Missing Arkansas man sent a text from a National Forest — only for his truck to be found hours away, in the opposite direction

An Arkansas man named Chris Palmer and his German shepherd are missing after a series of strange calls and texts to his family. The experienced camper planned to visit several East Coast national forests, according to his father. Now, Palmer’s truck has been discovered several hours away from his last known destination.

According to a detailed Facebook post from Chris’ father, Bren Palmer, his son, 39, left on December 8, 2025, for a camping adventure in the Smoky Mountains with his German shepherd, Zoey, a routine outing for the outdoorsman who often explored national forests.

Bren wrote: “I don’t post alot on here but id like to ask for help. Our son Chris Palmer and his dog Zoey went to the smoky mountains to camp on Dec 8th. He does alot of camping in the national forests. He let’s us know when and where he is going and when he is expected to return.”

Bren goes on to say that from December 10 until the 27, Palmer camped in the Boone Fork area. On December 25, he called his family to say he planned to head to George Washington National Forest in Virginia, where he expected to stay until January 7.

On January 4, he texted that he was still in the George Washington National Forest and intended to stay another week.

“He did send video of the terrain when asked but, said signal was to spotty to talk,” Bren added, suggesting he was in a remote area with unreliable cell service.

Palmer’s last context with family

Then, Palmer last contacted his family on January 9, when he said he was headed to Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. According to authorities, his red Ford F-250 was discovered abandoned and stuck in the sand near Buxton, North Carolina, on January 10, more than 300 miles away and in the opposite direction from where he said he was going. There was no sign of Palmer or his German shepherd, Zoey, at the scene.

Anecdotal reports and forum posts suggest that some personal items, such as keys, a shotgun, and camping gear, remained inside, while other items, like clothing or dog bowls, were not present. However, these claims have not been independently confirmed by law enforcement or cited in official news releases.

Despite the vehicle being found on January 10, Palmer’s family was not notified until January 18, when the Greene County Sheriff’s Department contacted them about the discovery.

The timeline and location of the truck raise unanswered questions about how Palmer traveled from the mountains to the Outer Banks.

Authorities are asking for help

In the days between the truck’s recovery and the family notification, authorities formally declared Palmer a missing person on January 16, 2026. The National Park Service (NPS) later issued a public alert asking for help from anyone who may have been in the Cape Point area of Cape Hatteras National Seashore on the evening of January 11, when investigators believe Palmer may still have been in the area.

At present, no foul play has been publicly confirmed. The NPS continues to coordinate with local law enforcement and the Palmer family in the effort to locate him. Authorities urge anyone with information — particularly those who were in the area around Cape Hatteras National Seashore between January 10–12 — to contact the NPS tip line at 888-653-0009 or submit information online at go.nps.gov/SubmitATip.