The National Park Service is seeking the assistance of the public in locating a missing man.
Chris Palmer, 39, was last in contact with family members on Jan. 9. National Park Service rangers located Palmer’s red 2017 Ford F-250 stuck on the beach at Cape Hatteras National Seashore on Jan. 12. The vehicle remained unclaimed, and Arkansas authorities officially declared Palmer a missing person on Jan. 16.
Palmer is described as a Caucasian man, approximately 5 feet 6 inches tall, with blue eyes and strawberry-blond hair.
Officials say Palmer is believed to be traveling with his German shepherd and may still be in the area.
His red 2017 Ford F-250 was found stuck on the beach at Cape Hatteras National Seashore on January 12, the National Park Service said.
No one ever claimed the vehicle, and authorities in Arkansas, where Palmer is from, declared him a missing person on January 16.
“Palmer is believed to be traveling with his German shepherd and may still be in the area,” said the NPS in a statement shared Tuesday.
“While no additional details are available at this time, information from visitors can be critical to ongoing investigative efforts.”
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In a devastating Facebook post, Palmer’s dad explained that his son had been traveling through national parks to camp with his dog Zoey.
He went to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee on December 8, 2025, and was in Boone Fork, North Carolina, from December 10 to the 27th.
“He does a lot of camping in the national forests. He lets us know when and where he is going and when he is expected to return,” wrote the heartbroken dad.
Palmer planned to go to the George Washington National Forest in Virginia until January 7, but told his parents he would be staying an extra week on January 4.
