The Paranormal Roadtripper
Zach Bales has had an interest in the paranormal for as long as he can remember. Growing up in rural Kentucky in the foothills of Appalachia, Bales spent much of his youth fascinated by tales of ghosts, monsters, and “little green men.” His interest in the paranormal has taken him to the far corners of the North American continent and to twenty-nine countries spanning the globe.
Over the years, Bales has come face to face with many of Earth’s most compelling mysteries—from the jungles of Latin America to antique lands of Northern Africa, from the moors of England and Scotland to the cradle of civilization in the Middle East. Bales has documented many of these encounters in his five books—The Amateur’s Guide to Ghost Hunting, The Expert’s Guide to Ghost Hunting, The Bigfooter’s Atlas, The UFO Chaser’s Atlas, and The Atlas of the Unexplained: Mothman. In December 2020, The Bigfooter’s Atlas was recognized as the “Book of the Year” by Loren Coleman’s International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine. In December 2024, The Atlas of the Unexplained: Mothman received similar recognition.
Bales’ fascination with folklore and storytelling led him to pursue a career in the study of English language and literature. After obtaining a BA from Eastern Kentucky University and an MA from the University of the Cumberlands, Bales sought a position in Secondary English Education, where he has spent the better part of two decades. In October 2020, Bales was recognized as the Kentucky Teacher of the Week.
Bales is a regular on the convention and festival circuit, appearing alongside his wife, Melissa, at events throughout the United States. Bales has been featured on television and film as well as on a number of nationally syndicated radio programs.
In August 2022, Bales opened Paranormal Roadtripper’s Nightmare Gallery in Somerset, Kentucky, which features his collection of curiosities—a menagerie of the unexplained, the unusual, and the otherworldly—as well as a one-of-a-kind gift shop. In 2024, the Nightmare Gallery doubled in size, making it one of the largest exhibits of its kind anywhere in the world.
What’s past is prologue.