Arizona

1Mogollon Monster On the record

Ape-like · Mogollon Rim, central and eastern Arizona (Payson, Whiteriver, Alpine) · first reported 1903

Arizona's own hairy giant is said to roam the pine forests along the Mogollon Rim, the long cliff that cuts across the middle of the state. Witnesses usually describe something over seven feet tall, walking upright, covered in dark or reddish hair except for its face, hands and feet, with red eyes and a terrible smell. The earliest account usually cited is from 1903, when I.W. Stevens described a wild, hairy, white-bearded figure with long claws near the Grand Canyon. Later stories come from Boy Scouts near Payson and from residents of the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. Northern Arizona University scientist Stan Lindstedt and other skeptics point to bears, elk, mountain lions, hoaxes and campfire storytelling.

• 1903On the record I.W. Stevens told a newspaper of meeting a naked wild man near the Grand Canyon, with long white hair and beard, gray body hair and claws about two inches long. He said it screamed and threatened him with a club. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 1940sTold story Researcher Don Davis recounted a Boy Scout camp encounter near Payson with a huge figure that had a massive chest and a very square head. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 1982-2004On the record Marjorie Grimes of Whiteriver reported several sightings of a tall black creature taking very long strides; other residents of the Fort Apache reservation shared similar stories. Source: en.wikipedia.org

2Red Ghost On the record

Beast · Eagle Creek and southeastern Arizona Territory · first reported 1883 · also called the Red Ghost camel

In the 1880s, people in Arizona Territory spoke of a huge reddish beast that appeared out of nowhere and was said to carry a dead man strapped to its back. In 1883 a woman near Eagle Creek was reportedly trampled to death, and strange tracks and red hair were found. Later a witness said the animal was a camel with a human body tied on; prospectors said they shot at it and a skull fell loose. Around 1893 a rancher killed a feral red camel grazing in his garden, and found rawhide straps cut deep into its hide. The story ties back to a real event: the U.S. Army's 1850s camel experiment, whose animals were later sold or turned loose.

• 1883On the record A woman was reportedly trampled to death near Eagle Creek; reports of a giant red creature followed across the territory. Source: smithsonianmag.com
• 1880sTold story Cyrus Hamblin said the beast was a camel carrying what looked like a man's remains. Prospectors near the Verde River said a human skull dropped from its load when they fired at it. Source: folkbestiary.com
• 1893On the record Rancher Mizoo Hastings is said to have shot a scarred red camel near the San Francisco River. Rawhide strips were found wrapped and knotted around its body. Source: folkbestiary.com

3La Llorona of Tucson Told story

Humanoid · Santa Cruz River, Tucson, Pima County · first reported traditional · also called The Weeping Woman

Tucson has its own versions of the Weeping Woman, set along the Santa Cruz River and the old neighborhoods near South Stone Avenue. In one telling, she drowned her children after her husband was unfaithful. In another, she left them in Nogales, Sonora, and they drowned when the Santa Cruz flooded. Tucson versions warn that touching her will burn you. Other Arizona tellings place her on the Rio de Flag in Flagstaff and the San Pedro River. Folklorist Jim Griffith told KJZZ that the story changes with every teller and community. The University of Arizona keeps La Llorona material in its Southwest Folklore collection.

• traditionalTold story Local tellings, reported by the Arizona Daily Star, trace her path from South Stone Avenue to the river, crying for her lost children. Source: folkbestiary.com

4Phoenix Lights On the record

Lights · Prescott to Phoenix to Tucson · first reported Mar 13, 1997

On the night of March 13, 1997, thousands of Arizonans watched lights in the sky. The first event was a V-shaped formation of lights moving southeast from the Nevada line over Prescott, Phoenix and on toward Tucson; some witnesses said they saw a dark solid shape linking the lights and blocking stars. Later that night a second set of hovering lights appeared near the Sierra Estrella southwest of Phoenix. Phoenix police took many calls. Investigators tied the second display to flares from a Maryland Air National Guard training exercise. Amateur astronomer Mitch Stanley said his telescope showed the earlier lights were aircraft. Many witnesses still insist they saw one huge craft.

• Mar 13, 1997On the record A V of lights crossed the state from the northwest; witnesses described silence and a dark structure between the lights. Source: folkbestiary.com
• Mar 13, 1997 (later)On the record A row of lights hung over the Sierra Estrella; officials attributed it to military flares. Source: folkbestiary.com

5Paalölöqangw (Hopi Water Serpent) Told story

Water monster · Hopi springs, northeastern Arizona · first reported traditional · also called Hopi water serpent

Paalölöqangw is a sacred water serpent in Hopi religion, not a cryptid in the usual sense. It is associated with springs and water, which are precious on the Hopi mesas. Anthropologist Peter Whiteley describes it as living in springs and being addressed during ceremonies, with prayer-sticks placed at springs. Winter ceremonies portray it with puppetry. An early Hopi story collected by H.R. Voth places a water serpent at Flute Spring. This is a living religious tradition; much of it is private, and visitors to Hopi villages must follow posted rules, which often forbid photography and recording. This entry is included for context only.

Visiting: Hopi villages welcome visitors only under tribal rules; many ceremonies are closed and photography is generally not allowed.

6Tombstone Thunderbird On the record

Winged · Between the Whetstone and Huachuca mountains, near Tombstone, Cochise County · first reported Apr 26, 1890 · also called Tombstone flying monster

On April 26, 1890 the Tombstone Epitaph ran 'Found in the Desert,' about a winged monster like an alligator with a long tail and enormous wings. Later retellings added a famous 'lost photograph' that has never turned up; KGUN9 notes the surviving newspaper has no picture. See the main Thunderbird dossier.

Full story: Thunderbird →

Visiting: Tombstone's historic district.

7Skinwalker (Diné tradition) Told story

Humanoid · Navajo Nation, northeastern Arizona · first reported traditional · also called yee naaldlooshii

In Diné (Navajo) tradition, skinwalkers are harmful witches who can take animal form. Many Diné people consider it inappropriate to discuss them. See the main Skinwalker dossier.

Full story: Skinwalker →