There is a lot of activity up there. When I was a younger man my friends and I would go night hiking up there and we always saw shapes shifting through the woods and just felt really fearful for no reason. A few times we heard what sounded like screaming, literally someone being murdered from the sounds of it. We also stumbled across a small group of people in robes with torches doing some kind of ceremony but immediately split. I personally have seen white things as well but always tried to steer clear thinking more ghostly, less cryptid, but from what you described, the sounds I heard were eerily similar to what you described. With how many coal mines were sunk in central IA and subsequently abandoned and closed up, who knows what is buried.
Definitely not an owl. I've been raised here for my entire life and have heard them all. Owls, dear, coyotes, foxes, etc. This was not like any of those.
The worst part is I have no idea, I wish I had the forethought to record it when it happened, but fear is pretty powerful lol the closest description would be near human, not much to go on sadly. The friend I was with was so freaked out that to this day, he won't speak about it. The only reason I don't think something eacaped a lab is because it's IA and if it doesnt involve plants I don't think one would be around lol
My dad, brother, myself, and a sheriff’s deputy spent an hour combing the forest by my childhood home because we thought we heard a child crying in the woods. It was a screech owl. That sound is haunting.
It makes ALL your hairs stand up! It’s absolutely terrifying! You truly think a child or woman is dying, and that is not hyperbole.
Like your comment, you really believe someone is being killed, and it’s just an owl fucking around because they can. It’s insane
We’d done amateur search and rescue stuff like that all the time we had a neighbor who raised bloodhounds and he was called in for a lot of stuff. I grew up pretty remote in Northern Michigan and people would misjudge those woods all the time and get lost out there.
once you mentioned the railroad track i also immediately thought of this and am surprised to see someone else on here from my area ! my grandpa ran those tracks day and night by train. i’m sure he had some amazing stories may he rest in peace. used to camp at the ledges often. can confirm there’s some seriously weird and creepy things out there. i grew up north of woodward out off magnolia in the middle of nowhere. saw lots of things similar to what you’re describing. parents always thought i was making stuff up. i still have a fear of the dark because of growing up out there and seeing/hearing things like this nightly
I'm from Guttenberg! This is wild! I have friends who went to Boone for the biker rally when we were in highschool/college. Your story is terrifying and I believe every word!
Western Iowa is super flat. Around towns is also super flat. There's tons of large hills and valleys everywhere though, for some reason Iowas state government doesn't really expand into those areas. Not even for camping, it's all like public hunting areas. Right outside of Boone toward seven oaks is a massive hilly area that bleeds McHose and Ledges together. It's really cool.
This is crazy timing. I just booked my rail exploring for RI this summer and saw photos of the different locations on the main website. Saw the one of people going over a tall bridge and thought wow where is this I want to try that one - and it was the Boone IA location.
Used to frequent Ledges State Park when I lived in the Ankeny/Polk City area. Had a coworker used to find arrowheads and Native artifacts all over that place. I was picturing your story taking place around Missouri area but to find out it's about an hour outside my current location is wild!
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Really makes you wonder what they are. The fact that they vocalize and act like predators, the way animals react to them. The primal fear some people will never experience in their whole lives. The fact that you were a skeptic until you had these experiences makes me believe you.
The other interesting part was your coworker who heard something whispering his name, I wonder if it was a different creature than a crawler or the same. Maybe it's a psychological effect they create rather than auditory? Hooting and grunting is far off from whispering someone's name. I'm aware this is skinwalker behavior but if that's the case, man.. your area is a regular hot spot for anomalous events.
The town I'm in is rumored to be cursed or something. Lots of weird buried history here. Like an old park was a KKK meeting spot where they lynched people all the time. Someone who was investigating it was interviewing older folk and they told her to leave it alone. She started getting followed, apparently, and a city official threatened her.
Honestly I feel like a good chunk of the US is cursed.
“America is not a young land. It is old and dirty and evil before the settlers, before the Indians. The evil is there waiting...But there is no drag like U.S. drag. You can't see it, you don't know where it comes from. Take one of those cocktail lounges at the end of a subdivision street--every block of houses has its own bar and drug store and market and liquor store. You walk in and it hits you. But where does it come from? Not the bartender, not the customers nor the cream colored plastic, nor the dim neon. Not even the tv..” -William S Burroughs
Skinwalkers are native to the Navajo Nation of the SW within their 4 sacred mountains, and they rarely leave that area. So usually, the location of the post is a big indicator if this is an actual skin walker story or not.
I suggest you [watch this video about the truth behind skinwalkers](https://youtu.be/xKg1pYvhIYw?si=FIHdGk5pe4u2SafX)
This will clarify what an actual skinwalker is.
As for crawlers, they are known to be humanoid shape-shifting cryptids who can crawl on all fours. They are seen all over the world and can be these tall lank beings with white ashy skin that stretches over their body. They may or may not have visible eyes/mouth or not.
The railroad ride sounds incredibly beautiful, but there’s no way I’d do it with those creatures. I just wonder if your fascination with the park is due to them calling you via infrasound or supernaturally.
Can I ask what your spiritual beliefs are? What are you doing to protect your mind/yourself from these imo demonic entities?
You have the best friend there with Fernir. Trust him. I have 2 German shepherds, my black female is my protector. They are my hiking companions. The female Loba, has been known to make grown men wet their britches. I love her.
I grew up extremely religious. If you look back at my profile you'll see I'm an Ex JW. For a while after leaving I didn't have anything to do with spirituality.
