In some ways, the forest is like the ocean, a vast expanse where you can get lost while traversing. At some point, you will stumble upon something interesting (to say the least), like the images in these photos.
Some of these odd discoveries are byproducts of natural occurrences. Others, however, may make you wonder about the fascinating backstory of how these objects landed in this neck of the woods (in the most literal sense).
This series of photos continues the ones Bored Panda collected previously. Scroll away to see which ones intrigue you the most.
#1 This Tree Ate This Trail Sign But Left The Perfect Window For Little Hiking Man
Image credits: royalecheez
#2 Found In The Woods
Image credits: CardiacSchmardiac
#3 I Found It Tucked In A Tree Near The Top Of Mount Greylock In Massachusetts
The second card says: "How about a hike, maybe a walk, keep me in your pocket... Our adventure awaits."
Image credits: louieneuy
How much do we know about our forests? As it turns out, even scientists aren't sure. Most have mere estimates of how much life exists in those tree canopies around the globe.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, here's an approximate: "We don't know how many tree species there are on Earth, but scientists estimate there are about 63,000 known species. There could be as many as 9,000 tree species still unknown to science."
#4 A Whole Other World I Found In A Beer Bottle Laying In The Woods
Image credits: Concheck_
#5 Found A Stargate In The Middle Of Nowhere Near Linz, Austria
Image credits: zodd1981
#6 A Trail I Was Walking On Had Rock-Foot Sculptures. I Had To Add One As Well
Image credits: dakatzpajamas
These forest finds are just some of the many usually unearthed by hikers or experts. In 2023, a group of archeologists found the remains of a Yotvingian settlement. The Yotvingians were an ancient Baltic tribe that existed until the 1400s.
According to a report by the Miami Herald, archeologists from the University of Warsaw found traces of Yotvingian inhabitants through the style of bronze jewelry they found in a Polish forest. They eventually discovered jewelry dating back to the 10th and 12th centuries.
#7 Mirror Sculptures Reflect The Forest By Scottish Artist Rob Mulholland
Image credits: Rob Mulholland Artist
#8 Black Cat On A Leather Chair In The Woods
One time I was on a random back road. There was a little paved path going up to a leather armchair in the middle of a pretty thick little woods. On the arm of the chair was a black cat, bathing in the sun's rays. It felt unreal, like straight out of a book. I didn’t dare get any closer, as I figured that a witch must live nearby.
Image credits: astrobleeem
#9 These Bendy Trees I Saw On My Walk This Afternoon
Image credits: floydical
#10 My Dad Made A Solid Oak Secret Door For People To Discover On Their Walks
Image credits: Francoberry
#11 A Rabies Vaccine That Is Airdropped In The Woods For Raccoons To Eat
Image credits: Citii
If you think seeing these images randomly on a hike or random walk through the woods is already jolting enough, try spending a night in a creepy forest. That was what writer Sophie Buchan did in Transylvania’s Hoia-Baciu Forest. And she described her experience in an article in The Independent.
The Hoia-Baciu has a deep history, beginning with a UFO sighting in 1968. From then on, it became a tourist attraction. However, according to Buchan’s article, these visitors suddenly experienced strange occurrences.
#12 Abandoned Pet Cemetery In The Woods Of Freetown, Massachusetts
Image credits: Whimsical_Ruins
#13 Stumbled Upon A Fallen Totem In The Forest In British Columbia, Canada
Image credits: smoothloam
#14 Tree Roots Are Growing Over A Stream
Image credits: momsmashinator
#15 A Plane Crash I Hiked To In North Carolina
Image credits: L3N1B
#16 Stained Glass Window In A Forest
Image credits: cherrybaggle
#17 Found A 19th-Century Dog's Gravestone While Out Walking In The Woods
Image credits: spindaa
According to Buchan, some of the “strange symptoms” that people supposedly go through include “nausea, anxiety, the feeling of being watched – and the failure of electronic devices.” Joggers also reportedly witness ongoing ectoplasms.
Buchan also shared a story from her guide, Alex, who, along with his colleague Marius, experienced something out of this world. “Well, there was a man who went crazy, thinking he’d met a demon. He’d just got a massive tattoo of a demon on his chest, to ward off demons.”
#18 This Group We Came Across In A Forest Casually Hiking In Medieval Outfits
Image credits: ksanyee
#19 Giant Puffball Mushroom My Sister Found In The Woods
Image credits: kfranky
#20 Found These Structures And An Entire Stone Labyrinth In The Forest While Foraging
I think it’s either my fellow stoners who got a little too enthusiastic, neopagans, or a portal to the fairy land through Pan’s labyrinth.
Image credits: thuebanraqis
#21 Found A Sword While Hiking Near An Old Clearcut. BC, South Coast
Image credits: Monorail_Song
Buchan likewise wrote about what Alex described as “the scariest thing that happened.” It involved Marius during a night tour and an unusual conversation with a tourist.
“He once did an extended night tour, one-on-one, with a very morbid man who talked about his obsession with death, how he enjoyed being with people as they die, watching them die.”
#22 Came Across A Boar Sculpture In The Middle Of The Forest
Image credits: FossilisedShark
#23 Saw This Tree Today While Hunting. Thought You Might Like It. Looked Magical To Me
Image credits: 5348455
#24 Abandoned Jaguar E-Type Hidden In The Forest
Image credits: c_stone710
#25 A Blue Mineral Stone Found In The Forest
Image credits: fancygoldfishfrog
#26 Old Train Track Almost Completely Reclaimed By Nature
Image credits: asmallercat
#27 I Took A Picture Of A Forest Troll
Image credits: Big_Cartographer1424
According to Buchan, Alex isn’t a fan of sleeping in the forests because of his fair share of chilling experiences. During his very first camping trip, he abruptly woke up to the sound of “a very loud hoof noise,” which he thought came either from a horse or a “particularly large deer.”
