Local Legends ·

Legendary Cryptids of Nevada's Wilderness

By Wade Beaumont, Cryptozoologist and Park Ranger

There's something about the unknown that calls to us, like a siren song echoing through the ages. It's a primal pull, an itch in the back of our minds that can't be scratched by the mundane realities of everyday life. For some, that call leads them to the outer reaches of space or the depths of the ocean. But for others, like myself, it draws us into the shadows that lurk in our own backyards—the dark corners of the map where legends are born and monsters roam.

And there's no place richer in those legends than Nevada. This land of stark beauty and untamed wilderness has been a hotbed of cryptid sightings and strange tales for centuries, from the icy depths of Lake Tahoe to the sun-scorched expanses of the Mojave Desert. As a born-and-bred Texan with a taste for adventure and a nose for the unexplained, I've always been drawn to the Silver State's wealth of cryptozoological wonders.

So join me as we venture into the heart of Nevada's cryptid country, stalking the legendary beasts that have captured imaginations and sparked debates for generations. We'll explore the origins and evidence behind each creature, paint a vivid picture of the landscapes they inhabit, and ponder what these enduring myths might reveal about the world and our place in it.

Along the way, we'll hear from eyewitnesses who swear they've seen the impossible, and from the skeptics who aim to bring them back down to earth. We'll examine the cultural and psychological roots of these legends, and the impact they've had on local communities and economies.

But most of all, we'll revel in the thrill of the hunt—the exhilaration that comes from chasing something that may or may not be real, but that speaks to something deep and primal within us all. So strap on your hiking boots, charge up your camera, and let's go stalking the shadows together. The truth is out there, waiting to be discovered.

Tahoe Tessie: The Monster of Lake Tahoe

Nestled high in the Sierra Nevada mountains, straddling the border between Nevada and California, lies a cobalt blue jewel of a lake. Ringed by snow-capped peaks and lush forests of pine and aspen, Lake Tahoe is a place of breathtaking beauty and serene tranquility. But according to legend, something monstrous lurks beneath its placid surface—a beast known as Tahoe Tessie.

The origins of the Tahoe Tessie legend are as murky as the depths she's said to inhabit. Some say the Washoe and Paiute tribes, who have called the lake home for thousands of years, whispered tales of a serpentine creature dwelling in its inky depths. Others trace the first modern sightings to the 1950s, when a pair of off-duty police officers claimed to have seen a large, black hump rise from the water and keep pace with their boat, traveling at over 60 mph.

Since then, dozens of witnesses have come forward with their own Tessie tales. Most describe a creature serpentine in appearance, with a series of humps or coils undulating through the water. Some say she has a sturgeon-like body, with dark, scaly skin and a pointed snout. Others claim she more closely resembles a plesiosaur, an extinct marine reptile with a long neck, small head, and flippers.

Estimates of Tessie's size vary wildly, from a modest 10 feet to a whopping 80. But all agree that she's no mere fish tale—this is a beast of monstrous proportions, capable of sending ripples of fear through even the bravest of hearts.

One of the most compelling Tessie sightings occurred in the late 1970s, when a group of fishermen claimed to have seen a serpentine creature the size of a telephone pole hunting a school of trout near the lake's surface. The beast reportedly dove in and out of the water, sending the fish leaping in terror as it snapped at them with powerful jaws.

So what could Tahoe Tessie be? Theories abound, from the plausible to the fantastical. Some suggest she could be a surviving relic of the prehistoric past—a plesiosaur or ichthyosaur that somehow escaped extinction and found refuge in the lake's depths. Others propose a more mundane explanation: an oversized sturgeon or eel, perhaps a new species unknown to science.

And of course, there are those who believe Tessie is nothing more than a figment of overactive imaginations—a trick of the light, a log bobbing in the water, or a tall tale spun by attention-seeking hoaxers.

But try telling that to the locals who've embraced Tessie as their unofficial mascot. Around Lake Tahoe, her serpentine likeness graces everything from t-shirts to coffee mugs to restaurant menus. She's the star of children's books, the subject of art and sculpture, and the inspiration for countless Halloween costumes.