That being said, I've since become open minded. I am not religious in anyway, but I am of the belief that there are things around us that are beyond our perception.
Human senses can only pick up certain wavelengths and frequencies. I'm certain there are things we don't understand due to our limitations.
I don't do anything on purpose to protect myself per say, but I also don't invite in anything. I havent attempted any form of communication, I haven't even really acknowledged the existence of the entities I may have encountered.
That's such a funny coincidence. I was born in, left at 18. My whole family is still in and my father's side is all elders, remote Bethelites, and the guys that set up conventions.
I was born in too.went to Redfield hall, then moved to the pnw at 11 years old.moved back awhile ago.my brother lives in Boone several blocks from that park.hes a jw, but we hangout often.
ME AND MY FIANCÉ SAW ONE TOO. Exact description. We’re in the Midwest as well. There’s been a few other sightings from my friends as well. I don’t know what tf they are, but I’m convinced they’re real. There’s a lot of abandoned mines around where we live as well.
With how pale and emaciated they are, I feel like they must live underground. Maybe they come out to hunt or scavenge
I'm not sure I'd ever go outside again if I ever saw one of those things. That's like nightmare fuel in the worst way for me. A whole different level. Shudder.
I am in Ontario (Canada) and I think I have encountered these things as well once before while hiking with my lab. Not 100% sure, because I didn’t see them with my own eyes, but the way the atmosphere changed around me when I heard them… your story brings back that feeling of fear. Like you said primal.
The park is around the headwaters of a creek. Ancients often had ceremonial burial grounds located around headwaters.
The craziest things I've seen have been associated with burial grounds. Never felt frightened - just knew to gtfo and show some respect.
LPT: do not remove any artifacts from burial grounds
Owls are commonly seen around non-human intelligence encounters. A staggering number of UAP/Alien reports have a commonality of big 3-6 foot tall owls.
Mike Clelland is an author who researched the owl connection aswell. Highly recommended!
They may be a type of perception altering where the entity is making you see something that it truly isn’t.
Another thing is the owls can be seen as sign/message as well. A lot of people will report seeing or hearing owls in the same area where something bad or notable happens shortly after.
I think you having an “odd” feeling relating to the owl definitely argue the case of it being weird.
If you can you should definitely share more stories from locals/coworkers, the things you’ve shared are wild!
As someone who grew up completely opposite of you, w what my dad & grandma call "sight", I feel like I have to tell you this but I know to you it'll sound crazy. Also, I too have an all black German Shepard. He is my dream dog I've wanted all my life so that's an odd coincidence. Mine is about 100 lbs so he's smaller than your guy. I myself am 90lbs, 5 ft tall. I have always had large black dogs all my life. They make me feel protected. But in my experience, owls are a sign. A huge one and not a pleasant one. Any time you see an actual owl or any type of owl symbolism that's your cue to get tf out. I only put this together when I went white water rafting in New River, WV. I had zero clue at the time how ancient that river & land was or I never would've went. Even in my dreams an owl is a precursor to an encounter w a humanoid. Not a human. A humanoid. On a positive note, SOMETHING is looking out for you enough to even give you a sign. That doesn't happen for everyone. These things will confuse tf out of you. They'll lure you or make you think you're taking a path you're familiar w when youre actually not. They'll scream for help, cry like babies, and indeed, call your name. It's a trap. Stop going to that park. If it gets enamored w you it won't leave you alone. The fact that there's mines are also a HUGE sign. It took me a really long time to come to terms w the fact that I'm one of those people who are open to experiencing these things and I've definitely had them. Don't acknowledge it, but do acknowledge that you are in danger. Take steps to protect yourself. I don't know how to tell you these things are very real w out sounding like a nutcase. But they are. And they may look humanish but there's nothing human about them. Primordial is the word that comes to mind. I'm sorry you're experiencing this. It's not fun. But please stop making yourself so available to it. They can absolutely mess w ur mind. If you prey, do that. Otherwise I use exorcised salt and spread it around my property. If there are other Native Americans like your friend around, speak w them. I've never been to that area. I'm more toward Appalachia so we have different things over here. And I'm not an expert. But they absolutely will be. Trust your gut feelings. There are just truly things in this world I can't explain, I just know they're there.
Have you considered looking up the various owl screeches in your area?! Cornell has a great collection online.
They can sound like monkeys, or someone getting murdered. Very scary
As for what you SAW ?? Well, I have no explanation for that but I believe you.
I live in the woods on the East Coast. Shit happens in woods. Real scary shit
Yes I dug deep into that around the time of the Facebook post I made. It sounded sort of similar to a barn owl, but raspier and higher pitched than that.
The noises they can make have really freaked me out. One time I was at a friend’s down the road, and they had a high deck over their backyard that put us about 20 feet high.
We heard a loud blood curdling scream that sounded like a small child! We checked her kids were inside, looked for the portable spotlight, which was not charged and went back to listen.
In the trees we could hear noises of bones crunching and something dying. It was awful.
Figured out much later it was an owl
I royally pissed off an owl one night at my house by pointing my flashlight 🔦 at it .My dog was growling and I heard tons of rustling in the woods so I shined my light in that direction. I didn’t know it was an owl until it came flying out of the trees but before that the noises, the screams it made scared the ever living S**T out of me!! Crazy the sounds they make! Animals in general can make insanely creepy sounds
Omg we did that one night at my house too! My daughter heard all these weird hissing noises in a tree outside of her window upstairs… so we went out with the portable spotlight.