“Every time they would stick their head out from the tent to investigate, the noise would stop,” she wrote, recalling Alex’s experiences. “The next time, he slept in a hammock to get closer to whatever was causing the sound. His visit was cut short when a bat smashed into his face.”
#28 First Gold Find For The Year And The Weirdest Find Of All Time
I was in the woods detecting in an area with heavy iron today (1800s nails in the ground, scrap iron bits, and sheet metal bits), and to my amazement, found dentures made of gold. Not sure how old they are, but my guess is somewhere in the 1800s up to the 1940s, since the homes which were once nearby were gone by the mid-1940s.
Image credits: Bill20201
#29 Randomly Found This Dilapidated Cabin In The Woods While Exploring
Image credits: indecentoctopus
#30 Does Anyone Know The Cause Of A Tree Growing In A Spiral Like This? I've Never Seen Anything Like It. Found In The Woods Of Georgia
Image credits: sloppyjo77
#31 Beaver’s Chew Marks On A Tree That I Found
Image credits: thunderchicken275
#32 I Found This Cool Walking Stick Out In The Woods As I Went Hiking
Image credits: GreenchiliStudioz
#33 Art Installation In My Local Forest While It’s Foggy Outside
Image credits: minzkonig
#34 I Went Deeper Into The Woods. Someone Is Making Art
Image credits: Hamofthewest
The author wrote about her experience during her overnight stay at the Hoia-Baciu forest. While she didn’t have the same creepy encounters, she took more notice of the trees around.
“We point our flashlights at misshapen trees – many here grow in zig-zag patterns or in spirals, a phenomenon which has not been plausibly explained by any of the scientists who have come to investigate. What’s more, every single tree that spirals does so in a clockwise direction.”
#35 Found This 1829 Silver Half-Dime In The Woods. Nickels Weren’t Invented Yet
Image credits: RedParrot94
#36 While Driving Around The Rural Southern Mountains, We Came Across This Abandoned Home Tucked Away
Neighbors have said that they remember going over there to play as kids, but now it is abandoned and slowly tilting more and more every year.
Image credits: silent_hills_explorations
#37 I Finally Found My Very Own Chicken Tree
Spotted this fine specimen from the road. Had to have gotten 20 lbs of chicken without making a dent in it! Found in New Jersey.
Image credits: power_in_logic
#38 10-Pound Penny With 3 Skeleton Keys Found In The Woods
I found these while detecting in the woods near my house. It's by far the most intriguing thing I've found since starting the hobby.
Image credits: KinCarver
#39 Found A Flybrary While Hiking. I Don’t Fish So I Had No Idea This Was A Thing
Image credits: jfrosty42
#40 Found A Mysterious-Looking Door In The Middle Of A Forest Walk Today. Wonder Who I Will Draw?
Image credits: peacefrogus
“Invasive alien species are increasingly a problem for European forests.” This is according to an article by the European Environment Agency on the eight facts about Europe’s forest ecosystems. But they weren’t referring to extraterrestrials.
“There are around 1,800 species in Europe’s forests which are invasive and alien to the natural environment. For example, European forests have been devastated by Dutch elm disease caused by fungi introduced from Asia, and gray squirrels are outcompeting red squirrels. Globally, invasive alien species are one of the largest causes of biodiversity loss.”
#41 Abandoned Rail Tunnel. Willamette National Forest, Oregon
Image credits: Draw_Rude
#42 This Basket Stinkhorn I Found While Bushwalking
Image credits: Lizard__Spock
#43 Went Geocaching And Found These Boots Nailed To A Tree
Image credits: Stado08
#44 My Girlfriend Found A Bottle In The Woods That Had A Terrarium Growing Naturally Inside
Image credits: ThumYorky
#45 Found A Bathtub 2-Kilometers Deep In The Woods Hooked Up To A Natural Spring
Image credits: StrongIPA
#46 Doll Head Found In Woods
Image credits: ZombiesAtKendall
And if you want to see something you probably haven’t before, Moroccan tree goats are worth looking into. Yes, you read that right. Goats are standing in trees as if it were a daily forest sighting worldwide.
These “flying goats” have been a tourist attraction since the early 2000s. But while they have become a source of livelihood for locals, some believe they are being exploited and deprived of freedom.
#47 Came Across This Tree While Walking Through A Forest In Japan
Image credits: Jamminmb
#48 A Few Years Back Me And My Friends Found This Peeking Behind A Tree In The Woods Deep Behind A Friend’s House
I was camping with some friends in the woods behind another friend’s house. Halfway through the night, I decided to get some more firewood for the campfire. On my way back, I felt like I was being watched. It was a half-moon, so there was enough light for me to barely see around me. As I looked around, my eyes fell on a person’s face poking from behind a tree.
The face was horrifying, pale with hollow eyes and a gaping mouth. I dropped everything and ran, and when I came back to my group, I was panicked and scared. After telling them what happened, my friends decided they wanted to see it for themselves, and brought me with them. I was hesitant, but going with a group seemed better than being alone. We brought flashlights this time, and when we came to the place I saw the face, it was still there. After shining the light on it, we saw it was just a styrofoam head on a stick someone out behind the tree. It looked like it had been there for a while, with some green moss growing on it, discoloration, etc.
The scariest part about this was my friend (whose house was in front of the woods we were in) swore up and down he didn’t put it there. He was pretty shaken. Especially because he and his mom had been stalked a few months before and he was sure it was left by the guy.
Image credits: ScaryisGood
#49 A Bowling Ball With Its Brain Exposed I Found In The Woods
Image credits: Imthasupa
#50 Metal Obelisk Found In The Middle Of The Woods
Image credits: Mad_duck4
