77. Fire In The Sky: The Travis Walton Incident

He vanished in a beam of light. When he came back, he said he’d been taken aboard a UFO. And that was just the beginning.


In 1975, 22-year-old logger Travis Walton disappeared without a trace after a terrifying encounter with a UFO in the forests near Snowflake, Arizona. When he reappeared five days later, confused and frightened, he claimed he'd been taken aboard an alien craft. Was it the most credible alien abduction in U.S. history? Or an elaborate hoax designed to escape a failed logging contract?

This week, Shea is joined by her brother Jason—recording on location in Arizona—to explore the infamous Travis Walton incident. We break down what happened on that strange November night along the Mogollon Rim, dig into Travis’s vivid and chilling account of his time aboard the ship, and examine how the story inspired the nightmare-fuel film Fire in the Sky. We also look at how Walton has turned this event into a career, and why even some UFO believers think the whole thing might’ve been staged.

👽 Buckle up. It’s gonna get weird in the woods.

🎙 Support the show, get bonus content, early access, and more at
👉 www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/support
Use code SUMMEROFSAUCERS for 15% off your first month—through June 25 only!

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-unhinged-rainy-day-rabbit-holes--6271663/support.

Looking for a funny podcast that makes history wild, weird, and unforgettable? History Unhinged: Rainy Day Rabbit Holes is the best history podcast for fans of outrageous true stories, ridiculous history, and unfiltered humor—with the occasional dip into true crime.
Hosts Shea & Jody dig up the strangest moments in American history, with a special love for the Pacific Northwest and the rest of Western North America. From haunted ghost towns and scandalous figures to bizarre disasters and a sprinkle of true crime, no rabbit hole is off-limits! History doesn’t have to be boring—especially when it’s filled with laughter, chaos, and jaw-dropping stories they didn’t teach in school.

Visit www.rainydayrabbitholes.com for more!

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rainydayrabbitholespod/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RainyDayRabbitHolesPodcast/

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-unhinged-rainy-day-rabbit-holes--6271663/support.

• No. of episodes: 104
• Latest episode: 2025-07-16
• History

Where can you listen?