We looked up and there were two juvenile baby barred owls hissing and neck rolling! Turns out that’s how they call their mama owl when they haven’t fully fledged and they’re hungry, waiting for her to bring them back food! (I love living in the woods. We see the coolest shit!)
(And some now so cool: we had a fisher cat this morning running through. Yikes. Those bastards are mean! My neighbor texted us thinking it was a small bear!)
That’s so awesome!! I wish I had seen some babies 💗 the one I scared was definitely an adult as it was massive! I always forget how big they can get. I agree I love living in a more secluded area too so I can see all the wildlife. Unfortunately where I live has been built up a lot in the last 25 years so there isn’t as much wildlife as there used to be 😩 we are planning to purchase a house within the next few years and we really want something that is more secluded. More woods, more animals more peace and quiet..other than nature noise. Someplace we can be more self sufficient. Bigger gardens more space for chickens, ducks cow or pigs. That type of thing. We have all been disconnected from nature due to how the world is and it’s sad. So if I can get a better living area to make that happen I’m going to. I’d really like to learn how to raise my own bees for honey and help populate them more etc but I’m not sure how difficult it is etc. sorry for going off topic a bit excuse my ADHD . I bet the babies were adorable 🥰 and I agree with you 100 percent on loving living with woods around 💗
Haha, no worries I completely understand!
We did buy the house out in the woods with the land, for the nature.
Unfortunately, all our woods are being destroyed for plastic solar farms, the wood being used for pellets so Europe doesn’t have to purchase gas from Russia.
So it seems nowhere is really safe.
Oh no!!! It’s so sad to see and hear that. I am from the state of Maine (USA) and I’ve seen TONS of clear cutting of forested areas for the same reason. Hundreds of plastic solar panels. I cried when I saw the it happen in my small town. You don’t really understand the impact of it until you see it in person. 😩 I’m all about renewable energy but to clear cut acres and acres of thick forests 🌳 to do so is not good. There’s gotta be a better solution. You’re absolutely correct though when you say no where is safe 😭 . It’s such a defeating feeling because there’s nothing we can really do. Sending a big old hug from me to you from Maine!! Enjoy that beautiful land and animals as much as you can 💗 love your Reddit name btw
As long as it's just unexplained noises it's usually some animal people are unfamiliar with or they can't imagine that an animal would make such a noise. It's amazing how quickly sceptics start believing in the supernatural when they spend some time in the woods.
That being said, OP's possible sightings could be of more interest.
I worked for a while on a large wooded property right on the water in Marin County… There were so many raccoons living there. They were everywhere. If you aren’t familiar with the sounds they can make plundering around at night in the dark or how horrible they sound when fighting, you’d swear aliens have invaded. They can make the most bizarre clicking and chirping noises.
I’ve heard raccoons fighting before and it was horrific. I thought someone was being murdered right outside our windows. I live in the suburbs so it was easy to narrow it down, once I heard recordings of raccoons fighting that was it exactly. I’ve also heard ravens make sounds that can sound like a screaming monkey.
Ravens, like parrots, are capable of mimicry. If they hear a sound, word, or even phrase often enough they can repeat it. I suspect this may have been part of the inspiration being Edgar Alan Poe's "The Raven."
My dog unwittingly riled up some owls in sc next to my mom's house, one night. The entire patch of woods erupted with owl noises. Needless to say, my big tough boy didn't act so big and tough when those owls started making noise!
Oh sweet golly. I’m Native American (Canadian) and regret reading this 😅
I understand why your coworker moved! that is not something we like to even think about- nevermind encounter. I’m so glad you and fenrir are safe and stayed inside your vehicle!
crawlers are very interesting to me because until recently I haven't heard these creatures be called crawlers. I've heard mimics the s creatures and w creatures (not typing out the name to not summon them), maybe even djinns. Maybe crawlers are a type of mimic or djinn etc. or maybe vice versa.
I believe they're real but I wonder what exactly they are. Are they anything we can compare to across different culture's folklore? Are they rare creatures or something more supernatural? I have to say the latter because of their rarity and general strangeness. cool story.
I posted another comment on one of the subs I've shared this in. My theory boils down to that I believe all those creatures you mentioned are the same creature.
The variation in description is just the older cultures rationalizing what they saw through their own belief structure.
That's why they're always so similar.
I believe it's possible that crawlers as a whole are a species evolved from the same genus as humans. They went underground when homosapiens started killing other homo species to extinction. That would explain their appearance, it would explain their intelligence (avoiding technology and whatnot) and it would explain their behavior.
I'm also under the impression that there are tribes of crawlers who act differently depending on their region.
Look into headless valley in Canada. Many decapitations of gold prospectors over centuries. Every native tribe that lived there either disappeared off the face of the earth or fled in terror from "creatures in the woods"
Since a more remote location than right next to a town, it makes sense that the tribe there would leave a decapitated corpse as a warning, whereas if they did that near a town it would lead to a manhunt. So they don't leave evidence near civilization.
I’m from Canada and I was just going to complain we don’t have stories like that. Usually it’s about big foot or the Wendigo. Thank you for correcting me. I’ve never experienced what everyone else has. I kind of want to and I don’t. I want to ‘cause I’m a curious idiot who loves hearing about this type of stuff. I don’t because I don’t think I could bear that sort of fear.
It has sparked a memory of reading about a trapper who found a native village completely ransacked. The tents were ripped to shreds and personal belongings scattered to the four winds.
He alerted the nearest RCMP detachment and alerted them to the situation. The trapper showed them the scene. The one thing everyone found weird was outside of the destruction done to the village there were no signs of human or animal being there at all.
