As Halloween approaches and everyone is enjoying “spooky season,” there is no better time than now to take a look at the cryptids of Pennsylvania. A cryptid is a creature whose existence is claimed through folklore, eyewitness reports, or other anecdotal evidence, but has never been scientifically proven to exist. While Pennsylvania has several legends of local monsters, 10 are recognized as the state’s major cryptids. Here is a brief guide to those 10.
- The Squonk
The Squonk is the cryptid most associated with Pennsylvania, and earns the title of the state’s most famous one. The Squonk is said to live in the hemlock forests of northern Pennsylvania, and is described as a small and miserable pig-like creature covered with loose skin and warts. According to legend, the Squonk constantly cries because it is ashamed of its appearance, with its most unusual trait being that when captured, the creature dissolves into a puddle of tears. The legend of the Squonk was popularized in the 1910 book, “Fearsome Creatures of Lumberwoods,” and is celebrated each year at Squankapalooza in Johnstown.
- The Albatwitch
The Albatwitch is a small, hairy humanoid creature that is associated with Chickies Rock in Lancaster County. The Albatwitch is often described as a miniature bigfoot, as it stands only a few feet tall. This cryptid’s name comes from Pennsylvania Dutch folklore and is said to steal apples from local orchards, as well as throw them at people. Local tradition celebrates this creature during Albatwitch Day in Columbia, PA.
- Raystown Ray
The Raystown Ray is Pennsylvania’s equivalent to the Loch Ness Monster. First reported in the depths of Raystown Lake between Altoona and Huntingdon, witnesses describe it as a large serpent-like creature or lake monster that is anywhere between 3 and twenty feet long, and swims below that water’s surface. Sightings of the Raystown Ray first began in the late twentieth century, and has helped the creature remain one of Pennsylvania’s most famous modern cryptids.
- Giwoggle
The Giwoggle is a lesser-known cryptid from Clinton County. Reports describe this creature as bizarre, with it containing features from several different animals. The Giwoggle is said to be an artificial werewolf, or a hybrid of wolf, bird, and horse, with the creature having an upright wolf-like body, talon hands, and horse or donkey feet, as a way to confuse trackers. This description makes it one of Pennsylvania’s strangest cryptids.
- Suscon Screamer
The Suscon Screamer is said to haunt Northeastern Pennsylvania, primarily the Greater Pittston area. Known for emitting a blood-curdling high-pitched screech, descriptions of the creature vary widely, ranging from a ghostly animal to a monstrous humanoid.
- The Potter County Nondescript
Originating from a 1897 newspaper story, the Potter County Nondescript is described as a large, hairy, tusked creature over six feet tall and feeding on a groundhog in a remote Pennsylvania forest. Said to have 6-to-7 inch long tusks, the creature was first sighted by hunters and fishermen along Nelson run in Potter County. While the Potter County Nondescript is often compared to Bigfoot, it stands out among North American cryptids for its long tusks.
- Susquehanna Seal
The Susquehanna Seal is a river monster that has been reported in the Susquehanna River. The creature has been described as hippo-dinosaur-like hybrid, with it also being described as seal-like by some witnesses. The creature has been spotted far inland, where seals would not normally be found, as well as the creature having been said to come out of the Susquehanna River near the I-80 frontier in Clinton County.
- Bryn Athyn Beast
The Bryn Athyn Beast is a suburban Pennsylvania cryptid named such because of its reported sightings near Bryn Athyn. Accounts of the creature describe it as a large, mysterious animal that does not match any local wildlife.
- Pennsylvania Bigfoot/White Bigfoot
Pennsylvania is one of the hotspots for Bigfoot sightings in the United States. Sightings have occurred in the state’s Western and Appalachian regions, with many reports describing large, hairy, ape-like creatures crossing roads or moving through Pennsylvania’s forests. There was a major wave of Bigfoot and Pennsylvanian White Bigfoot sightings across Western Pennsylvania in 1973.
- Thunderbird
Last, but certainly not least, of Pennsylvania’s 10 famous cryptids is the Thunderbird. The Thunderbird is a gigantic bird that comes from Native American traditions, and it has occasionally been reported in Pennsylvania. Witnesses in the state have claimed to see enormous birds with wingspans much larger than any known Eagle.
Pennsylvania’s cryptid history is not limited to these 10, with local folklore also including tales of the Dogman, the Waterford Sheepman, various Pennsylvania werewolves, various other river serpents and mountain monsters, and giant snakes reported in nineteenth-century newspapers. That being said, their fame and status does not come anywhere close to the previously explained 10, or anywhere near Pennsylvania’s “Big Three” of the Squonk, the Albatwitch, and the Raystown Ray.
