6 California Cryptids: Appearance, Behavior, and Location

California is a vast state with mountains, lakes, deserts, cliff-lined beaches, deep redwood forests, and big cities. It makes sense a state as large as California, with its varied topography and abundant wildlife, would be steeped in mythology and lore. Some of the most fascinating tales coming from California are based on cryptid sightings. Cryptids are legendary creatures that some people believe exist, but hard evidence remains out of reach. California is home to many notable stories about cryptids. Read on for six California cryptids and learn all about their appearance, behavior, and where they’ve been sighted.

1: Bigfoot

Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, is probably the most well-known cryptid worldwide. Folklore from Native American tribes describes a large, hairy, man-like ape that walks upright. Bigfoot is a reported seven to eight feet tall, powerfully built, and lives deep in the woods. The elusive beast is also described as shy and confrontational. Perhaps this is why getting hard evidence of Bigfoot’s existence remains challenging.

Though stories of Bigfoot date back to the Native Americans, the modern-day fascination with Bigfoot began in the 1950s when a journalist printed a story about a logger in northern California. The logger had discovered large footprints believed to belong to a Bigfoot. However, the footprints turned out to be a hoax. Furthermore, no real evidence of Bigfoot has been confirmed, but the legend continues. There are many reports of sightings of this mysterious cryptid in California and around the world.

2: Yucca Man

The Yucca Man is similar to Bigfoot but lives in the Mojave Desert rather than roaming California’s tall redwood forests. Yucca Man is possibly a desert-adapted Sasquatch. The story goes that Yucca Man was first seen in 1971 at Twentynine Palms Marine base. Since then, reports of a massive humanoid figure have come from Joshua Tree National Park. Described as more aggressive than the gentle Bigfoot, most accounts of this cryptid say you will smell him before you see him.

3: Tahoe Tessie

Scotland may have the Loch Ness Monster, but California has Tahoe Tessie. Tahoe Tessie is a sea monster allegedly living in Lake Tahoe. Believers of Tahoe Tessie think that the mysterious sea cryptid hides somewhere at the bottom of the impossibly deep (1,645 feet deep) and impossibly old (over 2 million years) lake. Indeed, Tessie’s legend dates back a long time ago to the local Washoe Tribe. Theories on the 30 to 60-foot-long sea creature range from a prehistoric animal to an undiscovered species to an enormous lake sturgeon.

4: Chupacabra

The first known sighting of the Chupacabra was in Puerto Rico in the 1990s. Since then, many reports of the beast have come out of California. The name means “goat sucker,” and the Chupacabra preys on livestock. The original reports of the Chupacabra described a three-foot-tall creature that walked upright, like a human. Additionally, the creatures had short gray fur and spikes coming out of their backs. Recent sightings of the Chupacabra describe a hairless creature that resembles a coyote. Animal experts believe this could simply be a coyote with a severe case of mange.

5: Fresno Nightcrawler

Perhaps no other cryptid has spawned such a large amount of fan art and merchandise in such a short amount of time than the Fresno Nightcrawler. The mystery began when a man living in Fresno released video footage of what appeared to be a pair of white pants casually walking across his yard. The cryptid had little to no upper body and no arms. Though we have video, it’s grainy and hard to see.

The second sighting of the Fresno Nightcrawler was in Yosemite National Park. Here, two nightcrawlers, one larger and one smaller, were filmed in 2011. If the nightcrawler exists, it is a rare creature, only having let itself be filmed infrequently. Theories debunking the Nightcrawler include digital manipulation of the video or the fact it could be some type of animal, such as a crane. You can watch the video and decide for yourself.

6: Dark Watchers

These eerie beings haunt the Santa Lucia Mountains. For hundreds of years, tall spectral beings clad in dark capes and hats have appeared on hills, ridges, and peaks, looking down at witnesses. They appear for a short time and then simply disappear. However, no one has ever been able to get close to a Dark Watcher to give a more detailed account.

A possible explanation for these otherworldly watchers has to do with shadows and light. They are often seen from far away around twilight as the sky darkens. The unearthly beings could be an optical illusion called the Brocken spectre. This illusion may happen when the sun shines from behind an observer who is looking down into mist or fog.

Summary of 6 California Cryptids

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