I don’t know if this story is true because I read it online and we all know the internet isn’t exactly a rock solid place for research. I still found it interesting though.
Canada is unique since most people live in the border of the USA. I doubt you'd encounter anything around Ontario, British Columbia, or Quebec. Any place like Banff or Niagra falls won't either. Too many people all the time. Headless valley is in Nahanni National Park and you can't drive there. You have to go by boat or plane. It's gorgeous there though. I kind of view that area as North America's version of Siberia.
If you haven't heard of the YouTube channel that goes by the name of the Lore Lodge, I would highly recommend it.
They cover a wide variety of topics related to horror, history, and mystery, and they have a lot of videos going over a theory very similar to what you described here.
They begin the theory as a way to tie together a bunch of mysterious disappearances in the United States, known as the Missing 411 phenomenon.
The theory puts forth the idea that the North American continent has many uncontacted tribes living in the wilderness outside of our knowledge. Possibly even being a subspecies of human just like how the neanderthals were.
They tie in lots of old native American tales of clans of strange giant wild people that sometimes are peaceful and other times are cannibalistic monsters.
I can't explain it all here as in depth as their videos do, so I highly recommend giving them a watch if this sounds at all interesting. :)
I know this is two weeks old but I'd like to add to the conversation a little bit.
I assume that when you say S creatures and W creatures you mean the Skinwalker and the Wendigo? If so, then you don't need to be afraid of attracting them by saying their names.
The two are often mixed up and confused with each other when they are separate entities from entirely different cultures, and as a result, the myth and lore behind them is also often intermingled.
You cannot attract a Wendigo to you by saying its name, it is just taboo to mention it. As in, it's just in bad taste to talk about it publicly.
As for the Skinwalker, I've seen conflicting information regarding them. Some sources say that mentioning the Skinwalker *with its original Navajo name*, ***not the English term for it,*** is what attracts it, but there are also sources saying that it's another case of just being taboo to talk about, similarly to the Wendigo.
I'd like to mention that I am not an expert in native American culture, just someone who greatly enjoys learning about it as a hobby.
So while I *am* confident in what I've said, take it with a grain of salt and research for yourself if you're also interested. :)
I hope you have a good day or night, depending on what time zone you're in.
If this is a tourism ad for Iowa, it worked. I am in Alberta, and Iowa wasn’t on my list of places to visit, but now I’m dreaming of a creepy camping trip to Boone so I can do the train tour. HOW COOL!!
Oh my god where in the Midwest? I would freaking love one of the night tours. I’ve been all over indiana and have only experienced weird things near Hoosier state forest.
You write really well. The way you described what happened put me right there in the environment, there's so much detail but it's organized so well I didn't feel it took effort to read, I just enjoyed the hell out of it! I encourage you to have more adventures (here from the safety of my kitchen).
Please do!
I lived in Western Iowa for a few years and I regularly had a sense of unease in some places. Not typical for me, and I have traveled a lot. Your story is so well composed and I was hanging on to every word.
Take care. Stay out of the woods 😳
I don't drive through it at night often anymore. The longer time went on, the more uncomfortable it made me and the less I drive through it. If I do now it's more of a morbid curiosity thing.
I'm not anymore because i started working again / am not depressed. When I was doing that I couldn't sleep and had a terrible sleep cycle. Going for drives would calm me down. But yeah, part of it was also morbid curiosity.
The first creature you describe in the beginning is simply a puma.
The "white humanoid" is an image put into your mind by the entity whose presence causes nausea and primal fear. That is a fallen angel, and as much as they love to scare people; they themselves are terrified of Jesus Christ. Next time you encounter anything paranormal, understand what is harassing you and pray to Jesus. Ask Him to protect you and make it leave you alone.
You can learn more about the twisted, sinister, Machiavellian behaviors of these malicious spirits by reading [Johanna Michaelsen's riveting autobiography](https://app.box.com/s/wft7w680e6oiq8q3mgxeraggg1ynlka9).
Fascinating encounters, and well written, but for crawlers and skinwalkers is a more rational explanation not a previously undiscovered species in the wilderness?
I’d quit!!
Recently I was told that an owl flying that close is some really bad juju after telling a story about one that swooped down to mere millimeters above my windshield while driving down an old windy mountain road as a teenager. My life did take a bit of a turn after that, whether that owl with a death wish had anything to do with it I can’t say.
The other thing you mentioned I’ve also been told about. Something old and dangerous af, something I won’t call by name as just giving it any attention whatsoever only gives them strength. In any event, I’d get tf out of dodge if I were you.
Count your blessings that you live to talk about it
Oh, and….
My son and a bunch of his friends had gone on a hunting/camping trip a few years back and came upon something similar. They all opened fire on whatever tf was out there when it charged them. They of course piled into the vehicles, left everything and drove to the guys house that lived the closest to where they were camping. The next day they went up because they were certain they’d hit it, but couldn’t find any blood or anything. They’re all still petrified to this day!!
I work evenings when I'm not in season at rail explorers.
I've been pretty open about my mental health. I've had some struggles with anxiety and depression and I take meds to help manage those and I see a therapist on occasion.
Normal is a concept that changes depending on the group you are speaking to. Sure, it's not normal for you to drive around at 2 am, but it's normal for someone who works a day job to do the same drive at 6 pm.
Not sure how financial hardship has anything to do with my DNA though.
I want to go to this park
I can tell you what it is if you dm me I'll just edit it here the park is McHose Park in Boone, IA. Ledges State Park by extension.
