Jonghyon Won & Peter Jackson: Two Enduring Cold Cases in America’s Iconic Parks – Grand Canyon and Yosemite Still Hold Their Secrets

In September 2016 and 2017, two men vanished in two of America’s most visited national parks under strikingly similar circumstances—yet neither case has yielded a single definitive clue more than a decade later.

On September 17, 2016, 74-year-old Peter Jackson, an avid hiker and filmmaker in excellent health, texted his son that he was heading to Yosemite. His vehicle was later found at White Wolf Campground, site #58, paid through September 21. Park rangers believe he set out on a day hike and simply never returned. His royal blue daypack was discovered in 2019 between Aspen Valley and Smith Peak—still containing gear, but offering no explanation of his fate. The active search was scaled back after weeks; no body, no distress signals, and no further sightings have ever surfaced.

Exactly one year later, on September 17, 2017, 45-year-old Jonghyon Won of Los Angeles drove his white Toyota Camry into Grand Canyon National Park. The vehicle was spotted near the New Hance Trailhead before being found abandoned at Moran Point on the South Rim. The 5-foot-7, 121-pound Asian man had no known hiking plans, yet his car sat empty with no signs of struggle. As of 2026, the National Park Service still lists the case among its active cold files.

Both disappearances share eerie parallels: experienced or capable men, remote trailheads, vehicles left behind, and complete absence of remains despite extensive searches. While official reports cite the parks’ vast, treacherous terrain—cliffs, sudden weather, and wildlife—families and online sleuths continue to question whether something more unusual occurred.

Peter Jackson would be 84 today; Jonghyon Won would be 54. Their stories remain open, haunting reminders that even in heavily visited parks, some visitors simply walk into the wilderness and are never seen again.