Mythical Monsters of North America
Over the now multiple decades that the artists of Anderson Design Group have been documenting the wilderness and wonder of America’s national parks, we’ve run across some pretty exciting legends of mythical monsters! We’ve heard horror stories about strange creatures that others have seen, heard, (or felt).
In visiting most of the U.S. states and parks, we’ve uncovered tall tales of unexplainable events, ancient myths, and local stories passed down by Indigenous Peoples, colonial settlers, park visitors, and the locals who live in the communities where these elusive beings are said to roam.
In the last few years, we started to dig deeper, and we unearthed stories of dozens of mythical creatures in North America and around the world. That research inspired the Legends of the National Parks art collection, later supplemented by Mythical Creatures Around the World.
We asked around, and the following are our ratings for the spookiest, most elusive, most mysterious, most lovable, and most confusing mythical monsters of North America.
But first, check out this YouTube video of Joel and Patty Anderson exploring Everglades National Park. They didn’t spot Gatorman or Swamp Ape, but they saw lots of alligators and other wildlife!
Spookiest Mythical Monster: Wendigo
Without a doubt, the Wendigo takes first place as the spookiest mythical monster in North America. Quoting an excerpt from our book Legends of the National Parks, “A cannibalistic beast of Indigenous American folklore, explorers to the northern forests of Minnesota and Voyageurs National Park have good reason to fear the Wendigo.
As the story goes, the Wendigo was once a man, a hunter, roaming the forest looking for deer. But driven mad by his hunger, the hunter resorted to cannibalism, which turned him into a gruesome beast that looked like a cross between a haunted, emaciated deer and a tortured, rage-filled man."
To learn more about the spooky history of the Wendigo beast, check out this article at All That is Interesting.
Runner-Up for Spookiest Mythical Monster: Chupacabra
The creepy Chupacabra monster gets the runner-up position for the spookiest legend of mythical creatures. Though most believe it to be a North American creature, few mythical creatures have garnered as many reported sightings across as wide a geographic range as the Chupacabra. From the southwestern United States to Mexico and into the Caribbean Sea on islands like Puerto Rico, tales of the Chupacabra have haunted folks far and wide.
The word ‘chupacabra’ is translated literally as ‘goat-sucker’; from Spanish: chupar, ‘to suck’ and cabras, ‘goats.’ As the story goes, the beast’s name comes from its reported vampirism, as rural farmers claim the Chupacabra attacks and drink the blood of livestock, mainly goats. Sightings have been reported in Puerto Rico since the 1970s. But this creature’s range is vast! Reports of the Chupacabra have surfaced as far north as Maine, as far south as Chile, and even outside the Americas in countries like Russia and the Philippines.
The creature is so widely accepted as being more than just a mythical monster that it has a fan website!
Most Elusive Mythical Monster: Swamp Ape
Part of what makes mythical monsters so interesting is their sheer ability to avoid detection. At best, people see faint glimpses of them. Many are only known because of stories passed down for generations. One of the particularly elusive mythical monsters is the Swamp Ape of the Everglades, sometimes referred to as “Skunk Ape.”
Everglades National Park has many secrets, some of which we occasionally get a glimpse of before they disappear back into the swamp. The Everglades Swamp Ape is one such mystery, an elusive creature that resembles Bigfoot but who is believed to be much shorter and to have longer, lankier arms and legs. Those who have claimed to witness Swamp Ape say the creature is 5ft-7ft tall and is completely covered in mottled, reddish-brown hair. The creature is also said to emit a foul odor, which is why some call it Skunk Ape.
We found more information about this mysterious beast on a Wikipedia page dedicated to elusive mythical monsters.
Runner-Up for Most Elusive Mythical Monster: Spearfinger
We couldn’t decide whether to put her in the category of spookiest or most elusive, but Spearfinger deserves at least one mention in this article. Though the stories surrounding her existence are terrifying to say the least, no one has seen Spearfinger in centuries, hence why we are identifying her as one of the most elusive mythical monsters in North America.
As the legend has it, Spearfinger was (or is) a stone-skinned, witch-like creature who has a long, sharp spear for a right index finger. Spearfinger is said to prowl the forests and valleys of the Great Smoky Mountains at night, hunting for the livers of animals and humans. As the story goes, Spearfinger particularly liked to prey on Cherokee children, often appearing to them as a wise old woman but then turning into a monster as soon as the children got close to her.
We’ve found Indigenous writings to be the best source of information about Spearfinger.
Most Mysterious Mythical Monster: Urayuli
The mysterious mythical monster award column is reserved for the cryptids who are very, very peculiar, particularly the ones where very little is known about them. For this category, the first place has to go to the Urayuli. The best descriptions of this beast liken it to the Bigfoot of the Contiguous U.S., but even that description is hazy around the edges.
And even if the creature does look like Bigfoot, experts insist it’s not the same species. Urayuli are said to be a distinctly different species of cryptid. At home in the southwestern forests and mountains of Alaska, these beasts are also known as “Hairy Men” in most Yupik languages. They are said to be 10 feet tall with long, shaggy fur, luminescent eyes, and long arms that reach down to their ankles. They are reported to emit a high-pitched cry that sounds like a loon. They are known to be peaceful creatures, and some Indigenous storytellers say the Urayuli have transformed children who had gotten lost in the woods at night. (This story may have been told to keep children inside at night).