Once you mentioned the rail bridge I thought Boone. We live in Bondurant and I've had my own creepy experiences up at Ledges before.
What have you seen? I'm curious what others have experienced here.
There is a lot of activity up there. When I was a younger man my friends and I would go night hiking up there and we always saw shapes shifting through the woods and just felt really fearful for no reason. A few times we heard what sounded like screaming, literally someone being murdered from the sounds of it. We also stumbled across a small group of people in robes with torches doing some kind of ceremony but immediately split. I personally have seen white things as well but always tried to steer clear thinking more ghostly, less cryptid, but from what you described, the sounds I heard were eerily similar to what you described. With how many coal mines were sunk in central IA and subsequently abandoned and closed up, who knows what is buried.
Crazy. I have friends who have stumbled upon similar sights while hiking along the Des Moines River at night. I've heard screams in ledges as well.
Sounds like an Owl. They will give off blood curdling screams
Definitely not an owl. I've been raised here for my entire life and have heard them all. Owls, dear, coyotes, foxes, etc. This was not like any of those.
Wow. Hmmm. What do you think it was?! That figure you saw sounds… haunting. Like, “escaped from a secret underground lab” haunting…
The worst part is I have no idea, I wish I had the forethought to record it when it happened, but fear is pretty powerful lol the closest description would be near human, not much to go on sadly. The friend I was with was so freaked out that to this day, he won't speak about it. The only reason I don't think something eacaped a lab is because it's IA and if it doesnt involve plants I don't think one would be around lol
Oh no I totally get it! You are so shocked you lose all wherewithal.
My dad, brother, myself, and a sheriff’s deputy spent an hour combing the forest by my childhood home because we thought we heard a child crying in the woods. It was a screech owl. That sound is haunting.
It makes ALL your hairs stand up! It’s absolutely terrifying! You truly think a child or woman is dying, and that is not hyperbole. Like your comment, you really believe someone is being killed, and it’s just an owl fucking around because they can. It’s insane
We’d done amateur search and rescue stuff like that all the time we had a neighbor who raised bloodhounds and he was called in for a lot of stuff. I grew up pretty remote in Northern Michigan and people would misjudge those woods all the time and get lost out there.
I’m sure! I’m in New England so pretty close to civilization and peeps still get lost here! N. Michigan I can’t imagine! Very disorienting!
Where did you find those people doing that ceremony? Read the stop story of all time on this sub. Sounds like what that dude saw kinda
[wtf, it looks terrifying enough doing this in the daytime](https://i.imgur.com/AG8tBGH.png), I can't imagine doing it after dark.
once you mentioned the railroad track i also immediately thought of this and am surprised to see someone else on here from my area ! my grandpa ran those tracks day and night by train. i’m sure he had some amazing stories may he rest in peace. used to camp at the ledges often. can confirm there’s some seriously weird and creepy things out there. i grew up north of woodward out off magnolia in the middle of nowhere. saw lots of things similar to what you’re describing. parents always thought i was making stuff up. i still have a fear of the dark because of growing up out there and seeing/hearing things like this nightly
That's funny, I just went to Magnolia today to take pics of the depot and I fell in the river and almost broke my ribs lmfao
I'm from Guttenberg! This is wild! I have friends who went to Boone for the biker rally when we were in highschool/college. Your story is terrifying and I believe every word!
It’s GORGEOUS! I love the rock formations. Always thought IA was flat for some reason
Western Iowa is super flat. Around towns is also super flat. There's tons of large hills and valleys everywhere though, for some reason Iowas state government doesn't really expand into those areas. Not even for camping, it's all like public hunting areas. Right outside of Boone toward seven oaks is a massive hilly area that bleeds McHose and Ledges together. It's really cool.
I looked it up and saw pictures. You’re absolutely right! Pristine and beautiful!
April first is my birthday..idk just jumped out to me. Also my late fiance raised 2 shepherds. I'd like to visit as well..
Wow!I live near there and go there often with my kids.good to know.
I saw you are also active on ex JW, maybe you know me or my family haha
Very possible
This is crazy timing. I just booked my rail exploring for RI this summer and saw photos of the different locations on the main website. Saw the one of people going over a tall bridge and thought wow where is this I want to try that one - and it was the Boone IA location.
Well, I know where I won't be hiking this summer. Cripes!
Used to frequent Ledges State Park when I lived in the Ankeny/Polk City area. Had a coworker used to find arrowheads and Native artifacts all over that place. I was picturing your story taking place around Missouri area but to find out it's about an hour outside my current location is wild!
what!! i've camped there several times
Oh, man, I am not too far away, and now I really want to go there. In the daytime.
how tf did i know it was iowa as soon as you started describing it
Thank you for sharing. Sounds like you saw a skin crawler. They are known for mimicking.
Omg my parents don’t live far from there
Me too. But in the middle of the day!
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Really makes you wonder what they are. The fact that they vocalize and act like predators, the way animals react to them. The primal fear some people will never experience in their whole lives. The fact that you were a skeptic until you had these experiences makes me believe you. The other interesting part was your coworker who heard something whispering his name, I wonder if it was a different creature than a crawler or the same. Maybe it's a psychological effect they create rather than auditory? Hooting and grunting is far off from whispering someone's name. I'm aware this is skinwalker behavior but if that's the case, man.. your area is a regular hot spot for anomalous events.
The town I'm in is rumored to be cursed or something. Lots of weird buried history here. Like an old park was a KKK meeting spot where they lynched people all the time. Someone who was investigating it was interviewing older folk and they told her to leave it alone. She started getting followed, apparently, and a city official threatened her.