For many, Tessie represents the untamed wildness and mystery that draws people to Lake Tahoe in the first place. She's a reminder that even in this age of satellite mapping and GPS tracking, there are still corners of the world where the unknown holds sway—places where monsters might just be real, and where the line between legend and reality blurs like a mirage on the horizon.

So the next time you find yourself on the shores of Lake Tahoe, take a moment to scan the waves and let your imagination run wild. That ripple on the surface, that shadow beneath the depths—could it be Tahoe Tessie, the monster of the lake, gliding silently by? The only way to know for sure is to keep watching, and to never stop believing in the impossible.

The Jarbidge Monster: Terror of the Wilderness

Drive north from Elko, Nevada, and you'll find yourself in a land of rugged canyons, towering peaks, and endless expanses of sagebrush. This is the Jarbidge Wilderness—a place of stunning natural beauty and primal wildness, where the only sounds are the wind whistling through the pines and the distant cry of a circling hawk.

But according to legend, there's something else lurking in these hills—something ancient and terrifying, with a hunger for human flesh. The Shoshone people, who have called this land home for generations, know it as the Jarbidge Monster.

The origins of the Jarbidge Monster legend are lost in the mists of time, but the Shoshone have been telling stories of a man-eating giant for centuries. According to tribal lore, this fearsome creature once terrorized the region, snatching up unwary travelers and carrying them off to its lair to be devoured.

The Shoshone warriors, so the story goes, finally managed to trap the monster in a cave and seal it inside with boulders. But even today, some say it still lurks in the wilderness, waiting for its chance to break free and wreak havoc once more.

The name "Jarbidge" itself is said to come from a Shoshone phrase meaning "monster that lurks in the canyon" or "weird beastly creature." It's a fitting moniker for a place that feels like a portal to another world—a land of ancient secrets and primal fears.

But the Jarbidge Monster isn't just a relic of the distant past. In recent years, there have been a number of sightings and encounters that suggest the beast may still be out there, stalking the hills and valleys of this remote wilderness.

In 2015, a Reno man hunting in the area claimed to have come face to face with a creature that matched the description of the Jarbidge Monster. According to his account, he and his companions were huddled in their tents late at night when they heard a series of bone-chilling screams echoing through the darkness.

Peering out into the gloom, they saw a massive, hair-covered creature standing at the edge of their campsite, its eyes glowing red in the firelight. The beast let out another unearthly howl before turning and vanishing into the trees, leaving the terrified hunters to wonder if they had just encountered a legend come to life.

So what could the Jarbidge Monster be? As with many cryptids, theories abound. Some suggest it could be a surviving relic of the Bigfoot family—a rare and elusive primate that has managed to evade detection in the remote wilderness of Nevada.

Others propose a more mundane explanation: a case of mistaken identity, perhaps a bear or a mountain lion glimpsed in the shadows and transformed by fear and imagination into something monstrous.

And of course, there are those who believe the Jarbidge Monster is nothing more than a hoax—a tall tale spun by bored hunters or attention-seeking locals looking to put their tiny town on the map.

But for those who have encountered the beast firsthand, such explanations ring hollow. They know what they saw—and what they felt—in those heart-stopping moments when they came face to face with something that defies rational explanation.

For them, the Jarbidge Monster is more than just a legend—it's a living, breathing embodiment of the untamed wilderness that surrounds them. It's a reminder that even in this age of GPS and satellite phones, there are still places where nature holds sway—and where monsters might just be real.

So if you find yourself in the Jarbidge Wilderness, keep your eyes peeled and your wits about you. That rustling in the underbrush, that shadow flickering at the edge of your vision—it might just be a trick of the light. Or it might be something else entirely—something ancient and hungry, with a taste for human flesh.