Wikipedia has some resource info on this mysterious beast.
Runner-Up for Most Mysterious Mythical Monster: Mermaid
The mermaid is the runner-up for the most mysterious mythical monster because even though mermaid sightings have occurred all over the world (North American sightings are the most recent), no one’s ever captured one and proven its existence.
Yet the mermaid myth has pervaded numerous cultures for centuries. The creature is said to be an ocean-dwelling humanoid with the head and upper body of a human woman and the tail of a fish. While sailors have told stories of mermaids in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas, some believe the sprawling coastline and cool waters of the North Pacific around Vancouver Island may be the best place to see a mermaid in the modern day. Case in point, some of the most recent mermaid sightings have occurred near the cities of Victoria and Vancouver in the Salish Sea, the Haro Strait, and the Strait of Georgia. Such sightings began in 1870, with the most recent occurring in 1967. (Most parts of the world haven’t reported mermaid sightings for centuries).
Royal Museums Greenwich has good information about mermaids.
Most Lovable Mythical Monster: Bigfoot
Not all mythical monsters are scary or creepy, and many people have come to see North America’s most famous mythical monster as also being its most lovable. Yes, we’re talking about Bigfoot!
With officially recorded sightings of the creature now numbering in the thousands, there is no doubt that Bigfoot is the most famous legend associated with America’s National Parks. Fearsome indeed, the beast is said to stand anywhere from 6ft to 9ft tall, almost completely covered in brown and black fur, and believed to resemble something akin to an ape-like human.
The eyewitness accounts from those who’ve sighted the creature say that Bigfoot is particularly elusive, always shying away from humans whenever spotted. However, when confronted, he’s not afraid to put forth a bloodcurdling roar (politely, of course; he just wants you to respect his boundaries).
Read more Bigfoot facts and sighting tips here.
Runner-Up for Most Lovable Mythical Monster: Mo'o
It’s difficult to read about mythical monsters of Hawai’i that exist only to protect the islands and to then think of them as bad, scary, evil, harmful, or spooky. The Mo’o Water Guardian is not technically a North American mythical creature, but it is lovable!
According to Indigenous Hawaiian legends, these beautiful, huge lizard spirits took the shape of massive geckos and kept watch over the plants and animals of Hawaii. Some eyewitness accounts of the Mo’o Water Guardians describe them as shapeshifters, able to take the form of geckos, dragons, humans, or even bodies of water.
It is believed that when a Mo’o dies, its petrified body becomes part of the landscape, which is why many Indigenous Hawaiians believe certain stone-like structures scattered across the islands are the petrified remains of sacred Mo’o Water Guardians. Some stories say the rocky topography of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has a few Mo’o laid to rest within the landscape, forever protecting the park.
Hawaiian writings often mention the Mo’o and speak highly of them.
Most Confusing Mythical Monster: Snallygaster
For the most confusing mythical monster of North America, the one that makes you scratch your head in puzzlement and say, "Hmmm..." we had to give it to the Snallygaster. This mythical legend and mystical creature appears to be partially a bird, a snake, and maybe there’s even some squirrel in there, too. How did that hybrid combination come about!? We’re not going to spend too much time thinking about it!
Since the days of early colonial America, residents of the region that is now Shenandoah National Park have reported sightings of the vicious Snallygaster. According to eyewitnesses, the reptilian, bird-like creature has terrifying features, including razor-sharp serrated teeth, bulletproof skin, claws like steel hooks, and a seemingly intentional habit of letting itself be spotted by lone hikers and wilderness explorers.
We found some more info about the beast here.
Runner-Up for Most Confusing Mythical Monster: Ong
Perhaps a distant cousin of the Snallygaster, another confusing mythical creature is the “Ong” of Lake Tahoe and Tahoe National Forest. It appears to be part bird, part human.
Here’s an old description of the Ong from Sunset Magazine published in 1905: “Poor mortals who had drowned in these waters (Lake Tahoe), their bodies were carried to the Ong’s nest and no morsel ever escaped him. Sometimes he would fly about the shores in quest of some child or woman or hunter, yet he was a great coward and was never known to attack anyone in camp, or when two or more were together. No arrow could pierce his feathers, nor could the strongest spear do more than glance from the scales on his face and legs, yet his coward’s heart made him afraid, for his toes had no claws, and his mouth no beak.”
This article has more info about this odd creature.
Keep Your Eyes and Ears Open this Summer
Who knows what could be waiting out there in the wilderness this year, as every culture, region, and community seems to have legends of their mythical monsters?
If you see something out in the woods this summer, be sure to tell us about it! And if you need something to commemorate a particularly spooky adventure, Legends of the National Parks is dedicated to the more elusive side of North American nature spaces. These original poster illustrations and art prints of national parks and mythical monsters in the national parks and around the world are sure to make beautiful additions to your home or office décor.
-Ren Brabenec
Anderson Design Group Staff Writer
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