Buzz
Located amidst the vast and wild stretches of the Rocky Mountains, Rocky Mountain National Park is a well-known hotspot for tourists and nature enthusiasts. Since its founding in 1915, the park has been the site of numerous disappearances. From experienced hikers to first-time visitors, some have ventured too deep into the wilderness, never to return. Their stories remain wrapped in uncertainty and intrigue.
This compilation explores ten unsettling stories of those who vanished within the wilds of Rocky Mountain National Park. Each account brings to light a mysterious puzzle, from the discovery of a forgotten skeleton to an eerie story involving two strangely connected men, shedding light on the park's cryptic past.
10. Joseph Halpern
On August 15, 1933, Joseph Halpern set out to camp in the park with a friend. After trekking alone up Taylor Peak with only an Army-issued knapsack, Halpern disappeared without a trace. When he failed to return from his hike, his companions alerted authorities. A heavy snowstorm soon followed, but despite extensive search efforts, no signs of Halpern were found.
Following Halpern’s disappearance, unverified reports of him began circulating across the United States, fueling speculation and curiosity. In December 1933, a person claimed to have seen Halpern traveling with the Civilian Conservation Corps in Phoenix, Arizona. More sightings emerged in the summer of 1935, one of which involved him reportedly appearing with the Lewis Brothers Circus, deepening the mystery surrounding his case.
Despite these alleged sightings, Halpern’s location remained unknown, leaving both investigators and his family struggling with the unsettling lack of answers, and the terrifying uncertainty of what might have happened to him.
9. Alfred Beilhartz
Four-year-old Alfred Beilhartz was last seen in the park on July 2, 1938. He was on a fishing trip with his parents and ten older siblings during the Independence Day weekend. While walking along a trail near Fall River, Alfred mysteriously disappeared.
Alfred’s family launched a search effort, which later included park rangers who initially suspected the boy had fallen into the river. The rangers dammed the river and conducted a drag operation for six miles (9.7 kilometers), but they were unable to find any trace of Beilhartz. Alfred’s parents continue to hold the belief that he did not fall into the water but rather became lost in the forest.
Search dogs traced Alfred’s scent 500 feet (152 meters) uphill before reaching a fork in the path where the trail abruptly ended. Later, a couple who were hiking six miles away, at an elevation several thousand feet higher, reported hearing a cry and seeing a boy resembling Alfred on a steep ridge in a perilous location known as the Devil’s Nest near the summit of Mount Chaplin.
Alfred was never found, and his case is no longer under investigation.
8. Robert “Bobby” Bizup
In 1958, Robert “Bobby” Bizup, a deaf boy, disappeared from Camp St. Malo in Estes Park. Before his disappearance, one boy reported that Bobby appeared very distressed. A former priest also recalled speaking with Bobby shortly before he vanished.
At the time, the camp’s director told the press that Bobby had gone fishing but failed to follow the group back to the lodge. A search party was dispatched but failed to locate him. Several days later, counselors and campers climbed Mount Meeker and searched around the 11,000-foot (3,352.8-meter) elevation for Bobby, but again, they found no trace. The following summer, hikers discovered some of Bobby’s remains several miles west of the camp, high on Mount Meeker.
In 2021, investigators discovered a skull fragment believed to belong to Bobby Bizup. A report soon emerged revealing that three counselors from the camp where Bobby disappeared had been later convicted of sexually abusing children as priests. The skull had been in the possession of Dr. Joseph McCloskey, a Catholic Church member and close associate of the priest who ran Camp St. Malo. McCloskey passed away in 1980, and his son inherited the skull. After watching a documentary about the case, Tom McCloskey realized the skull likely belonged to Bobby. However, questions still linger about the true origins of the skull.
7. Rudi Moder
Rudi Moder, a 27-year-old mountaineer from West Germany, set off on a solo ski mountaineering adventure to Cameron Pass in Rocky Mountain National Park on February 13, 1983. He was expected to return within two to three days, but when he didn’t, his roommates reported him missing.
Search teams faced major obstacles due to heavy snow, complicating their efforts to locate Moder in the Never Summer Mountains. Eventually, they stumbled upon a snow cave containing his sleeping bag, equipment, and food supplies—his only trace. Despite continued search efforts throughout the spring and summer of 1983 and beyond, Moder remained elusive.
Then, in August 2020, skeletal remains were discovered in the same area as the initial search, sparking a renewed investigation. With the help of the FBI, park rangers recovered skis, poles, boots, and personal belongings, which were believed to be Moder’s. These discoveries led officials to conclude that the remains were indeed his. The German government was notified, and after nearly four decades, the mystery of Rudi Moder’s disappearance was finally resolved, bringing closure to a long-unsolved case.
6. Keith Reinhard
Keith Reinhard, a 50-year-old sportswriter from Algonquin, Illinois, took a 90-day leave of absence from the *Daily Herald* to focus on work and recovery in Silver Plume, Colorado. On August 7, 1988, Reinhard disappeared without a trace. At the time, he was living in the back of an abandoned Catholic church, selling framed photographs, and working on a novel. Reinhard was known by friends as a free spirit who traveled to Colorado alone, despite being married.
After setting out for a hike south of Interstate 70, Reinhard was never seen again. He had dressed casually in gym shoes and planned to hike to the summit of Pendleton Mountain. When Reinhard did not return the following day, an extensive ground and aerial search began. The search for Reinhard ended on August 14, 1988, after hundreds of volunteers put in over 10,000 man-hours without finding a single clue. The operation was called off after a search plane crashed, resulting in one fatality and another injury.
