SAULSVILLE, W.Va. — While reports of the Polk Hollow Monster haven’t reached the frequency they had in the 1970s and ’80s, there’s no doubt in the minds of a few locals that something haunts the vicinity of the hollow in Twin Falls Resort State Park.State officials even developed a hiking trail, the “Poke Hollow Trail,” … Read more
CUNARD, W.Va. — Tales of a “monster” said to haunt the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia have surfaced in recent years, and a lodging entrepreneur who’s developed a cryptid-themed vacation rental is looking for corroborating stories. “There’s something in the New River Gorge—at least on paper there is,” says Nate … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Driven by tourists’ fascination with the eerie and unexplained, West Virginia has developed a statewide paranormal trail, guiding thrill-seekers to its most haunted and spine-chilling destinations.Chelsea Ruby, director of the W.Va. Department of Tourism, says a trail system’s digital passport lets visitors check in at haunted sites, earn points, and unlock exciting … Read more
PAX, W.Va. — West Virginia is warm enough to welcome family camping at least six months out of the year, and there’s little more exciting about a night under the stars than campfire tales told over roasted marshmallows.As the embers dim, inexplicable sounds come out of the darkness. The crash of a falling branch! Was … Read more
SUTTON, W.Va. — Locals know there’s a Bigfoot, or several of the creatures, living in the forests of central West Virginia, according to the curator of the West Virginia Bigfoot Museum in Sutton, West Virginia.David Petolicchio says that when he established the museum in the town’s historic district in 2021, he had only a vague … Read more
GASSAWAY, W.Va.— Is West Virginia monster lore going corporate? A new commercial app that features the Mountain State’s most famous monsters suggests it could become big business.Long the subject of campfire stories, the monsters that allegedly haunt the West Virginia hills may have gone fully mainstream with a new rewards system instituted by GoMart, which … Read more
BECKLEY, W.Va. — While recent bigfoot sightings in southern West Virginia have gained national attention, one investigator says it’s no surprise, given the number of sightings he’s cataloged in the southern mountains.Investigator Les O’Dell says he’ll attest to the trustworthiness of a recent report of an encounter in October 2019 near the New River Gorge … Read more
In the late 1990s, I was asked to pen a book of West Virginia folklore. I opted instead to create my own tales based on local legends, but other legends are more closely grounded in the soil of West Virginia. Maybe you haven’t heard such tales. Perhaps you’re planning a trip to the state. Well, … Read more
A husband and wife living in a remote corner of Fayette County in southern West Virginia claim to have encountered and photographed a bigfoot only a stone’s throw from America’s newest national park, the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.Billy Humphrey, of Danese, says that before the incident he had ridiculed such claims but … Read more
Bigfoot and the Flatwoods Monster aren’t the only bizarre creatures being reported at the center of West Virginia in Braxton County. Apparently, the fishing is hard to believe, too.Trophies of legendary size are being taken in its lakes and rivers, and fishing in the area appears to be on the increase as the coronavirus outbreak … Read more
