killer was nott only in my back yard, but was all over the area I was. I'll never forget this and I thank God for keeping me safe!

I grew up in the Atlanta area and have visited every location listed here and it shocks me that I have never heard of this case till now. A great, informative video as always Kyle! Another weird coincidence is that Blood Mountain is right next to Slaughter Creek and Slaughter Gap. Tragically ironic location names for something like that to occur!

From all the information which came out just after his arrest, including his detailed confession, a timeline of Hilton's known life made by someone I can't remember which placed Hilton in both North Carolina and Florida with a big gap of missing time for two years including the time that Trenny Lynn Gibson went missing from the area around the Clingman's Dome parking lot (trail leading to the Appalachian Trail just like on Blood Mountain that included a parking lot), and a former FBI profiler's statement that Hilton had been doing this long before he committed the 4 murders he confessed to, I feel certain that he did snatch Miss Gibson and took her out of the Great Smoky Mountains. He could also be the person who murdered two female hikers north of the Smokies and left their dog alone. Hilton had a soft spot for dogs. I collected all the information I gathered and sent it to the Federal prosecutor who tried him but never received a reply. By the way, evidence showed that Irene lost an arm in the attack. If you want to do a followup and explore the disappearance of Trenny Gibson I will dig through my old material to see if I can find all the links to old videos which were on the web, get in touch with me.

I love your channel!!! The last bit I can't agree with any more though. I was chased, ran for my life, and almost had to fight for it too. Luckily I found hikers to save me, and police followed. Sometimes crazy people stalk the trail. Don't gamble and go alone anymore if your a girl, learn from my mistake and it might save your life.

Geez...that guy looks really creepy. His photos are going to give me nightmares! What happened to Meredith's dog? 😢

Excellent job presenting this info. Definitely would like more detail updates. Thank you.

I'm subbed, Bud! I like your channel. Great storytelling. How sad for that poor girl. I sure am glad they caught Gary Hilton. My Dad and Daughter did the trail about 10 years ago. Glad they didn't encounter someone like Gary.

NEVER go hiking alone. At least not without a gun and taser and bear spray and anything else you can use to protect yourself.

If someone ever was demonically possessed, it's this guy.

I swear, people need to pay more attention to what is going on around them. As a hiker I always keep an eye and ear open to whats going on around me. I also use a hiking staff, instead of hiking poles. A staff is a very useful as a weapon. Plus, bear spray is very useful against people. Its so sad that this guy was not taken into custody before he committed these crimes.

I'm seriously stoked that I came across this channel out of the middle of nowhere. I used to hike a lot when I was in my late teens/early 20's, not so much anymore. Was planning on doing some hiking in the Grand Canyon once it's in the Fall though.

I never understand why people report they saw a man following her, but they didn't report anything until they heard a women was murdered.

This was a really interesting video and that Hilton guy looks very creepy, my condolences to the families of the victims whose lives he took. Great video man hope you do a follow up on it!

I spent a lot of time on Blood Mountain when I lived in Georgia and the gas station in Dunwoody where Hilton was apprehended was only a mile or 2 from my apartment. Stories like this are why I'm always armed.

Hi I’m a new subscriber! I like the way you present stories! You have great cadence. Nice speaking voice that’s easy to understand and engages the listener!! What I most appreciate is that you’re not a yahoo, turning tragic tales into salacious crime rants. Kudos, young man. I hope you find this venue to be a good source of revenue too. Now, to continue watching your channel for more stories!! Michelle in Boston

Yikes. Long time A.T section hiker, yet I did not know about this depraved killer. “ There but for the grace of God go I...” Stay safe everyone, and let’s look after one another!!

yes please do updates and more of these, it's extremely helpful to know what's going on in the wilderness in general, and things to be aware of. I would strongly encourage more investigative/informational videos of any kind, you do a great job at it!

I encountered this guy on kennesaw mountain on the back side of the mountain referred to as little kennesaw if I recall right as the tourists would hike up the front and back down the same way. My friend at the time wanted me to join her hiking (skinny blonde) and I wasn’t going to go as I was tired from work. Last minute I had a premonition that I should joke with her so I went. We came up to him walking and smoking in a blue Jean shirt and jeans (hot day) Allison grabbed my arm tightly as we walked by him and got pale. I stared at guy and he just looked away and kept walking. I remember her telling me how freaked out he made her in that brief moment. Shortly afterwards maybe few weeks I don’t remember this girl went missing on a nearby mountain. I always wished he would’ve gave me a reason to restrain him but he only preyed on elderly or single women.

Hello! The Appalachian trail seems like a magnificent place to hike. Do you know the history of the trail? Was it a route the Cherokee nation first used to get from place to place? Or was it carved out by local hunters as the immigrants started moving in. I live in a prairie state and I can't imagine that many trees all around! We live along a river, amidst a couple of acres of woods. It is beautiful. I love to hear the giant cottonwoods swaying in the wind, as though God is conversing with us. My husband has created trails through the woods, and it is fun to see the deer use them as well. I am so sorry that a place as beautiful as a natural space like that is used for nefarious purposes.

