American mythological creatures 

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Urayuli

Ten feet tall with long, lanky arms, shaggy hair and glowing eyes, these peaceful “hairy men” lurk in the southwestern woodland areas of Alaska.

Mogollon Monster

Territorial and sometimes violent, this creature hangs around the Arizona’s Mogollon Rim, where it explores campsites after dark and throws stones.

Fouke Monster

In Arkansas folklore, this tall, shaggy monster has a knack for killing local livestock. It even has its own docudrama, The Legend of Boggy Creek, which was released in 1972.

Fresno Nightcrawlers

Also known as the Fresno aliens, these leggy entities were first recorded in California by a surveillance video—and since then, at least one local Native American tribe has pointed out that certain wood carvings look similar to the creatures caught on film. 

Slide Rock Bolter

Colorado mountain dwellers, beware: This fearsome creature slides down steep slopes and gobbles up everything in its path.

Melon Heads

According to Connecticut legend, these small humanoids with bulbous heads are the inbred decedents of escaped criminals who resorted to cannibalism to survive the area’s harsh winters. Similar sightings have been reported in Michigan and Ohio.

Pukwudgie

Originating in Wampanoag folklore (and reported in Delaware), these little men were once friendly to humans but turned against them, causing trouble for (and sometimes attacking!) people who disturbed them.

St. Augustine Monster

A mysterious carcass was discovered on a Florida shore in 1896 and was initially believed to have been part of a giant octopus (but it was actually a mass of whale blubber!).

Altamaha-ha

Also called Altie, this creature inhabits small streams and abandoned rice fields in southeastern Georgia.

Menehune

These tiny locals are tucked away in the deep greenery and secluded valleys of Hawaii and are often credited for crafting many of the islands’ temples, fishponds and roads.

Bear Lake Monster

Lurking along the Utah-Idaho border, this serpent-like creature was first spotted by a Mormon colonizer in 1868.

Piasa

This dragon-like beast was depicted in two Native American murals along the Mississippi River.

Beast of Busco

This giant snapping turtle was spotted by Indiana residents in 1949—and the search has been on ever since.

Van Meter Monster

Iowa residents claimed to see a half-human, half-winged animal—a few even tried shooting it to no avail.

Pope Lick Monster

A goat/man/sheep hybrid, this Kentucky creature is said to use hypnosis to lead its victims to their demise.

Honey Island Swamp Monster

This Louisiana legend is said to be 7 feet tall with gray hair and glowing eyes. It was first spotted by a wildlife photographer in 1963, and a film reel featuring the creature was allegedly found in the photographer’s possessions after his death in 1980.

Dewayyo

Spotted in Maryland, this bushy-tailed beast is the enemy of another local legend: the flying, blood-sucking Snallygaster.

Dover Demon

This creature with “tendril-like” fingers and glowing eyes was spotted by three Massachusetts teens in 1977.

Nain Rouge

French for “red dwarf,” seeing this Michigan creature is a sign that bad luck is heading your way.

Wendigo 

Originating in Algonquian folklore, this evil, cannibalistic entity lurks in the Great Lakes Region and is associated with cold weather and famine.

Beaman Monster

Some Missouri residents believe this creature is a 12-foot-tall gorilla that escaped a circus train; others describe it as wolf-like.

Flathead Lake Monster

Rooted in Kutenai legend, this Montana monster is often depicted as a long eel.

Jersey Devil

Commonly described as a hoofed, flying creature, tales of the Jersey Devil are so popular that the state named its hockey team after the beast.

Ludwig the Bloodsucker

This short, hairy vampire preyed on intoxicated bar-dwellers in New York City during the 1800s. 

Miniwashitu

Native Americans in North Dakota said that seeing this creature would lead to madness, blindness and death.

Loveland Frogmen

These 3-foot-tall frogs have been spotted in Ohio since the 1950s.

Ozark Howler

Lurking in remote areas of Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas, this creature is said to be about the size of a bear.

Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp

This scaly scoundrel hangs around South Carolina’s swamplands and was first spotted in the 1980s.

Wampus Cat

Visible only right after dark or early dawn, this half-woman, half-cat haunts the Appalachian region and is rooted in Cherokee folklore.

Lake Worth Monster

Part-man, part-goat, this Texas terror was first spotted in 1969, and reports of its existence have been popping up ever since. 

Mothman

A staple in West Virginian lore, the Mothman is described as a human with owl-like features.