10 States With The Most Cryptids In The US

America’s landscape is dotted with tales of mysterious creatures lurking in forests, swimming in lakes, and freaking out local communities. These cryptids, animals whose existence science can’t quite confirm, have become a huge part of regional folklore and still capture our imagination today. While every state has at least one famous cryptid to brag about, some states are absolute hotspots for these weird and wonderful beings. From the misty woods of the Pacific Northwest to the murky swamps of the South, here are the ten states housing the biggest collections of reported cryptid sightings and legends.

Related: 10 Asian Cryptids and Demons That Have Terrified Locals

10West Virginia

West Virginia is pretty much cryptid paradise, those isolated mountain communities really know how to cook up some creepy legends. The state’s superstar cryptid is definitely the Mothman, first spotted in Point Pleasant back in 1966 when locals got the scare of their lives from a creature with massive wings and red eyes that seemed to glow in the dark. That sighting kicked off a town-wide hunt and has since turned into a tourist cash cow with its own annual festival. But Mothman isn’t flying solo, West Virginia is also home to the Flatwoods Monster, a weird alien-looking thing spotted in 1952 with a spade-shaped head and glowing eyes. The state’s countless mines also spawned stories of Tommyknockers, those mischievous spirits that tap on mine walls to warn miners when things are about to go south.

9Florida

Florida’s crazy mix of ecosystems creates the perfect breeding ground for cryptid tales. The Sunshine State’s claim to fame is the Skunk Ape, basically Bigfoot’s stinkier cousin, known for an overpowering stench that’ll make you gag, imagine rotten eggs mixed with skunk spray. People mainly spot this smelly hominid in the Everglades and swampy areas, and it’s sparked enough interest that someone actually opened a Skunk Ape Research Headquarters. Florida’s endless waterways host plenty of water monsters too, like the Muck Monster in Lake Worth and whatever’s lurking in the St. Johns River. With its unique blend of tropical wilderness, swamps, and packed cities, Florida keeps churning out new cryptid sightings year after year.

8California

California’s massive, varied landscape is basically a cryptid playground, with legends spanning from the mountains to the coastline. This enormous state has everything from the Dark Watchers, tall, shadowy figures that supposedly appear at twilight in the Santa Lucia Mountains just to stare at hikers (creepy, right?). These silent observers just watch travelers without doing anything, which is somehow even more unsettling. Lake Tahoe has its own Nessie knockoff called Tessie, a water monster that’s been part of local stories since Native American times. Northern California shares Bigfoot territory with other Pacific Northwest states, while the Fresno Nightcrawlers, bizarre beings caught on security cameras that look like they’re just pairs of legs walking around, are one of the weirder, more modern cryptid phenomena. California’s diverse landscapes support an equally diverse monster population.

7Texas

Everything is bigger in Texas, even the list of cryptids. The Lone Star State has a whole menagerie of mysterious creatures, from the Lake Worth Monster (aka Goatman) that freaked everyone out in 1969 to the chilling La Lechuza, an owl shapeshifter that supposedly snatches up people who wander off alone. Texas is huge, covering multiple ecosystems, each with its own brand of weird. The Chupacabra, or “goat-sucker,” really took off in Texas with tons of reported sightings of this blood-draining critter. Southern Texas shares the Mexican folklore of La Lechuza, while East Texas has its own Bigfoot variant called the Southern Sasquatch or Fouke Monster. With desert, forest, coastline, and swampland all in one state, Texas gives cryptids of all stripes plenty of places to hide.

6Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania’s thick forests and Appalachian Mountains set the perfect spooky stage for cryptid encounters. The Squonk has to be one of the most oddball creatures in cryptid lore, this mythical being is supposedly so ugly it constantly cries and will literally melt into a puddle of tears if you catch it. The Thunderbird, a massive bird that can whip up storms just by flapping its wings, shows up in both Native American traditions and in modern-day sightings throughout the state. Pennsylvania also boasts several lake monsters, including Raystown Ray who supposedly lurks in Raystown Lake. The state’s mix of industrial history and wild areas has also birthed cryptids like the Batsquatch and various coal mine spirits, a perfect blend of natural and industrial nightmares.

