On Travel Channel, we have the return of fan-favorite series Mountain Monsters. On the show, a group of local Appalachian men uses lore and facts to discern and discover the monsters of one of the most mysterious parts of North America.
The show’s premise is to find and validate claims of supernatural beasts and sightings. The team, called AIMS, heads deep in the Appalachian Mountains, in search of these legendary and terrifying creatures.
The monsters run the gamut from Big Foot and Hogzilla to Chupacabra and Moth Man.
Mountain Monsters first aired on Discovery sister network Destination America and has since migrated to Travel Channel.
Where is the show filmed?
Discovery confirms that Mountain Men takes place primarily in West Virginia’s mountainous Appalachian region.
The Appalachian Region covers a lot of Eastern America — a 205,000-square-mile region. The spine of the Appalachian Mountains goes from New York to northern Mississippi. This area includes West Virginia, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The Appalachian population is estimated at 40%.
For those unaware of Appalachia and the region, there are seven described nations within the swath of Appalachia.
Sprawled across a vast swath of eastern North America, the region encompassing the Mountain Monster hunting grounds formed 480 million years ago.
And as such, the animal and human mysteries and inexplicable legends that live in these rural and hard to access mountain ranges are the juicy camera candy fodder for the show.
Appalachia, where is it exactly?
Appalachia as a region is enormous and includes over 25 different mountain ranges, including the Hamburg Mountains, Tallegheda Mountains, Green Mountains, Ramapo Mountains, and many more.
The Appalachian Mountains are a natural barrier between the eastern Coastal Plain and the Interior Lowlands of North America.
Mountain Monsters focuses on West Virginia’s mountain ranges with this season specifically filming in Boone County WV; Jackson County WV; and Lee County VA.
What is Mountain Monsters about?
The series follows “Trapper” John Tice, Buck, Huckleberry, Jeff, Willy, and Wild Bill, a group of paranormal investigators based in West Virginia.
The team, known as AIMS (Appalachian Investigators of Mysterious Sightings), are a mixed group of hunters, trackers, and survivalists. Their purpose is to hunt down any monsters hiding in the forested mountains.
The team claims they have had close encounters with Bigfoots, Wolfmen, Chupacabras, giant hogs, and many other alleged creatures. These have colorful names like Sheep Squatch, White Sting Ray, Thunderbirds, Moth Man, Big Foot and more.
Travel Channel promises the new season features these “hard-core trappers” who must validate the “fabled monsters and track down proof they still roam the region.”
The show plays on their larger than life “hillbilly hunter” personalities and ridiculous situational predicaments to foster a sense of story in this cult favorite.
What is AIMS?
AIMS is an acronym that stands for Appalachian Investigators of Mysterious Sightings. Regional sons Trapper John Tice, Jeff Headlee and Willy McQuillian founded the group.
In past interviews, the men claimed AIMS formed due to their shared experience of hearing stories about mysterious sightings of creatures and beasts in their specific Appalachian area.
The men claimed that their encounters with creatures and mysterious sightings led to their team’s creation.
Their website claims:
Our mission at AIMS is to investigate mysterious sightings of creatures and phenomena in the Appalachian Regions, as reported by individuals who are frequently scared that they will be laughed at and ridiculed for what they saw. Upon investigating these reports we will move to track, trap and capture these creatures. In the end we will either know that our witness actually saw a mysterious beast or that no beast exists. We want to help these people to have peace of mind and know that they are not alone in their mysterious encounters.
Upcoming episodes
On September 11: The Silver Giant of Boone County
Travel Channel description:
The AIMS team sets off after a massive bear creature known as the Silver Giant. This behemoth is said to be over 10-feet-tall when it stands on its hind legs and has a silver streak running down its back. Due to his love of anything bear related, Wild Bill decides to step up his game and mimic Jeff as the team researcher. Obsessed with science and “scat samples,” Wild Bill is in full researcher mode as the team creates its largest trap to date. But the team members soon learn the Silver Giant may not be the only mysterious creature in the hills of Boone County.
On September 18: The Cherokee Death Cat
Travel Channel description:
The AIMS team continues its quest to get to the bottom of the legend of Spearfinger and sets off to investigate the Cherokee Death Cat, a ferocious feline with a deadly curse.
Mountain Monsters airs Wednesdays at 9 pm ET/PT on Travel Channel.