Utah Urban Legends, Myths & Folklore: Not Your Average Bucket List Season 2
Marisa Roman
Author
Utah is a surprising gateway for unexplained phenomena, urban legends, and more. Some of the best Utah urban legends are featured in our latest Local Lore & Legends episode by Not Your Average Bucket List. Our hosts, Sara and Marisa, go deep into the Utah folklore with the history of Skinwalker Ranch. Plus, the episode covers the Bear Lake Monster – is it real? Is it just a story that snowballed? Also, our hosts discuss Ted Bundy and his only known survivor from a botched attack in Utah, as well as what happens when you steal wood from Escalante Petrified Forest!
Utah Urban Legends We’ll Cover In The Episode
- What is the Bear Lake Monster?
- What is the curse surrounding Escalante Petrified Forest?
- Wait, Ted Bundy lived in Utah!?
- One word: Skinwalkers.
The Bear Lake Monster
This Utah urban legend is said to have originated with Native Americans. However, the earliest accounts of white settlers’ sightings of the Bear Lake Monster were in 1869, when an article in the Deseret News came out with various accounts from people who claimed to have seen the monster. Unlike the famed lake cryptid, Loch Ness, the Bear Lake Monster has a different body type altogether. This Utah monster was said to have a large body with short, 18-inch legs with which it walks on the shoreline. In water, it swims “faster than a locomotive.” Brigham Young even started an investigation and attempted to trap the monster.
In years since, dozens of accounts have surfaced, with many people of all ages claiming to have seen the monster.
Escalante Petrified Forest
Shoutout to Catherine Armstrong for sharing this one. Catherine was the OnlyInYourState Utah writer for many years – lived in Utah for quite some time, and still has a great wealth of knowledge about Utah.
Escalante Petrified Forest is a well-known state park that people travel from all over to see. Why? The petrified wood that is millions of years old is a real sight to see. Petrified wood is a fossil that forms when plant material is buried by sediment and protected from decay due to oxygen and organisms. It takes on the texture and sheen of a quartz rock, which is why people come from all over to see it. But you can only look – DON’T TOUCH or TAKE! Not only is it illegal to take petrified wood, but it also can come at a great cost. People have reported stealing these fossils only to have catastrophic things happen when they get home. Death, strings of bad luck, illness, and more have all happened to the thieves, which is why they mail the fossils back in order to rid themselves of the curse.
Skinwalkers & Skinwalker Ranch
Skinwalker Ranch is a property located in the Uintah Basin near Ballard, Utah, in the United States. It gained notoriety due to numerous reports of paranormal activity and unexplained phenomena that have occurred there over the years. The ranch has been the subject of intense interest and investigation by paranormal researchers, UFO enthusiasts, and scientists alike.
The name “Skinwalker” comes from Native American folklore, specifically the Navajo legend of the skinwalker—a witch or sorcerer who can transform into various animal forms. The ranch acquired this name due to reported sightings of strange creatures and the belief that a shapeshifting entity may be present in the area.
The ranch was first brought to public attention in the early 1990s when it was owned by the Sherman family. Terry and Gwen Sherman reported experiencing a wide range of unusual occurrences on the property, including sightings of strange creatures, UFOs, poltergeist activity, and other unexplained phenomena. The family eventually sold the ranch to a scientific research organization called the National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDS) in 1996.
Not Your Average Bucket List Podcast Timestamps:
(04:45:00) Bear Lake Monster
(12:00:00) Escalante Petrified Forest
(16:35:00) Ogden – Most Haunted Town in Utah
(22:50:00) Skinwalkers & Skinwalker Ranch
Thanks for taking this Local Lore & Legends journey with us! As mentioned, here are a few of our OnlyInYourState articles for you to keep reading!
The Most Haunted Gravesite In Utah
Are you ready to tune into the episode? Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Get In Touch!
If you have personal experiences with any of the local lore and legends mentioned above, call or text 805-298-1420! We’d love to hear your thoughts on these creepy, potentially haunted places and maybe even share your clip on the show! You can also reach out to us via email at podcast@onlyinyourstate.com.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.