Hello 👋 Kyle, thank you for sharing this intriguing video. One always has to ever so cautious when hiking alone. Stay safe out there. 🤗

Great video Kyle! Crazy to hear you say "going for 200k subs" You were saying "my goal of 50k" for, I cant even remember how long. So cool to see. This story is nuts... what human garbage this demon was.

I feel so deeply for her. As a young woman i was ambushed in a remote wooded location and it was terrifying. I managed to stop the the attack as it started and get away. The man who did it was a known character around rhe farm i lived at and they continued letting him come around and he eventually s*xually assulted the girl who lived across the hall from me, after gaining entry to the house and cornering her when no one else was there. Men as well as women: if someone seems off or predatory, especially when there have been things reported, stand up and get rid of that person. Dont wait for something truly horrible to happen.

1. Carry 2. Become a victim Too many make the wrong choice

Definitely one of my top 5 fav channels on RU-vid! Awesome channel and videos Kyle Hates Hiking!!

The mug shot at 3:13 gives very creepy, very evil vibes. RIP to his victims.

These days you just have to have some way of protecting yourself. Those poor people suffering at the hands of that thing.

I remember this well, tragic. Her dog was found about 6 miles from my house.

Who said murderers don’t have a certain look… many time they do.

Employees at Mountain Crossings store at Neel’s Gap & locals talked about him squatting camping on Blood Mountain & areas near the trail just long enough that Forest Rangers couldn’t do anything. Sad & crazy too!

The irony, is that there are many revolvers and pistols that weigh less than a battery pack. If you're concerned about weight, then the options are up to you. I'm old enough to remember when women on the PCT, had firearms, but no video gear. Pack for reality, not your idealistic notions of the world.

The younger woman might have had a better chance trying to run instead of fight. I don't know what kind of shape the killer was in, but he was in his 60's. There's a a decent chance she could have escaped.

I literally uttered "what a piece of shit" like 60 seconds before you said it so, obviously, I could not agree more.

He also admitted to raping her before killing her. If anyone deserves the death penalty it's him.

Hi thanks for uploading, I love all your hiking videos

I feel so horrible for his victims. He looks terrifying.

This happened near me. I know some of the law enforcement who did his intake. I’ll never forget the one woman sharing how most people, even the worst of criminals, have some sort of redeeming quality that connected them to humanity … but he had none. She called him possibly the only truly, 100% evil person she’s ever met.

We remember this demon guy very well in my area( Tallahassee)..back then I did alot of gathering signatures in public areas and people were freaked out when anyone they didn't know walked up to them..made my job that much more difficult..dude even looks like a psychopathic nut job..I don't blame anyone for being on high alert

Would love an updated video. Meredith’s story has always stuck with me.

My boss gets a similar look in his eyes whenever I am myself around him. It's like his eyes sink back into his skull somehow. I now he has OCPD and probably some narcissism. He's really into guns, too. I try to be nice all the time, but still keep healthy boundaries. There are people on this planet that have no empathy for others and will give no thought into how they affect your life.

I really don't understand you do not have more subscribers! I think you do a great job in telling the story, representing and make it pleasant to watch. Thank you Kyle!

Man I remember all this like it was yesterday. I live in Pisgah Forest, just a mile or two from where the Bryant's set out. Terrible.

what? you were asking people to reach your goal of 50k subs just a few months ago and now you're over 180k! that's amazing. I do see the appeal of the way you narrate the stories, you're a natural!

This man is on a quest to have the whole Appalachian Trail to himself

I love true crime & I love it when you cover true crime stories on your channel. They are always so fascinating bc they’re different than most of the cases typically covered. More please!!!

I typically carry a Cold Steel AD-10 in my pocket that is immediately accessible while hiking in more remote areas. Probably not for the weight weenies where an extra 7 ounces would end their day miserably, but some form of self defense/deterrent is always welcome when you have no idea who may be out there. When I was younger and used to hike Mt. Washington (NH) a lot when I lived in New England, I never really gave trail safety too much thought (other than ice fall/avalanche safety in the winter lol) until I heard reports of a woman being murdered on the Glenn boulder trail over 20 years ago. I generally hike solo, and after that incident, was a bit unnerved to hike the less popular routes in the area.

I love the channel, idk why, I don’t even hike. Videos like these are especially cool cuz they have true crime story to it, but I still even watch a lot of your regular hiking videos which is kinda weird cuz I have never been outside of city limits. Maybe I will try hiking one one day and having watched so many of your videoed I’ll be prepared. What’s kinda funny to me about watching hiking videos is i feel so much safer in my high crime neighborhood in Brooklyn NY than I ever would in the wilderness.