Reinhard’s best friend believed that he had fallen and was still somewhere in the mountains. Other theories have been proposed, including the idea that Reinhard fell victim to foul play during his hike, as suggested by his son.
The Reinhard case remains open with the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office. To honor his father, Reinhard’s son placed a plaque in Rocky Mountain National Park, inscribed with his father’s words: “Oh God, I want to wander. I want to wander ’till I die. With the mountains as my living room, my only roof the sky.”
5. Tom Young
Interestingly, the novel that Keith Reinhard was working on at the time of his disappearance was about Tom Young, another man who vanished in the Rocky Mountain National Park area the year before. A bookstore owner in Silver Plume, Colorado, Young disappeared in September 1987.
Tragically, Young’s body and the remains of his dog were found outside Silver Plume in July 1988. Both had been shot in the head. While Young’s death was ruled a suicide, some remain skeptical, particularly due to the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of his dog.
At the time of his disappearance, Reinhard was working out of Young’s bookstore. Just one week after Young’s body was discovered, Reinhard set out for a hike. Despite having no other direct connection, the two men’s fates intertwined through their association with the same storefront. In 1990, *Unsolved Mysteries* aired an episode covering both Young’s and Reinhard’s disappearances.
4. Brian Joseph Perri
In July 2018, Brian Perri was reported missing after embarking on a hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. Before vanishing, Perri sent a photo of himself from the summit of Mount Meeker to a friend. In the picture, he wore a hat and sunglasses and had a backpack. He was carrying only basic gear at the time of his disappearance. His car was later discovered in the parking lot at the Sandbeach Lake Trailhead.
The Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue team, along with Larimer County and Rocky Mountain Rescue teams, initiated extensive search efforts to locate Perri. A dog team from Larimer County Search and Rescue joined the 54-member search party. Unfortunately, air support was unavailable as all aerial resources were assigned to combat nearby wildfires at the time.
On July 28, 2018, park rangers reported discovering a body at the summit of Mount Meeker. The body was believed to be Perri’s. By early August 2018, the coroner confirmed the identification. Authorities speculated that Perri had fallen 25 to 40 feet (7.6 to 12.2 meters) while hiking, landing at the base of a nearly vertical drop, surrounded by large boulders and loose rocks.
It is thought that Perri died instantly from the fall. His body’s discovery marked the end of the longest search operation conducted by the park in 15 years for a missing visitor.
3. Chad William Pallansch
On September 28, 2023, 49-year-old Chad William Pallansch departed from Fort Collins, Colorado, to attempt an ambitious 28-mile (45-kilometer) route that would take him across the Continental Divide and along established park trails. Though unfamiliar with this particular route, Pallansch was a seasoned runner, experienced in both trail running and marathons.
Pallansch’s vehicle was later found parked at the North Inlet Trailhead on the park’s western side. He sent a text while near Mount Alice and another when he was approximately 7 miles (11.3 kilometers) from the Bear Lake Area.
Search efforts included aerial reconnaissance, drones, heat-sensing fixed-wing flights, and dogs deployed to different locations across the park. Due to the hindrance of winter weather, including snow, ground searches were limited, and rescue teams relied heavily on aerial support. Ultimately, search operations were called off, and Pallansch remains listed as missing by NamUs.
2. Russell Jacobs
On September 16, 2022, Russell Jacobs began a hike on Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. Later, Jacobs reached out to a friend, reporting that he was lost while hiking and concerned about the weather. He mentioned being unprepared for the winter conditions and expressed worry about spending the night at an elevation above 13,000 feet (3,962 meters).
Jacobs also maintained communication with park rangers, who pinpointed his location and learned that he was attempting to reach the Agnes Vaille Shelter. However, contact was lost shortly afterward. Rescue teams launched a search but were hindered by severe winter conditions. They also set up an overnight shelter in case Jacobs was still attempting to make it to the trailhead.
The body of Russell Jacobs was eventually recovered by workers from Rocky Mountain National Park and transported to the Boulder County Coroner’s Office. He was found roughly 80 feet (24 meters) above the Ledges area of the park after enduring a long weekend of harsh weather.
The Ledges area is situated near Keyhole Notch, a place characterized by ledges surrounded by cliffs. This section is marked with painted symbols to assist hikers in navigating the terrain. However, snow and darkness, both of which Jacobs encountered, complicate navigation in this area.
1. Ryan Albert
In October 2018, a family member reported Ryan Albert, a student from Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey, as missing after he went hiking in the Rocky Mountains. Albert, last seen wearing dark clothing and carrying a backpack, had been overdue from a backcountry trek and had plans to possibly summit Longs Peak. A search was quickly launched for him.
Albert’s rental vehicle was quickly located at the Longs Peak trailhead, but the search encountered numerous difficulties, including ambiguity regarding his precise trail path and harsh weather conditions, which eventually led to the suspension of the search.
Several months later, while patrolling near Longs Peak in an area known as the Trough, park rangers discovered a glove matching the brand Albert was thought to be wearing. Then, on May 30, 2019, a team of four rangers found Albert’s body, covered by snow, at an elevation of 12,300 feet (3,749 meters), about 1,000 feet (305 meters) below the Ledges section of the Keyhole Route. The body was later confirmed to be Ryan Albert’s.