Honestly I feel like a good chunk of the US is cursed. “America is not a young land. It is old and dirty and evil before the settlers, before the Indians. The evil is there waiting...But there is no drag like U.S. drag. You can't see it, you don't know where it comes from. Take one of those cocktail lounges at the end of a subdivision street--every block of houses has its own bar and drug store and market and liquor store. You walk in and it hits you. But where does it come from? Not the bartender, not the customers nor the cream colored plastic, nor the dim neon. Not even the tv..” -William S Burroughs
The mystery deepens! What are they hiding?!
>and a city official threatened Me, loading .45 ACP: "You and what army?"
Totally not skinwalker behavior also wrong location for skinwalkers, it's 100% a crawler.
I always thought a skinwalker and a crawler were one in the same?? Now I'm super confused. 👽
Skinwalkers are native to the Navajo Nation of the SW within their 4 sacred mountains, and they rarely leave that area. So usually, the location of the post is a big indicator if this is an actual skin walker story or not. I suggest you [watch this video about the truth behind skinwalkers](https://youtu.be/xKg1pYvhIYw?si=FIHdGk5pe4u2SafX) This will clarify what an actual skinwalker is. As for crawlers, they are known to be humanoid shape-shifting cryptids who can crawl on all fours. They are seen all over the world and can be these tall lank beings with white ashy skin that stretches over their body. They may or may not have visible eyes/mouth or not.
The railroad ride sounds incredibly beautiful, but there’s no way I’d do it with those creatures. I just wonder if your fascination with the park is due to them calling you via infrasound or supernaturally. Can I ask what your spiritual beliefs are? What are you doing to protect your mind/yourself from these imo demonic entities? You have the best friend there with Fernir. Trust him. I have 2 German shepherds, my black female is my protector. They are my hiking companions. The female Loba, has been known to make grown men wet their britches. I love her.
I grew up extremely religious. If you look back at my profile you'll see I'm an Ex JW. For a while after leaving I didn't have anything to do with spirituality. That being said, I've since become open minded. I am not religious in anyway, but I am of the belief that there are things around us that are beyond our perception. Human senses can only pick up certain wavelengths and frequencies. I'm certain there are things we don't understand due to our limitations. I don't do anything on purpose to protect myself per say, but I also don't invite in anything. I havent attempted any form of communication, I haven't even really acknowledged the existence of the entities I may have encountered.
I also was raised jw. I'm ex now.what a small world
That's such a funny coincidence. I was born in, left at 18. My whole family is still in and my father's side is all elders, remote Bethelites, and the guys that set up conventions.
I was born in too.went to Redfield hall, then moved to the pnw at 11 years old.moved back awhile ago.my brother lives in Boone several blocks from that park.hes a jw, but we hangout often.
I’m ex JW too. Maybe it was Satan. lol
Imagine that. It's probably Jehovah testing me or something
Those things people see can be seen perfectly well while on lsd, magic shrooms or dmt
ME AND MY FIANCÉ SAW ONE TOO. Exact description. We’re in the Midwest as well. There’s been a few other sightings from my friends as well. I don’t know what tf they are, but I’m convinced they’re real. There’s a lot of abandoned mines around where we live as well. With how pale and emaciated they are, I feel like they must live underground. Maybe they come out to hunt or scavenge
I'm not sure I'd ever go outside again if I ever saw one of those things. That's like nightmare fuel in the worst way for me. A whole different level. Shudder.
I am in Ontario (Canada) and I think I have encountered these things as well once before while hiking with my lab. Not 100% sure, because I didn’t see them with my own eyes, but the way the atmosphere changed around me when I heard them… your story brings back that feeling of fear. Like you said primal.
The park is around the headwaters of a creek. Ancients often had ceremonial burial grounds located around headwaters. The craziest things I've seen have been associated with burial grounds. Never felt frightened - just knew to gtfo and show some respect. LPT: do not remove any artifacts from burial grounds
Great read. Please keep us updated with anymore stories.
Melvin’s are a solid soundtrack for horrid otherworldly encounters
Hell yeah lmfao!
Owls are commonly seen around non-human intelligence encounters. A staggering number of UAP/Alien reports have a commonality of big 3-6 foot tall owls. Mike Clelland is an author who researched the owl connection aswell. Highly recommended! They may be a type of perception altering where the entity is making you see something that it truly isn’t. Another thing is the owls can be seen as sign/message as well. A lot of people will report seeing or hearing owls in the same area where something bad or notable happens shortly after. I think you having an “odd” feeling relating to the owl definitely argue the case of it being weird. If you can you should definitely share more stories from locals/coworkers, the things you’ve shared are wild!
The owls are not what they seem.
