Every state has a story the locals tell with a straight face. The places below carry a legend or cryptid account in the directory — one per state — with the folklore labeled as folklore and the location on the map so you can see the ground for yourself.
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Arizona Highway Department Devils Canyon Maintenance Camp
AZ
Arizona Highway Department Devils Canyon Maintenance Camp is a locale in Pinal County, Arizona, listed in the USGS Geographic Names Information System. It appears here for its name.
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Devils Head Lookout
Sedalia, CO · official site
Devils Head Lookout is a historic site in Sedalia, Colorado, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
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Blair Witch
Burkittsville, MD
Blair Witch is a local legend recorded in Burkittsville, Maryland. The Haunted Guide lists it for the ghost stories attached to it; the history and the sources are on the record below.
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Big Devil Swamp
MI
Big Devil Swamp is a swamp in Kalkaska County, Michigan, listed in the USGS Geographic Names Information System. It appears here for its name.
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Axehandle hound
MN
In American folklore, the axehandle hound (axhandle hound, ax-handle hound, or similar) is a fearsome critter of Minnesota and Wisconsin.
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Big Witch Overlook
NC
Big Witch Overlook is a locale in Swain County, North Carolina, listed in the USGS Geographic Names Information System. It appears here for its name.
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Bessie (lake monster)
OH
In northeastern Ohio and Michigan folklore, Bessie is a name given to a lake monster in Lake Erie, also known as South Bay Bessie or simply The Lake Erie Monster. The first recorded sighting of Bessie occurred in 1817, and more sightings have occurred…
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Bigfoot trap
Jackson County, OR
The Bigfoot trap is located in the Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest in the southern part of Jackson County, Oregon, 3.1 miles (5.0 km) from the California border. Believed to be the only one of its kind, the trap was designed in 1974 to capture…
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Bell Witch
TN
Bell Witch is a local legend recorded in Tennessee. The Haunted Guide lists it for the ghost stories attached to it; the history and the sources are on the record below.
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Skinwalker Ranch
Ballard, UT · official site
Skinwalker Ranch, previously known as Sherman Ranch, is a property of approximately 512 acres (207 ha), located southeast of Ballard, Utah, that is reputed to be the site of paranormal and UFO-related activities. Its name is taken from the skin-walker, a…
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Big Devil Peak
WA
Big Devil Peak is a summit in Skagit County, Washington, listed in the USGS Geographic Names Information System. It appears here for its name.
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Devils Tower National Monument
WY · official site
Devils Tower National Monument is a park in Crook County, Wyoming, listed in the USGS Geographic Names Information System. It appears here for its name.
Reading a legend
We separate three things on every listing: what the historical record says, what visitors and residents report, and what is pure legend. All three can be true at once in the sense that matters for a road trip.
Reported hauntings are folklore and visitor accounts, not established fact. Hours, prices and access change — confirm with each operator before you travel, and never trespass on private land.