Ghost stories are always a crowd pleaser, which means that many a night will be spent telling bone-chilling tales. Believe it or not, Arizona has some of the most frightening stories and locales in the country. Arizona legends are always the most terrifying because they’re the most believable – so if you scare your friends and family with any story this year, let it be that of the Skinwalker. Nothing will make your skin crawl like the story of the Arizona skinwalkers.

Driving through a lonely stretch of Arizona desert at night can be unsettling, even without the addition of any folklore, so this urban legend is icing on the creepiness cake.
CEBImagery/Flickr
But what if you discovered that not only are you in a secluded area at night, you're not there alone?
A Navajo story tells of medicine men possessed by both good and evil powers, and it was up to them to decide which side they would turn to. Those who walked into the darkness were given the name "Skinwalkers."
Flickr/athomeinscottsdale
These Skinwalkers are harmful witches that can disguise themselves as a kind of animal while wreaking havoc on those who have aligned themselves with goodness.

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According to the legend, the witch doctors disguise themselves as animals to gain human trust. They travel alongside vehicles in desolate areas, tapping on the windows until the driver eventually stops to investigate the mysterious noise... and never get back in the car.
YouTube/Top 5 Darkest
Reports from far and wide note that people have seen terrifying half-man/half-beasts attempting to get into their vehicles or have noticed other vehicles simply disappear on an otherwise desolate road.
There's even a portion of the state nicknamed "Skinwalker Ranch" due to the enormous amount of reports that have been made there. Are you brave enough to visit?
YouTube/Top 5 Darkest
Skinwalker Ranch's eeriness goes far beyond just the Skinwalkers themselves. There have been reports of UFOs, haunts, disappearances, and terrible happenings all around the 512 acre property. Legend has it that if you visit the ranch bad things follow you wherever you go for the rest of your life.
Moral of the story? If you ever find yourself on a highway in the middle of nowhere and hear rapping on the glass, despite traveling 60 miles per hour, just keep driving - unless, of course, you want to end up like the unfortunate souls who weren't lucky enough to be warned.
Nate Loper/Flickr
Some secrets and strange phenomena are better left untouched.

If you’re brave enough, check out this creepy video about the Skinwalkers shared on YouTube by Top 5 Darkest. You can also learn more about Skinwalker Ranch by watching the History Channel reality series about investigating the property or the 2013 fictional horror movie inspired by the happenings there. The ranch was acquired by the National Institute of Discovery Science in order to study the paranormal reports. Claims say that NIDSci founder Robert Bigelow was convinced to buy the property almost exclusively on the terrifying and creepy reports of the former owner Terry Sherman.

Well, I’m definitely not getting much sleep tonight after watching that.

Did you hear about Skinwalkers growing up? Have you ever had the chilling experience of encountering one of them yourself? What about any of these Arizona urban legends? Do you believe them?

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More to Explore

Haunted Places in Arizona

CC | December 13, 2022

What are some other creepy sites in Arizona?

  • Flagstaff haunted wild west forest town
  • Jerome famous ghost town
  • Prescott haunted Victorian town
  • Bisbee terrifying mining history
  • The Gadsden Hotel in Douglas
  • Hotel Congress in Tuscon
  • Birdcage Theatre in Tombstone
  • Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence

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SkinWalker Ranch, n7206, N7200, St Johns, AZ 85936, USA