Bigfoot and Other Cryptids: 5 Legendary Creatures to Inspire Your Next Travel Adventure

Scotland may have the Loch Ness Monster, but the US has its own legendary creatures lurking in forests, floating in skies, and hiding out in small towns. Over the years, I’ve chased a few of these elusive icons—from tracking UFOs in Sedona, Arizona, to scanning the Appalachian woods of southeastern Ohio for signs of Bigfoot—for the sake of curiosity and a good story. In fact, these bizarre detours have become some of my most colorful travel tales.

Cryptids—mysterious creatures whose existence remains unproven—and other unexplained phenomena have evolved from quirky local tales into full-blown tourist attractions. Whether you're a true believer, an inquisitive skeptic, or just in it for the cryptid-themed souvenirs, these homegrown legends provide a quirky lens through which to explore the country. Who knows, your next adventure might include a sighting—or at least a fun story to tell.

Bigfoot
Where to go: Oregon, Washington state, southeastern Ohio

Bigfoot—also known as Sasquatch—is a huge, hairy apelike being claimed by several mountainous regions, especially in the Pacific Northwest and Appalachia. In Oregon and Washington, his popularity runs so deep that politicians have even proposed ordinances to protect this elusive cryptid from hunters. 

Start your Bigfoot adventure at The North American Bigfoot Center, roughly 20 minutes outside Portland, Oregon. The museum offers science-based look at Bigfoot through videos, photos, and plaster footprint casts.

“This subject, though often the subject of ridicule, is one that deserves scientific scrutiny,” says Cliff Barackman, the center’s co-owner and a natural history expert featured on the Animal Planet series Finding Bigfoot.

To round out the experience, explore Mount Hood National Forest, home to many Bigfoot sightings, or join a Bigfoot-themed cruise hosted by Portland Spirit. The 3.5-hour tour highlights encounters reported in the Columbia River Gorge, so keep your eyes peeled.

Across the country in Hocking Hills, Ohio, Bigfoot also makes his mark. Hike state park trails where alleged sightings have been reported, test your wits in the Bigfoot-themed escape room at High Rock Escapes, or attend the annual Hocking Hills Bigfoot Festival—a family-friendly celebration held for four days each August featuring guest speakers, night hikes, howling contests, and even a Bigfoot beard competition.

The Mothman
Where to go: Point Pleasant, West Virginia

In Point Pleasant, the Mothman isn’t just a legend—he’s a local mascot. Drive 110 miles south of Columbus, Ohio, and you’ll find a striking 12-foot statue dedicated to the red-eyed, winged cryptid in the center of town.

The legend began in 1966, when young couples reported seeing a “man-sized bird creature with glowing red eyes” near an old munitions plant. A year later, the collapse of a local bridge killed 46 people, an event many linked to the Mothman as a harbinger of doom. The legend went global with the 1975 book The Mothman Prophecies, later adapted into a 2002 film starring Richard Gere.

Begin your own investigation at the Mothman Museum, home to archival news stories, film memorabilia, and curious artifacts. You can also join a guided Mothman bus tour (offered most Saturdays) to reported sighting locations.  

“Some people are convinced there was something here in 1966, and others might look at the whole story as purely entertainment,” says museum owner Jeff Warmsley. “But there is plenty of evidence that points to people reporting some weird and odd occurrences.”

For the full experience, visit during the Mothman Festival, a quirky two-day celebration of cryptid culture held each September that features cosplay, food, live entertainment, and plenty of themed merch. Prefer a quieter visit? Warmsley recommends coming a week before or after the festival “if you really want to spend some quality investigative time looking at the museum displays and archives.”

UFOs
Where to go: Sedona, Arizona; Roswell, New Mexico; Rachel, Nevada

Fascination with UFOs (unidentified flying objects) isn’t new. It dates to early indigenous tribes of the American Southwest, a region that remains a hot spot today. A recent “Top 10 UFO Hotspots” survey by gaming platform 1000 Mines ranked three of the top five locations in the Southwest.

• Sedona, Arizona: As one of the nation’s designated Dark Sky Communities, Sedona is ideal for scanning the night sky. Join the Sedona UFO tour offered through the Center for the New Age, and you’ll scan the skies using military-grade night vision goggles alongside a UFO expert who shares her own close encounter experiences.
• Rachel, Nevada: The closest town to the mysterious Area 51, Rachel (population: 19) leans into its extraterrestrial identity. Known as the UFO Capital of the World, it sits along the Extraterrestrial Highway, a name officially given by the Nevada Department of Transportation to Highway 375 in 1996. It’s home to the quirky Little A’Le’Inn—part motel, part restaurant, part alien souvenir shop. Just don’t get too close to the nearby military base, the Nevada Test and Training Range (which includes Area 51); warning signs make that clear.

• Roswell, New Mexico: Visit the International UFO Museum and Research Center for a deep dive into all things extraterrestrial before joining a guided two-hour Roswell UFO Tour. When hunger strikes, eat at the McDonald’s in town—you can’t miss it, it’s shaped like a giant flying saucer and features a space-themed play area for kids.

The Jersey Devil
Where to go:  Asbury Park, New Jersey

Few cryptids get government recognition—but New Jersey proudly makes room for the bizarre. The state’s official site devotes an entire page to the Jersey Devil: a winged kangaroo-like creature with a goat’s head, a forked tail, and a blood-curdling scream. According to legend, it was the cursed 13th child of a Colonial-era mother, doomed to haunt the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey.

“The Jersey Devil is in the midst of a resurgence, having been forgotten for a very long time and having been primarily a regional story,” says Kathy Kelly, owner of The Paranormal Museum in Asbury Park, an ideal launchpad for exploring the legend. The museum features artifacts tied to regional lore, exhibits exploring eyewitness accounts, and guided tours that trace the Devil’s place in New Jersey’s haunted past.

Kelly recommends visiting Leeds Point—the Devil’s supposed birthplace in 1735—just a 20-minute drive north of Atlantic City, and the eerie forested stretches of the Pine Barrens, where strange sightings persist. Time your trip with the annual Jersey Devil Fable Festival held each October, and you’ll catch the legend in full theatrical bloom with cryptid parades, live podcast tapings, unique vendors, and spooky film screenings.

The Skunk Ape
Where to go: Ochopee, Florida

Nicknamed “Florida’s Bigfoot,” the Skunk Ape is said to roam the state’s swamps, wetlands, and dense forests—particularly in the vast wilderness of the Everglades. Descriptions often match a smaller, smellier cousin of Bigfoot: a shaggy, reddish-brown humanoid creature with four toes and a foul stench that gives the cryptid its name.

Stories of the Skunk Ape go back centuries, with roots in the oral traditions of local indigenous groups, including the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes. In some versions, he’s more than just a creature of the wild—he’s considered a guardian of the Everglades.

To delve into the legend, head to the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters in Ochopee, located within Big Cypress National Preserve. It’s part roadside attraction, part cryptid research hub—complete with trail maps, field guides, and a life-size statue that’s perfect for a selfie with Florida’s foulest-smelling mystery.

. . . . .

These cryptids are just the tip of America’s legendary oddities, waiting to add a dash of mystery to your next road trip. Pack your curiosity, bring a sense of adventure, and get ready to meet the weird, wild, and wonderfully unexplained that lurk just off the beaten path. Who knows, you may leave with more than just souvenirs—you may leave with a few of your own tales to tell.