I don’t believe in the supernatural but if I did this guy is exactly what a demon in human form would look like. Especially that mug shot at 3:13 ! The only other serial killer that looks this demonic is the Russian Andrei Chikatolo (probably spelled that wrong.) That poor woman, imagine encountering this beast out in the wilderness. 😱😓

Love the content, I'm a fan of ssdgm! A wee bit of constructive criticism, when the story involves a dog, it's imperative you give the details of what happened to the dog, no matter how sad. Meredith loved her dog so Ella's fate is tied to her and needs to be told also.

This story should push people to do a couple very important things before they decide to go hiking. 1) purchase a concealable firearm. 2) Get proper training on how to use it. There are very sick people hiding in plain sight, everywhere you go and I don’t go anywhere without protection, especially into the forest.

So I have been watching your videos a lot lately and other videos of psychos on hiking trails and I also know the psychos even lurk on the greenscape city trails bc they have been caught here but anyway I hike with my dogs (husky/GSD) my GSD has some guard training and is very protective, if there is a lot of trail traffic he's fine but if it's just us and someone walks by he gets aggressive and I get on to him for it but at the same time I want him to keep that instinct bc you never know when you might run into a crazy on a hike

A co-worker of my wife’s remembers meeting this guy on the trails. Always thought he was weird.

Thank you for your Posts!!

Almost every murder story is like this: 1. Armed 2. Die I stole that. But think of all the murder stories you’ve watched and imagine the victims being armed….most aren’t possible.

Love your channel. I think ot would help to put a photo of a killer looking normal because I am pretty sure that's what fools people into trusting them. The crazy pictures r unfortunately the last thing people see. It's so sad.

Great vid about such a gruesome group of murders. What an evil 👿 sub- human. I hope his death sentence happens soon. Those poor souls (and dog). The terror and pain they edited. I like your precise and fast paced delivery!

Just found your channel a couple weeks ago. Great content and so far a bunch of the vids have been about areas I've hiked in or around.

Man that's crazy just yesterday I went down the rabbit hole over this guy. His mugshot just prompted me to dig deeper

I hike in that area often and think about this incident. I’ve always had a very large protective dog until recently, now I hike alone, but I’m usually armed(legally). I also live off of Dawson Forest Rd.

Gary Hilton also had a large dog with him, which made him seem like just a friendly older man. Unfortunately, most people will talk with someone with a dog and let their guard down. I felt sorry for what that dog went through witnessing such violence. Crazy is so hard to recognize but please everyone stay alert, and pray your instincts will alert you when in the presence of evil.

Most adults and most of us don't have that physical fighting in us because it's no trash here you can go to jail. Or just scared.. But if you do not fight you will die.. You have to fight like your life depends on it because it does you cannot go to a better location for them quiet no you need to be right there in the public

People like this exist, but I get shit all over for recommending that people carry a pistol when hiking.

I live 20 minutes from Pisgah Forest and the BRParkway . I remember reading about that couple. I never hike unprotected

The lady he killed in Florida, was where I live. She was a very sweet lady and I passed her car for a few days that was left in the ditch off of the highway. Very sad! Dorothy

Love your Channel and keep up good videos!

I thru hiked in 2019 and never once thought about bringing self defense. But now I carry a lil somethin on my overnights on the AT.

What happened to Meredith's dog? Please keep making these videos!

He looks scarier than horror movie villains.

I know these stories are chilling to the bone and sad but they really are interesting. I'm not a believer in the death penalty but I am glad that the families get their justice. Please make more of these videos.

I know you say hiking is safe, but I don't think anyone should ever hike alone, and it's probably best to hike in groups of at least three.

I remember your 100,000 subscriber push. Now you close to that 2hundoThousand. Good job brother. Your material is still very niche. But I know you’ll get that milly within a year or two.

Please if you're hiking ladies consider carrying a KIMBER MAKO R7 micro-subcompact 9mm APPROX 24 oz.. loaded 10 rounds 1" width. Recoil painless. A fun gun

I've watched your channel from the start and enjoy your usual snark, but really this one is horrific. Such evil exists and its truely shocking.

Always carry and listen to your gut.

Yes please, do an update! I love these type of stories!

That's the problem is that when these things happen people want nothing to do with violence so they are hoping the perpetrator will not hurt them like they say they are not going to but they are going to kill you

Thats wild I live near Canton GA. Its a pretty small town I wasn't expecting to hear it on this channel ever 😂.

If I'm going hiking, I always carry. If I hike with friends, I STILL ALWAYS CARRY!!

We in Australia still set the record for Backpacker murders. Ivan Milat killed at least 7 young Backpackers in the state forests of NSW.

Thank you for this video. This is why I carry a handgun whenever I leave my house. Why take a chance? I am grateful that the sicko has been caught and will be behind bars for the rest of his life. Being in the woods is far safer than being in most any city.

A .380 Ruger LCP with 6 in the magazine (plus 1 in the chamber) costs about $300 and weighs only 10 ounces.

Woe is the psycho hiker that comes across me looking for trouble. Doubt they’ll ever find him again.