LURAY, Va. — Officials in Shenandoah National Park (SNP) have called off the search for a missing hiker who was thought to be on the Appalachian Trail (A.T.).

Michael “Deric” Bennet was last seen in Centerville in late February, 2025. After he was reported missing, coworkers indicated he may be hiking the A.T., which runs through a portion of SNP, near Skyline Drive.

In late March, SNP officials released a missing poster with the man’s picture and descriptors. Bennet, 42, is 6’0” tall, and 190 lbs. He has a dragon skeleton tattoo on his back and tribal print tattoos on his shoulders.

On April 2, SNP officials stated that there was no evidence to indicate that Mr. Bennet was within the park’s boundary, and that they were suspending the investigation into his whereabouts.