5New Jersey

Despite being packed with people, New Jersey still manages to hide plenty of cryptid legends, most famously the notorious Jersey Devil. This nightmare creature, sporting a horse-like face, bat wings, and a forked tail, has been terrifying folks in the Pine Barrens for over 250 years. The legend is so baked into local culture that the state’s NHL team uses it as their mascot. Beyond the Devil, Jersey’s extensive coastline has plenty of sea serpent stories, while the woods supposedly house Big Red Eye, a cryptid much like Bigfoot, whose most notable feature is their glowing red eyes. It’s kind of amazing how New Jersey’s jumble of urban areas, swamps, forests, and beaches creates so many hiding spots for cryptid stories to take root, making the Garden State surprisingly fertile ground for monster tales.

4Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s forests and countless lakes are practically a haven for cryptids. The state’s headliner is definitely the Beast of Bray Road, a werewolf-type creature first spotted in the late 1930s near Elkhorn with more recent sightings in the ’80s and ’90s. People describe it as a bear-sized, wolf-like thing that can run on its hind legs, which understandably freaked out locals and drew national attention. Wisconsin is also home to the Hodag, a bizarre beast with “the head of a frog, the grinning face of a giant elephant, thick short legs set off by huge claws, the back of a dinosaur, and a long tail with spears at the end” that’s been a beloved local mascot since someone claimed to spot it in the late 19th century. The state’s many lakes house water monsters like Rock Lake’s Rocky and the Lake Pepin Serpent, a cryptid hunter’s dream destination.

3Washington

Washington is basically ground zero for America’s most famous cryptid: Bigfoot (or Sasquatch if you’re feeling fancy). Those dense, misty forests of the Pacific Northwest are perfect for hiding a giant ape-man, with hundreds of people claiming to spot the big guy every year. But Sasquatch isn’t the only game in town, Washington also has the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Octopus, a massive 20-foot tentacled beast that popped up in local lore after the famous collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (which many believe to be a giant Pacific octopus). The state’s numerous lakes and long coastline are home to water monsters like Colossal Claude, a sea serpent that supposedly hangs out in the Columbia River. Native American traditions in the region talk about Thunderbirds and various forest spirits, adding even more layers to Washington’s cryptid ecosystem. The mix of remote wilderness, mountains, coastline, and that constant rain creates the perfect conditions for cryptids to thrive, at least in people’s imaginations.

2Michigan

Michigan’s massive shoreline and thick forests are crawling with cryptid stories, with the Michigan Dogman leading the pack. This wolf-man that walks on two legs has been scaring locals since the late 1800s, especially up north. Michigan’s connection to the Great Lakes has spawned a bunch of water monsters, including Pressie (or sometimes Bessie), a snake-like creature spotted in Lake Superior and immortalized in those classic blurry photos that never quite prove anything. The remote forests of the Upper Peninsula have their share of Bigfoot sightings, while the Melon Heads, small, humanoid creatures with oversized noggins, supposedly lurk in the woods of southern Michigan. The state’s industrial legacy has also given birth to urban cryptids like the Nain Rouge, a red dwarf that supposedly shows up in Detroit right before disaster strikes. Between factory towns, wild forests, and all those lakes, Michigan offers a little something for every type of cryptid to call home.

1Oregon

Oregon shares the Pacific Northwest’s obsession with cryptids, with Bigfoot sightings concentrated in the dense forests of the Cascades and along the coast. But beyond the famous sasquatch, Oregon has some unique monsters including the Agropelter, a forest prankster that messes with loggers by chucking branches from trees. The coastline has produced numerous sea serpent sightings, especially Colossal Claude, a massive snake-like thing reported in the Columbia River with sightings peaking in the 1950s and 60s. Oregon’s crater lakes and mountain waters supposedly hide various water monsters, including the Trinity Alps Giant Salamander, an absolute unit of an amphibian that supposedly grows over six feet long. With everything from beaches to high desert to dense forest, Oregon gives cryptids plenty of different neighborhoods to haunt.