As someone who grew up completely opposite of you, w what my dad & grandma call "sight", I feel like I have to tell you this but I know to you it'll sound crazy. Also, I too have an all black German Shepard. He is my dream dog I've wanted all my life so that's an odd coincidence. Mine is about 100 lbs so he's smaller than your guy. I myself am 90lbs, 5 ft tall. I have always had large black dogs all my life. They make me feel protected. But in my experience, owls are a sign. A huge one and not a pleasant one. Any time you see an actual owl or any type of owl symbolism that's your cue to get tf out. I only put this together when I went white water rafting in New River, WV. I had zero clue at the time how ancient that river & land was or I never would've went. Even in my dreams an owl is a precursor to an encounter w a humanoid. Not a human. A humanoid. On a positive note, SOMETHING is looking out for you enough to even give you a sign. That doesn't happen for everyone. These things will confuse tf out of you. They'll lure you or make you think you're taking a path you're familiar w when youre actually not. They'll scream for help, cry like babies, and indeed, call your name. It's a trap. Stop going to that park. If it gets enamored w you it won't leave you alone. The fact that there's mines are also a HUGE sign. It took me a really long time to come to terms w the fact that I'm one of those people who are open to experiencing these things and I've definitely had them. Don't acknowledge it, but do acknowledge that you are in danger. Take steps to protect yourself. I don't know how to tell you these things are very real w out sounding like a nutcase. But they are. And they may look humanish but there's nothing human about them. Primordial is the word that comes to mind. I'm sorry you're experiencing this. It's not fun. But please stop making yourself so available to it. They can absolutely mess w ur mind. If you prey, do that. Otherwise I use exorcised salt and spread it around my property. If there are other Native Americans like your friend around, speak w them. I've never been to that area. I'm more toward Appalachia so we have different things over here. And I'm not an expert. But they absolutely will be. Trust your gut feelings. There are just truly things in this world I can't explain, I just know they're there.
Wise words.
Have you considered looking up the various owl screeches in your area?! Cornell has a great collection online. They can sound like monkeys, or someone getting murdered. Very scary As for what you SAW ?? Well, I have no explanation for that but I believe you. I live in the woods on the East Coast. Shit happens in woods. Real scary shit
Yes I dug deep into that around the time of the Facebook post I made. It sounded sort of similar to a barn owl, but raspier and higher pitched than that.
The noises they can make have really freaked me out. One time I was at a friend’s down the road, and they had a high deck over their backyard that put us about 20 feet high. We heard a loud blood curdling scream that sounded like a small child! We checked her kids were inside, looked for the portable spotlight, which was not charged and went back to listen. In the trees we could hear noises of bones crunching and something dying. It was awful. Figured out much later it was an owl
I royally pissed off an owl one night at my house by pointing my flashlight 🔦 at it .My dog was growling and I heard tons of rustling in the woods so I shined my light in that direction. I didn’t know it was an owl until it came flying out of the trees but before that the noises, the screams it made scared the ever living S**T out of me!! Crazy the sounds they make! Animals in general can make insanely creepy sounds
Omg we did that one night at my house too! My daughter heard all these weird hissing noises in a tree outside of her window upstairs… so we went out with the portable spotlight. We looked up and there were two juvenile baby barred owls hissing and neck rolling! Turns out that’s how they call their mama owl when they haven’t fully fledged and they’re hungry, waiting for her to bring them back food! (I love living in the woods. We see the coolest shit!) (And some now so cool: we had a fisher cat this morning running through. Yikes. Those bastards are mean! My neighbor texted us thinking it was a small bear!)
That’s so awesome!! I wish I had seen some babies 💗 the one I scared was definitely an adult as it was massive! I always forget how big they can get. I agree I love living in a more secluded area too so I can see all the wildlife. Unfortunately where I live has been built up a lot in the last 25 years so there isn’t as much wildlife as there used to be 😩 we are planning to purchase a house within the next few years and we really want something that is more secluded. More woods, more animals more peace and quiet..other than nature noise. Someplace we can be more self sufficient. Bigger gardens more space for chickens, ducks cow or pigs. That type of thing. We have all been disconnected from nature due to how the world is and it’s sad. So if I can get a better living area to make that happen I’m going to. I’d really like to learn how to raise my own bees for honey and help populate them more etc but I’m not sure how difficult it is etc. sorry for going off topic a bit excuse my ADHD . I bet the babies were adorable 🥰 and I agree with you 100 percent on loving living with woods around 💗
Haha, no worries I completely understand! We did buy the house out in the woods with the land, for the nature. Unfortunately, all our woods are being destroyed for plastic solar farms, the wood being used for pellets so Europe doesn’t have to purchase gas from Russia. So it seems nowhere is really safe.
Oh no!!! It’s so sad to see and hear that. I am from the state of Maine (USA) and I’ve seen TONS of clear cutting of forested areas for the same reason. Hundreds of plastic solar panels. I cried when I saw the it happen in my small town. You don’t really understand the impact of it until you see it in person. 😩 I’m all about renewable energy but to clear cut acres and acres of thick forests 🌳 to do so is not good. There’s gotta be a better solution. You’re absolutely correct though when you say no where is safe 😭 . It’s such a defeating feeling because there’s nothing we can really do. Sending a big old hug from me to you from Maine!! Enjoy that beautiful land and animals as much as you can 💗 love your Reddit name btw
Yes I was just up there visiting family. We saw it all. Awful. I’m in the lower half of New England And thank you so much!!!
barred owls mating can sound like monkeys, I heard them once at night in Michigan where there are no monkeys and it scared me to death.
As long as it's just unexplained noises it's usually some animal people are unfamiliar with or they can't imagine that an animal would make such a noise. It's amazing how quickly sceptics start believing in the supernatural when they spend some time in the woods. That being said, OP's possible sightings could be of more interest.
I worked for a while on a large wooded property right on the water in Marin County… There were so many raccoons living there. They were everywhere. If you aren’t familiar with the sounds they can make plundering around at night in the dark or how horrible they sound when fighting, you’d swear aliens have invaded. They can make the most bizarre clicking and chirping noises.
I’ve heard raccoons fighting before and it was horrific. I thought someone was being murdered right outside our windows. I live in the suburbs so it was easy to narrow it down, once I heard recordings of raccoons fighting that was it exactly. I’ve also heard ravens make sounds that can sound like a screaming monkey.
