Utah’s Biggest Halloween Mysteries

Spooky season in Utah comes with several cautionary tales and many mysteries that perplex and send chills down the spines of residents today.  

From lake beasts to aliens, the state is full of wonders for anyone who loves the creepy and scary.  

KSL reported on some of the monster legends around the state and a few of them stand out quite a bit. There is your ever-present bigfoot, and somehow beside the always questionable aliens, that’s the most “normal”.  

Bear Lake Holds Lochness Monsters Cousin 

In 1868, the Deseret News reported several sightings of a large animal that swam at speeds that simply could not be explained in Bear Lake. According to the article, the Native Americans had tales of a monster in the lake that would carry away anyone who dared to swim there.  

Author J.C.R. spoke with several individuals who described this large animal only by seeing it from the shore and no more than in glimpses. One sighting said up to 90 feet while another said 40. The creature is said to have been brown in color with ears or “bunches” on its head with the head being as large as a “pint cup”.  

So, if you’d like to grab some snorkeling gear or sonar machines and explore Bear Lake, you might encounter this elusive creature.  

Skinwalkers 

This is one of the more well-known monsters in modern-day lore and is not just in Utah. The Navajo people have been talking about Skinwalkers for hundreds of years but, the how and why can differentiate. Sometimes, Skinwalkers are mistaken or reduced to werewolves but there is so much more to the story.  

Skinwalkers are believed to be Navajo people who have committed an unforgivable act like murdering family and then gain the ability to shapeshift into any animal they choose, How Stuff Works.com said.  

Skinwalkers go to dark places and after being influenced by their bad deeds, perform dark magic or witchcraft. It's not a curse but something the afflicted want.  

These humans turned monster will do “taboo” things in their creepy caves for ritual purposes by defiling a body. So, if you see an animal that looks abnormally cunning and gives off murderous vibes...run. 

666 

Salt Lake City Cemetery has an extremely interesting headstone. Lilly E. Gray died on Nov. 14 in 1958 as a “victim of the beast, 666”. Her headstone simply says this with no further explanations, and all are left to wonder what is beast 666? Could it be the devil? Could it be witchcraft?  

No one knows.