Monster of Land Between the Lakes

Land Between the Lakes is a beautiful piece of protected land in Kentucky and Tennessee. According to rumor this area may hold a frightening beast. Known as the monster of Land Between the Lakes, this creature might be a Bigfoot, dogman or worse.

Wikipedia says the following about Land Between the Lakes:

The Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area is a United States National Recreation Area located in Kentucky and Tennessee between Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake. The area was designated as a national recreation area in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy.

Originally managed by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which had constructed dams to create the two lakes in this area, the recreation area was transferred to administration of the United States Forest Service. In 1991 it was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere reserve.

Some years ago, I learned of the monster of Land Between the Lakes. Eyewitnesses describe the beast in question as wolf-like and it fits today’s “dogman” descriptions—canine in appearance yet walking upright and standing at close to seven feet tall with glowing eyes. 

Stories of the Monster

There are a number of supposed encounters with the the monster of Land between the Lakes that date back to the arrival of European settlers in the area. Sporadic sightings of the monster as well as the partially eaten carcasses of large animals have long been a staple of area lore. Perhaps the most often-cited tale is that of a family that died at the hands of the beast. Authorities found them dead and half-eaten inside their motorhome in the 1980s. This is one of those stories that cannot be verified and some believers in the monster think the authorities covered up the deaths so that local tourism would not suffer. If this story does happen to be true, it might explain reports of strange military-style bunkers in the remote sections of forest between Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake. Some think that the United States army set up the bunkers in an attempt to kill the creature.

Explanations

Explanations for the monster wildly vary and range from a shape-shifting Native American shaman; loup garou tales introduced to the area by early French fur traders; something from another dimension; or a misidentified animal—maybe even Bigfoot. It is worth pointing out that Land Between the Lakes is a large national recreation area with a large tract of protected forest land, so naturally, Bigfoot sightings are common. Anytime there are dogman reports in areas known for Bigfoot sightings, one has to wonder if the dogmen are misidentified Bigfoot creatures (if, indeed, Bigfoot exists [and is a flesh-and-blood-animal]).

My Visit

Shortly after my wife and I began traveling the country full time in an RV, we stayed for several nights at Land Between the Lakes. I spent a little time off of some of the area hiking trails stomping around in the woods, but I did not see any signs of the fabled bunkers or find any definitive signs of a dogman or Bigfoot. Late at night, I did not hear any of the eerie howls that folks have reported, either. Of course, a few days is not enough time to determine whether or not a cryptid or a paranormal entity is lurking in an area. So, I keep an open mind about the beast—even if some of the stories seem farfetched.

I will say that I did experience something strange in Kentucky traveling to Land Between the Lakes—I saw an unmarked matte black helicopter. You know—the black helicopters of “urban legend” that “conspiracy theorists” often associate with the New World Order. But that is a story for another day…

If you would like to read about dogmen, werewolves, phantom dogs and stories of wolves raising children in my home state of Virginia, I hope you check out my book Strange Tales from Virginia's Mountains.

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