The Water Babies and Mermaid of Pyramid Lake

Drive north from Reno, and you'll find yourself in a land of stark and otherworldly beauty. Here, in the high desert of Nevada, lies Pyramid Lake—a vast and shimmering expanse of cobalt blue, ringed by towering rock formations that jut from the water like the spires of some ancient, forgotten city.

For the Paiute people who have called this place home for thousands of years, Pyramid Lake is a sacred site—a place of powerful spirits and deep mystery. But it's also a place of danger and dark legend, where monsters are said to lurk beneath the waves, waiting to drag the unwary to a watery grave.

Chief among these monsters are the Water Babies—the vengeful spirits of deformed or premature infants cast into the lake by the Paiute in times of hardship or famine. According to legend, these infants never found rest beneath the waves, and their angry spirits now haunt the depths of Pyramid Lake, seeking revenge on the living.

Eyewitnesses describe the Water Babies as small, humanoid creatures with pale, wrinkled skin and glowing red eyes. Some say they have the ability to shape-shift, taking on the appearance of a lost child or a beloved family member in order to lure their victims closer to the water's edge.

Once they have their prey in their grasp, the Water Babies drag them down into the inky depths of the lake, never to be seen again. Some say the victims' screams can still be heard echoing across the water on moonlit nights, a chilling reminder of the horrors that lurk beneath the surface.

But the Water Babies aren't the only monsters said to inhabit Pyramid Lake. There's also the legend of the Pyramid Lake Mermaid—a beautiful but deadly creature who once lived as a mortal woman among the Paiute.

According to the legend, this woman was the wife of a powerful Paiute warrior, and their love was the stuff of fairy tales. But when the tribe's elders learned of the union, they were enraged—for the woman was not of their people, and they feared her strange and otherworldly powers.

In a fit of anger, the elders banished the woman from the tribe, casting her out into the desert to fend for herself. Heartbroken and alone, she wandered the barren landscape for days, until at last she came to the shores of Pyramid Lake.

There, she waded out into the water, determined to end her suffering once and for all. But as she sank beneath the waves, a strange and wondrous transformation overtook her. Her legs fused together into a shimmering tail, her skin took on a pale and luminous sheen, and her eyes glowed with an otherworldly light.

She had become a mermaid—a creature of the deep, forever bound to the watery depths of Pyramid Lake. But her transformation had come at a terrible price, for along with her mortal form, she had lost her human heart.

Now, she lurks beneath the waves, a vengeful and bitter creature who preys on the unwary. Fishermen and swimmers who venture too close to her domain are said to be dragged down to a watery grave, never to be seen again.

Some say the Pyramid Lake Mermaid is a manifestation of the Water Babies' anger and pain—a physical embodiment of the dark and twisted spirits that haunt the lake's depths. Others believe she is a separate entity entirely, a creature of myth and legend that has taken on a life of her own.

But one thing is certain—Pyramid Lake is a place of deep and abiding mystery, where the lines between the natural and the supernatural blur like a mirage on the horizon. It's a place where monsters are real, and where the veil between the world of the living and the realm of the dead is thin and easily torn.

And it's not just the Water Babies and the Mermaid that haunt these waters. Pyramid Lake has long been a hotspot for UFO activity, with countless sightings of strange lights and otherworldly craft reported over the years.

Some believe the lake is a portal to other dimensions—a gateway between worlds that allows strange and terrifying creatures to slip through the cracks in reality. Others suggest that the UFOs and the monsters are somehow connected—that the aliens and the spirits of the deep are working together towards some dark and inscrutable purpose.

But regardless of the truth behind these legends, one thing is clear—Pyramid Lake is a place of power and mystery, where the unknown holds sway and the impossible becomes possible. It's a reminder that even in this age of science and reason, there are still corners of the world where magic and wonder reign supreme—and where monsters might just be real.

So if you find yourself on the shores of Pyramid Lake, take a moment to gaze out across the shimmering expanse of blue and let your mind wander to the mysteries that lurk beneath the surface. But be careful not to venture too close to the water's edge—for you never know what might be waiting there, ready to drag you down into the depths of legend and myth.