Television series
Mountain Monsters
- Survival adventure
- Supernatural mystery
- Dip in and out
Mountain Monsters follows a team of Appalachian hunters and trackers attempting to capture evidence of Bigfoot through elaborate trap-building and wilderness investigation. It's earnest cryptozoology reality TV: part survival show, part monster hunt, entirely committed to its own premise. For anyone who loves the thrill of the chase, practical engineering, and watching smart outdoorsmen work together in genuine danger.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy backwoods characters who treat a ridiculous quest with complete sincerity, and you like reality shows where the fun is in the banter and the gear rather than any proof.
Skip it if you're after a serious investigation with real evidence and tension, since the episodes run on a familiar rhythm of rough banter and set-up.
What it asks of you: A light, hour-long episode that moves at a campfire pace, with long stretches of waiting and talk between brief bursts of action; it tolerates being watched in small doses.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
In Search of Monsters2019
Examines cryptid legends globally—Chupacabra, Mothman, Nessie—blending folklore, history, and investigation. Broader scope than Bigfoot-only shows, and genuinely curious about why we need these monsters.
But Anthology format means less investment in any single mystery. Some episodes lean academic rather than visceral.
Expedition X2020
Jenn Nervig and Josh Gates investigate paranormal phenomena with a fun, skeptical energy. Captures that same spirit of "let's build something and see what happens" but pivots between cryptids, hauntings, and unexplained events.
But Tries to cover too much ground. The episodes feel rushed compared to Mountain Monsters' patient stalking approach.
Alaska: The Last Frontier2011
Follows a real Alaskan homesteading family surviving off the land with genuine competence and hardship. The wilderness survival and trap-building skills echo Mountain Monsters without the monster hunting—it's just raw nature as the antagonist.
But Slow and unglamorous. If you're watching for the monster, the absence of one might feel like a slog.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Mountain Monsters
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Carnivàle2003
Both explore what lurks in America's wild places and small communities; both are genuinely committed to their mythology rather than winking at the camera.
A carnival traveling through Depression-era America collides with supernatural mystery and moral darkness. Like Mountain Monsters, it's obsessed with the spaces between civilization and wilderness, and whether the real monsters are out there or within us. Gorgeously shot, deeply strange.
But Cancelled after two seasons on an unresolved cliffhanger. The pacing is glacial—it's atmospheric horror, not action, and demands patience some viewers won't have.
More like this (6)
Dual Survival2010
Two expert survivalists navigate extreme environments using different philosophies—bushcraft versus city-slicker resourcefulness. The team dynamic and problem-solving mirror AIMS, just without hunting anything.
But Host chemistry has been rocky across seasons. Some iterations feel manufactured or tense in uncomfortable ways.
The Curse of Oak Island2014
A team digs and theorizes obsessively about buried treasure on an island, building elaborate equipment and following flimsy clues. It's the same energy as Mountain Monsters: a quest that may never resolve, but the process is oddly compelling.
But Seasons stretch thin. "We found something!" cuts to commercial, then it's just another rock or metal fragment. The payoff rarely matches the buildup.
Swamp People2010
Louisiana alligator hunters face real danger and stakes in their everyday work. The practical expertise and family dynamics are authentic, and there's genuine peril—unlike Bigfoot hunts, alligators actually show up.
But Brutal kills shown on screen. If you're squeamish about animal violence, this isn't the show.
River Monsters2009
Jeremy Wade hunts legendary dangerous fish in remote waters with scientific rigor and real peril. It's cryptozoology for aquatic creatures, with encounters that actually happen and explanations that satisfy curiosity.
But Can feel like a nature documentary with a catchier premise. Less team dynamic, more solo expert in exotic locations.
The Ritual2017
Both understand that forests are genuinely alien places; that isolation + mystery = genuine unease; and that sometimes you don't want to find what you're looking for.
Four friends hiking in Swedish wilderness encounter something vast and wrong in the forest. It's a tense, atmospheric creature feature that captures the primal fear of being hunted in terrain where you don't belong—the same dread that fuels Mountain Monsters.
But Slow-burn indie horror that relies on mood and suggestion. If you want action and answers, this withholds both until it can't anymore.
The Ballad of Little Jo1993
Both celebrate genuine Appalachian and frontier competence; both respect the people who actually know how to live in wild places rather than performing expertise for cameras.
A woman survives alone in 1880s wilderness by disguising herself as a man, based on a true story. It's a meditation on self-invention and survival in unforgiving terrain, shot with the same respect for landscape and human resourcefulness that makes Mountain Monsters watchable.
But Quiet, unhurried, and deliberately unglamorous. The payoff is internal and historical, not adventurous. Some will find it slow.
Recommended by
Swamp People, Naked and Afraid XL, Alaskan Bush People, Homestead Rescue, Expedition X, Monsterquest, Yukon Gold, The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch