Author Denver Michaels

Is there a hidden population of kangaroos in the United States? Sounds crazy. But the answer is....maybe.  A while back, the now-defunct website Cryptozoology News ran a report from northeastern Tennessee ( http://cryptozoologynews.com/kangaro-like-creature-seen-in-tennessee/ ). A witness spotted a kangaroo-like creature crossing the road late at night. This is a description of the animal from the article: The female passenger in his cab asked upon passing the spot where the car had swerved if my driver had seen “it”. When he told her he had not, she described the creature as something about 2 feet tall, running at a high rate of speed across the road on only its hind legs, and had the overall body shape of a Kangaroo. She said the creature was running towards the woods. Tennessee is no stranger to kangaroo reports; in 1934, two police dogs were killed leading to a hunt for a kangaroo in Hamburg. In the 1960s, a couple of noteworthy kangaroo incidents occurred. A kangaroo escaped ...

Western Nebraska is home to a lake monster tradition believed to predate the arrival of white settlers to the region. It has been said that Walgren Lake, formerly known as Alkali Lake, has its own version of the Loch Ness Monster. The creature—Nebraska’s only lake monster—is called the Alkali Monster, and alternately, the Walgren Lake Monster. Generic terms used to refer to the beast include, "horse-head alligator" and "great horned alligator." These descriptions refer to the bony protrusion, a single horn, like that of a rhinoceros, said to jut out of the creature's head. Walgren Lake is the centerpiece of the Walgren Lake State Recreation Area, located southeast of the town of Hay Springs, Nebraska. Walgren Lake makes up about 50 acres of the 80 acre recreational area. The Walgren Lake State Recreation Area is reached by gravel roads and has 40 primitive campsites—a perfect place for a weekend fishing trip. Origins of the Monster The Alkali Monster, if it exi...

In June 2021, my wife and I spent some time in the Dakotas while traveling the nation in our RV. While I was in the town of Medora, North Dakota, located on the border of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, I began thinking of the "Badlands Horror." I first learned of the Badlands Horror from a guy who contacted me through my website. He told me the story of a strange creature that went on a rampage killing livestock in the North Dakota badlands during the early 1930s. He also sent the text from news articles mixed with his own commentary. I posted the article on my blog and asked that anyone with more information contact me, but no one did. I ended up putting the story out of my mind, but upon my arrival to Medora, I began thinking of the strange tale once again. The article that the fellow sent me is printed below. Again, if you have any information regarding it, I would love to hear from you. Theodore Roosevelt National Park. THE BADLANDS HORROR The Badlands, in No...

I spent early May 2022 at a campground in Ulster County, New York. The campground lies between the Shawangunk and Catskill mountains and the scenery is gorgeous. About thirty minutes away lies the town of Poughkeepsie which sits on the banks of the Hudson River. The town is home to Kipsy, the Hudson River Monster, and I had every intention of visiting. They say life comes at you fast. Life hit me like a freight train in New York. I had to rush my dog to the emergency veterinarian in Kingston. Sadly, he did not come back home with me. My ole buddy had an aggressive form of cancer, and a tumor caused his spleen to rupture. Understandably, I spent a good bit of my time in New York moping around. I just didn't feel like doing much. So, my trip to Kipsy's stomping grounds didn't happen. Rest in peace ole buddy. Well, anyway, I wanted this post to be about my trip to Poughkeepsie where I had hoped to learn a little more about Kipsy, the Hudson River Monster. But since I have not...

Most are familiar with the story of David and Goliath, found in the Old Testament, but most do not know Goliath had a counterpart of sorts in Mesoamerica named Tzilacatzin. In this post I will discuss the two stories . David and Goliath, one of the first Bible stories taught to young children in Sunday school, is a timeless tale that has permeated our culture. It is spoken of metaphorically—how many motivational speeches have referred to the hero David rising to the challenge and confronting the evil giant ?    Let’s take a look at the David and Goliath story as recounted in the Old Testament in 1 Samuel 17:   4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.   5 And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.   6 And he had greaves of brass upon...

Among the innumerable legends of haunted places, haunted bridges play a prominent role. Horrible accidents occur on bridges; corpses have been dumped off of bridges to hide evidence of horrible crimes; countless desperate people have chosen to jump off of bridges to end their lives. Think of it, how many ghost stories have you heard centered around a bridge with a phantom jumper? There are categories of bridges known as crybaby bridges and suicide bridges. Crybaby bridges are usually attached to legends of a mother drowning her child or babies being thrown into the water below—the angry spirit of the infant stays behind to haunt passersby. It is obvious what the other category, suicide bridges, are all about. In the early part of the 20th century, there was a bridge in Chicago that served as a perfect example of a suicide bridge. The bridge was simply known as the High Bridge or the Lincoln Park Arch—because of the large arch that allowed sailboats to pass underneath—it was also refer...

In 1937, a site along Potomac Creek in Stafford County, Virginia yielded a skull “which far exceeds in brain capacity any skull previously recorded.” The Washington Post reported:  A primitive Algonquin Indian who hunted and fished along the Potomac River 300 years ago and was probably a friend of the princess Pocahontas, probably was the brainiest man the world has ever seen. The skull of this man, which far exceeds in brain capacity any skull previously recorded, was found in Stafford County, Va., by presiding judge W. J. Graham, of the United States Count of Customs and Patent Appeals, a prominent amateur archaeologist. He announced his discovery yesterday. Judge Graham found the skull about two weeks ago. It was in several pieces, and he sent it, as he has his other archaeological finds, to the Smithsonian Institution. There it was assembled and officials were astounded to find that it exceeds the brain capacity of any skull on record. Judge Graham said when he saw the...

Given the sheer number of Sasquatch sightings throughout North America, it certainly seems plausible that an uncategorized large ape is roaming the forests. With that in mind—if a large ape exists in North America—could there be other primates as well? Could there be some sort of smaller monkey yet to be discovered? Believe it or not, and as strange as it sounds, this might be the case—devil monkeys. There are reports of strange, baboon-like primates that lurk in the forests of Appalachia and beyond . These creatures, nicknamed “devil monkeys,” appear from time to time leaving behind intrigue and mystery—and sometimes carnage. Devil Monkey sightings in the Appalachians can be traced back as far as the 1920s. Descriptions of the creatures vary; however, certain characteristics are commonly reported: dark hair with white hair on the neck and belly, a dog-like snout, pointed ears, and long claws and teeth. Some reports state that the creatures look like a wild dog from a distance. The si...

In the summer of 2021, I spent a week in Kalispell, Montana, a short drive from the crystal clear waters of Flathead Lake. I was excited to be here, as Flathead Lake holds a legendary water monster. According to eyewitnesses, the creature moves with vertical undulations and is seen at times frolicking in the lake. The Flathead Lake Monster is about 10–20 feet in length, although some witnesses have reported that it could reach a length of up to 40 feet. Observers often describe the monster as having several vertical humps visible above the water. It has smooth skin that is gray to black in color and large, dark eyes. When the Flathead Lake Monster swims, it is known for leaving a wake in the water up to 12 inches tall, similar to that of a motorboat.  Flathead Lake It would be difficult to find a lake surrounded by scenery that is more gorgeous and breathtaking than Flathead Lake. Moreover, the waters of the lake are enormous in size, and splendid in beauty. The lake is world reno...

On July 29, 1880, the Northern Pacific Farmer , a Wadena, Minnesota newspaper, ran a piece reported by the  New York Evening Star . The report recounted a harrowing encounter between fishermen and a "sea serpent." The event took place on Cayuga Lake, the longest of New York's Finger Lakes. (Yes, I know the creature should be called a lake monster rather than a sea serpent—the paper called it a sea serpent.) The Finger Lakes were formed by glaciers during the last ice age. In my research into the lake monster phenomenon, it is glacial lakes such as these that hold the bulk of lake monster sightings. Cayuga Lake reaches a depth of 435 feet and maintains an average depth of 182 feet—perfect for a large cryptid to dwell and remain undetected. The encounter occurred on a summer evening when a salesman from Broadway was fishing with a local farmer. The pair were trolling and two fish carriages were trailing behind the boat. Suddenly, a whirlpool emerged; one of the carriages di...