Kevin The Ultimate Cryptid-Hunting Road Trip
Are you interested in unusual, mythical animals? Why not celebrate that interest by planning a road trip across the country from Bellingham, WA, to Harrisonburg, VA?
Have you ever encountered an unusual creature that didn’t quite fit into any of today’s known categories? If so, you may have seen a cryptid.
What Is a Cryptid?
When most people hear “cryptid,” they immediately think of Bigfoot. There’s more to cryptid hunting than seeking Sasquatch in his native stomping grounds. Cryptids are any animals or creatures people claim to exist without active scientific proof.
Most cryptids originate from myths and folklore, passed down through the ages from one generation to the next in families and local communities. Some become famous, like the Mothman. Others remain relatively unknown.
This cryptid-hunting road trip includes big names like Bigfoot and lesser-known cryptids like the Snallygaster.
Stop 1: Seek Out Sasquatch in the Pacific Northwest
Sasquatch, AKA Bigfoot, is one of the world’s most infamous cryptids. Sasquatch sightings began to happen centuries ago. Many Native American tribes have legends describing a six-to-ten-foot tall, hairy, bipedal creature, and in the 19th century, stories of the ape-man began circulating among settlers as early as the 19th century.
You can go Sasquatch hunting almost anywhere in the Pacific Northwest, but some areas will be more likely to yield fruits than others. For example, there have been over 100 sightings outside of Bellingham, WA. Just as many people have seen the supposed hominid in the Oregon wilds.
If you’re searching for Bigfoot, you must get quite far off the beaten path. The world’s only Sasquatch trap can be found in the Siskiyou National Forest, and the Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains of southwest Oregon are home to the Bigfoot Trail, thanks to frequent sightings.
2. Learn About the Mothman of Point Pleasant, WV
The Mothman is also a humanoid cryptid, but its sightings were far more localized in time and place. Mothman sightings are exclusive to Point Pleasant, WV, close to the battle site, which many believe was the first of the Revolutionary War.
In November 1966, the Mothman appeared to two couples on State Route 62. The people who saw it describe a menacing, six-to-seven-foot-tall humanoid figure with giant, bright-red eyes and wings. They described it as a “clumsy runner” but told the local newspaper it kept pace with their car even when they reached 100 mph.
In the following days, locals reported Mothman sightings outside of homes and behind cars. John Keel chronicled the event in The Mothman Prophecies (1975), which was eventually made into a movie. No reliable sightings of the Mothman have occurred since.
3. Look for the Snallygaster Near Harrisonburg, VA
Most people know about both Bigfoot and the Mothman. Fewer are aware of the potential existence of the Snallygaster. Sighted at Camp Shenandoah near Harrisonburg, VA, the Snallygaster has haunted Shenandoah Valley folklore for centuries.
Described as a dragon-like creature with avian features and a beak lined with razor-like teeth, some believe the Snallygaster has caused the disappearance of both livestock and humans.
Historically, early accounts described a formidable predator that swooped silently from the sky.
More recent descriptions paint it as a smaller, less menacing creature. People who have seen the Snallygaster recently report witnessing small, winged creatures darting quickly between trees or making unusual chirping sounds.
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