Jersey Devil

The Jersey Devil is perhaps one of the most famous cryptid creatures in the United States. Tales of his existence have been passed along for centuries by numerous New Jersey residents. Early Native American tribes in the area often referred to the Pine Barren woods as "the place of the dragon." Within this isolated stretch of woods is where most of the sightings of the devil have occurred.

According to legends, the Jersey Devil is thought to be the 13th child of Mother Leeds. Upon finding out of her 13th pregnancy she stated "may it be a devil." While bearing forth the child, she invoked the devil during painful labor pains. The child was born normal but within minutes of birth sprouted a horse-like head, a forked tail, wings and hooves. Immediately the creature struck, killing the mid-wife who had helped bring him to the light, than escaping into the barren woods.

The Jersey Devil has certainly left a lasting impression on the garden state. Famed Naval heroes have spotted the creature, and even fired cannon blasts at him. Brothers of World leaders have witnessed the strange creature while hunting. The mysterious monster has spurred many stories and is often blamed for many tragedies and accidents. It's been documented that when the Jersey Devil seems to appear to a large amount of witnesses within a few days, that world tragedies often occur shortly after. Lately the Jersey Devil seems to be traveling a little farther out of his area. While he has been spotted throughout the entire state of New Jersey, his presence has been appearing throughout the entire Mid-Atlantic region.

Bigfoot in Pennsylvania

The most beloved cryptid creature in America seems to make his impression felt everywhere including Pennsylvania. The Sasquatch is quite frequently spotted in the deep forests of the Pacific Northwest, but there have been sightings of this mysterious creature in nearly every state.

Sasquatch or Bigfoot is usually described as a large ape-like creature who walks upright. Bigfoot has been deemed to range around 6' - 10' in height and weighing in at over 500 pounds. They are known to permeate a horrific stench, and are legendary for their monstrous footprints.

As early as 1879 there have been descriptions given of a hairy wild man roaming the woods throughout Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society has varied reports of sightings throughout every county in the state. A majority of the sightings appear in the central and northern parts of the heavily wooded commonwealth. But alarmingly a strange disproportion also occur within the suburbs of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Several witnesses have felt or spotted a strange ape-like man luring at them while hunting. Others have reported hearing odd inarticulate screams uttering from the woods. Seems if you're going to go out hunting for Bigfoot Pennsylvania may be a good place to start, just be sure you keep all your senses magnified.
Photo of Bigfoot sighting in Pennsylvania.

Raystown Ray

One of Pennsylvania's most famous cryptid creatures prefers to make his home in one of Pennsylvania's top tourist spots. Lake Raystown is home to muskies, catfish, and a giant prehistoric monster known as Raystown Ray.

Ray is thought to be very similar to the Loch Ness monster and is said to be a similar species of creature. While there have been numerous sightings of the monster in Loch Ness, Ray doesn't seem as bold. Multiple underwater divers in the lake have reported witnessing immeasurably massive creatures dwelling deep in the waters. Ray wasn't officially spotted though until April 2006 when a local man captured the above photograph. Since that time numerous stories and sightings of Ray have spread. Many doubt the validity of these stories and believe they are mainly used to attract tourists to the region. It's quite easy to dismiss these tales given the fact Lake Raystown is one of the largest man-made lakes in the country. What are your thoughts?

Broad Top Snake

If you find yourself walking the woods of the Broad Top mountain be careful where you step or more precisely where you sit. A legend passed from the 1800's tells the tale of a lumberjack who sat on a log one day to enjoy his lunch. His face turned a pale white when he realized his crude bench began to move. Since then tales have surfaced and sightings have occurred of an exorbitant serpent roaming the lands.

Numerous locals in the Huntingdon county area pass along tales of an 18-20 foot long snake with yellow markings around its neck and eyes. Travelers through the rural area have reported running over small logs only to spot them slither across the road. During the 1950's several strip miners in the area also recognized an abnormally sized serpent roaming the mountaintop.

Broad Top mountain isn't the only place in Pennsylvania where large snakes have been spotted. Several years ago in York county a gentleman found a massive snakeskin in the woods. Others in the county have reported spotting a snake as large as 14' long and over 18" inches in diameter. This is certainly not an indigenous creature leading many to believe these sightings should be attributed to careless pet owners. But many years before owning exotic snakes was a common practice, many Gettysburg citizens claimed to have spotted an immeasurable snake slithering throughout the nearby thickets. This vermin evoked so much fear in the residents that he was named "the devil." The vast monster was thought to make his home in a nearby boulder field which was affectionately known as "Devil's Den."
Those who study snakes often attribute these sightings to large black snakes. Though new evidence has surfaced showing that a species known as the pine snake has been spotted throughout several isolated pockets of the Appalachian states. The snake has been known to grow quite lengthy, but doesn't measure much more than a few inches in width. If you find yourself hiking or camping near the Appalachian mountain range and see a colossal creature slithering by, don't say you weren't warned!

Thunderbirds of Pennsylvania

Native Americans often paid tribute to large predatory raptors. Most totem poles feature a likeness to a thunderbird perched high on top. The natives often held these mammoth birds in high regard. They believed these feathered creatures held supernatural powers, including the power to cause hazardous storms. It was believed that their flapping wings created thunder, while their dark ominous eyes were capable of causing lightning strikes. The natives passed these tales onto the early settlers, as well as stories of the monstrous birds swooping down to attack deer and even small children. They described the birds as having talons as large as human hands, glassy black beaded eyes, and heads larger than a yard long. But are they real?

It's quite easy to dismiss these tales as simple early American folklore passed down from generation. What's not so easy to dismiss is the inordinate amount of eyewitness accounts in the past two decades. Alarmingly a majority of these reports come from the black forest region of northern Pennsylvania. Several witnesses have reported immense birds roaming the area, ranging in size from 14 to 22 feet in length. Often they resemble small aircraft, yet have the appearance of a large bat. More shockingly is there are a host of witnesses in every county of Pennsylvania who can attest to spotting one of the gargantuan creatures. I do know one thing for certain, on future Outta the Way trips were gonna be keeping our eyes on the sky as well as the road.