Missing Hiker Sandra Hughes: Disappearance in Sierra National Forest and Reported Ghost Sightings Explained

Sandra Hughes, a veteran 54-year-old backpacker, set out on a solo camping trip in California’s vast and rocky Sierra National Forest in June 2020. What was meant to be a peaceful retreat became a mystery that haunts the investigators and the public. From abandoned vehicles to scattered equipment and reported ghostly sightings, Hughes’ disappearance has grown from a missing persons case to something approaching the paranormal.

Hughes had recently moved to California from Hawaii to be close to family and begin a new life. Hughes had a sense of adventure and survival instincts. She once hiked the entire Appalachian Trail by herself. For this reason, she was used to remote terrain and unforgiving climates.

She last spoke with her family on June 26, 2020, when she was reportedly camping near Johnson Meadows, far inside the Sierra National Forest. A week later, several bizarre findings painted a troubling picture.

Strange clues emerged

On July 5, hikers found an abandoned campsite believed to be Hughes’. She had her gear spread out over the ground in a manner that appeared completely out of character. Hughes was typically neat and organized, especially while camping. That day, the authorities discovered her silver 2002 Saab had crashed into a tree along Chiquito Creek. The car appeared to have collided with the tree at speeds and then rolled into a small gully. There was no sign of Hughes anywhere. 

This discovery only contributed to the mystery: Why was the car so far from the campsite? Had Hughes crashed trying to leave the area? Or was someone else driving?

Missing hiker Sandra Hughes’ baffling disappearance

No trace of Hughes was found despite extensive search and rescue operations. Then, people reported frightening encounters. On July 4, a couple hiking in the area reported seeing a barefoot woman walking along the trail. She was bruised on her face and confused. When they asked to assist her, she declined and kept walking.

A second sighting occurred weeks afterward on August 9, when two hunters reported encountering a woman resembling Hughes on Beasore Road. Witnesses described her as thinner and frail but still failed to seek help. Despite these sightings, follow-up searches again proved fruitless.

These reported sightings, though unverified, fueled speculation. Was Hughes still alive, living off the grid? Many wondered: Was she hurt, lost, or was she on the run from something—or someone?

The ghost story that gave birth to a new wave of interest

The Hughes story became surreal about a year after she vanished. A hiker’s family, not far from Shuteye Peak, saw something strange near where she was last spotted in July 2021. 

A mom told the authorities that her 3-year-old son suddenly pointed at a nearby field and said to her that he could see a woman in the field lying on the grass. He said she had blue hair and she was dead but needed help. The parents did not observe anything at that time until the mother later learned that Sandra Hughes had colored her hair bright blue a short time before she went missing.

The strange comment by such a young child—and the accurate description of the hair—caused paranormal and true-crime fans alike to speculate: Did the boy see Hughes’ ghost? Was her spirit trying to communicate? Could her body be nearby?

While most mock the ghost theory as ridiculous, others claim it could be true. Since then, several reported sightings of what may have been her spirit have occurred.

What happened to missing hiker Sandra Hughes?

There is no official conclusion as to what happened to Hughes. Detectives have followed various hypotheses and possibilities, including accidental injury: She may have wandered off after a head injury or fall and lost her way from her camp. Or she may have voluntarily disappeared, but that option is less likely since she was very close to her family and poorly equipped. There’s also foul play: Although there is no solid evidence, it is believed by some that someone else might have been involved.

Or Hughes may have had a mental health episode: Sightings of her bruised and barefoot on have led people to wonder if she had a mental break. And then, of course, there is the supernatural alternative—wholly unsubstantiated but utterly fascinating to those intrigued by stories like this. 

Sandra Hughes is still officially missing. Her case remains open, and the Madera County Sheriff’s Office continues to search for any information that would bring answers. There is no proof of where she might be, alive or deceased.