10 Bizarre Things That Have Happened on the Skinwalker Ranch

The Uintah Basin is one of the most paranormal places in America, and has been that way for centuries. Even prior to settlers moving in, the Uintah Basin was known for its unusual energy and paranormal events.

Native American legends claimed that it was a home to skinwalkers and other forest spirits. They even claimed that it was in the middle of the "Path of the Skinwalker," a region that emanated evil energies. When settlers came, many moved out soon after, claiming that they saw things that, simply, didn't make sense.

In the heart of the Basin is the Skinwalker Ranch, also known as the Sherman Ranch. This is a sprawling 512-acre ranch that once was home to a number of ranchers.

Over the years, it has been the setting of serious paranormal events that have left researchers scratching their heads.

Here are some of the strangest occurrences reported on the isolated ranch, according to those who saw them firsthand.

The Wolf

This was perhaps one of the best-known events to be documented on the ranch deals with the Sherman family. This family of ranchers moved to the Skinwalker Ranch to raise a large herd of high-end cattle, and it didn't take too long for them to see something that couldn't be explained.

Within a matter of days, Terry Sherman and his son saw a wolf almost the size of their car calmly approach them. The massive beast was calm and friendly towards them. Thinking it was someone's pet, Terry patted it on the head and shooed it away.

The wolf walked away calmly, then suddenly bit one of the young cows on the nose, trying to drag it away. Terry, armed with a shotgun, started to shoot the wolf. Though he was an excellent marksman and was at a close range, the bullets didn't hurt the wolf.

At most, the bullets stunned it. It backed away, annoyed, then walked away. The two followed the wolf, only to see the wolf vanish and its tracks disappear into thin air.

When researchers asked people to choose a picture of the wolf that most closely resembled the creature they saw, they chose a photo of a Dire Wolf. Dire Wolves have been extinct for over 10,000 years and wolves haven't been seen in Utah for decades, so what did they see?

Unexplained Lights and Disembodied Voices

The two most common occurrences on the ranch involve unexplained voices and lights that seemingly emanate from nowhere. UFO sightings are the norm, and to a point, it was the norm to see mysterious flying crafts throughout the Uintah Basin.

Those who lived on the ranch barely bat an eye when they saw UFOs after a while. What wasn't normal, though, was hearing disembodied voices coming from the air. Sometimes the voices would narrate what people were doing as they were doing them.

On the ranch, lights aren't really as pretty as much as they are terrifying. Many of the strange lights were reported to move intelligently and have an energy that inspires dread to those nearby.

At one point, the Sherman family's dogs ran after the lights, which retaliated by obliterating them. Heartbreakingly, all that was left of the dogs were small piles of ashes.

When most people hear about UFO sightings, they think of tiny, little lights that might not even be that big. At the Skinwalker Ranch, things are a bit different.

Prior to the property being used as a research spot by NIDS, the Sherman family reported seeing a UFO that was roughly the size of two football fields in length. They also saw aliens who were seven feet tall on the property.

Other UFOs that have been witnessed included a "flying refrigerator" and multiple discs that seemed to appear through what was only described as "holes in the sky."

Animal Mutilations

The Sherman family was the last family to ever live at the ranch, and really, who could blame them for leaving? One of the biggest reasons why they left the ranch was because they lost around 20 percent of their cattle to cattle mutilations. It's not unusual for a herd to lose a few cows, but 20 percent is absolutely unheard of.

Each cow that was killed was totally drained of blood and had organs removed with surgical precision. Mutilations have even been carried out while ranchers were nearby; they were so silent, people didn't notice them until the animals were already dead.

An old Native American legend claims that the spirits of children who were drowned in water tend to lurk in lakes in an attempt to lure unsuspecting victims to their deaths. These spirits, called "water babies," use the cries of young children to lure people into lakes.

Scarily enough, multiple people have claimed to hear them in the evening hours while traversing the ranch. They are most often heard near the creek. Uintah Basin holds a lot of scary legends with a concerning amount of reports to back them up. Stories like this one definitely make Skinwalker Ranch one of the creepiest natural places on earth.

The Predator

If you have ever watched Predator, then you might remember that Predators are an alien species that have special, camouflage armor that renders them invisible—with an exception of small flickers.

Apparently, there is a creature on the Skinwalker Ranch who has that same kind of technology. The creature's natural appearance has never been seen, but its flicker has been noticed jutting from bush to bush.

One person who came to the ranch to meditate had a run-in with the Predator. He sat down, meditated, and then one of the Shermans noticed the Predator approaching. The meditating man stayed there, with his eyes closed.

The Predator got within inches of the man, and let out a horrific roar. The man opened his eyes to see the Predator's camouflaged presence, ran for his life, and never returned.

Imagine seeing a giant hole open up in the sky, and seeing another sky in a clearly different time of day peering through the other end. Wild, isn't it? According to people who have stayed at the Sherman Ranch, that's exactly what happens from time to time.

The "hole in the sky" phenomenon is often described as a vortex, and from time to time, also has UFOs flying in and out of the hole. Most of the time, people who have seen the vortex open up describe seeing a bright, orange sky inside.

What's really interesting is that these holes are only viewable from a certain angle. So, if you do see them, it's only from a "head-on" perspective.

Bigfoot Sightings

It seems like every famous cryptid has found a home in the Skinwalker Ranch, and that includes Bigfoot. The massive apeman-creature has been seen walking through the ranch's plains area before vanishing mid-step.

The large apeman, surprisingly, isn't usually that terrifying compared to other ranch creatures. However, there have still been reports that are absolutely terrifying, including a strange tie to a mysterious black box.

Humanoid aliens who have been at the ranch showed ranchers the box. The box appeared to control Bigfoot, and when a Bigfoot touched the box on his own volition, he appeared to die.

To a point, it's not surprising that the Skinwalker Ranch has been the place of multiple skinwalker sightings. After all, that's pretty much what the name suggests—but that doesn't make it any less terrifying. Can't exactly keep calling it Sheman Ranch when there are skinwalkers creeping around.

Skinwalkers are monsters that appear in Native American legends. They are said to be witches who have committed heinous crimes in order to become immortal, superhuman shapeshifters. To shapeshift, they kill animals and wear their skins.

Often described as animals that "look wrong" or move unnaturally, skinwalkers are regularly seen around the Uintah Basin. Many people describe them as wolves and coyotes that walk upright at impossible speeds, or animals with glowing eyes.

Skinwalkers are said to be able to kill their victims, so it's best not to go searching for them on the ranch.

Sea Snakes

If you weren't creeped out by the talk of skinwalkers, the creepy crawlies in and around the ranch will be more than enough to give you the chills. According to law enforcement officers, there have been reports of giant sea snakes living in lakes near the ranch.

Skinwalker Ranch is undoubtedly one of the most paranormal places in America—to the point you want to be careful if you go there.

The sea snakes, which have been alluded to in local legends, have been blamed for a number of mysterious drownings in shallow waters. People in the area have also claimed to be grabbed by snakes and dragged down into murky depths.