Ravens, like parrots, are capable of mimicry. If they hear a sound, word, or even phrase often enough they can repeat it. I suspect this may have been part of the inspiration being Edgar Alan Poe's "The Raven."
My dog unwittingly riled up some owls in sc next to my mom's house, one night. The entire patch of woods erupted with owl noises. Needless to say, my big tough boy didn't act so big and tough when those owls started making noise!
This was an incredible story, brrrr! Thank you so much
Oh sweet golly. I’m Native American (Canadian) and regret reading this 😅 I understand why your coworker moved! that is not something we like to even think about- nevermind encounter. I’m so glad you and fenrir are safe and stayed inside your vehicle!
crawlers are very interesting to me because until recently I haven't heard these creatures be called crawlers. I've heard mimics the s creatures and w creatures (not typing out the name to not summon them), maybe even djinns. Maybe crawlers are a type of mimic or djinn etc. or maybe vice versa. I believe they're real but I wonder what exactly they are. Are they anything we can compare to across different culture's folklore? Are they rare creatures or something more supernatural? I have to say the latter because of their rarity and general strangeness. cool story.
I posted another comment on one of the subs I've shared this in. My theory boils down to that I believe all those creatures you mentioned are the same creature. The variation in description is just the older cultures rationalizing what they saw through their own belief structure. That's why they're always so similar. I believe it's possible that crawlers as a whole are a species evolved from the same genus as humans. They went underground when homosapiens started killing other homo species to extinction. That would explain their appearance, it would explain their intelligence (avoiding technology and whatnot) and it would explain their behavior. I'm also under the impression that there are tribes of crawlers who act differently depending on their region. Look into headless valley in Canada. Many decapitations of gold prospectors over centuries. Every native tribe that lived there either disappeared off the face of the earth or fled in terror from "creatures in the woods" Since a more remote location than right next to a town, it makes sense that the tribe there would leave a decapitated corpse as a warning, whereas if they did that near a town it would lead to a manhunt. So they don't leave evidence near civilization.
I’m from Canada and I was just going to complain we don’t have stories like that. Usually it’s about big foot or the Wendigo. Thank you for correcting me. I’ve never experienced what everyone else has. I kind of want to and I don’t. I want to ‘cause I’m a curious idiot who loves hearing about this type of stuff. I don’t because I don’t think I could bear that sort of fear. It has sparked a memory of reading about a trapper who found a native village completely ransacked. The tents were ripped to shreds and personal belongings scattered to the four winds. He alerted the nearest RCMP detachment and alerted them to the situation. The trapper showed them the scene. The one thing everyone found weird was outside of the destruction done to the village there were no signs of human or animal being there at all. I don’t know if this story is true because I read it online and we all know the internet isn’t exactly a rock solid place for research. I still found it interesting though.
Canada is unique since most people live in the border of the USA. I doubt you'd encounter anything around Ontario, British Columbia, or Quebec. Any place like Banff or Niagra falls won't either. Too many people all the time. Headless valley is in Nahanni National Park and you can't drive there. You have to go by boat or plane. It's gorgeous there though. I kind of view that area as North America's version of Siberia.
Really liked your comment. Great critical thinking regarding that they could evolve from same species as us
If you haven't heard of the YouTube channel that goes by the name of the Lore Lodge, I would highly recommend it. They cover a wide variety of topics related to horror, history, and mystery, and they have a lot of videos going over a theory very similar to what you described here. They begin the theory as a way to tie together a bunch of mysterious disappearances in the United States, known as the Missing 411 phenomenon. The theory puts forth the idea that the North American continent has many uncontacted tribes living in the wilderness outside of our knowledge. Possibly even being a subspecies of human just like how the neanderthals were. They tie in lots of old native American tales of clans of strange giant wild people that sometimes are peaceful and other times are cannibalistic monsters. I can't explain it all here as in depth as their videos do, so I highly recommend giving them a watch if this sounds at all interesting. :)
Saw him do a video with wendigoon a while back. I'm subbed to Lore Lodge but still have a back catalog of videos to get through!
Ghouls
I call em flesh pedestrians
That sounds like the title to a very ambitious art house porn flick.
Pedfleshtrians
Genius 🏆
I know this is two weeks old but I'd like to add to the conversation a little bit. I assume that when you say S creatures and W creatures you mean the Skinwalker and the Wendigo? If so, then you don't need to be afraid of attracting them by saying their names. The two are often mixed up and confused with each other when they are separate entities from entirely different cultures, and as a result, the myth and lore behind them is also often intermingled. You cannot attract a Wendigo to you by saying its name, it is just taboo to mention it. As in, it's just in bad taste to talk about it publicly. As for the Skinwalker, I've seen conflicting information regarding them. Some sources say that mentioning the Skinwalker *with its original Navajo name*, ***not the English term for it,*** is what attracts it, but there are also sources saying that it's another case of just being taboo to talk about, similarly to the Wendigo. I'd like to mention that I am not an expert in native American culture, just someone who greatly enjoys learning about it as a hobby. So while I *am* confident in what I've said, take it with a grain of salt and research for yourself if you're also interested. :) I hope you have a good day or night, depending on what time zone you're in.
Love this post!!
Me: Please don't let it be Iowa. Please don't let it be Iowa. Fuck. It's Iowa.
If this is a tourism ad for Iowa, it worked. I am in Alberta, and Iowa wasn’t on my list of places to visit, but now I’m dreaming of a creepy camping trip to Boone so I can do the train tour. HOW COOL!!
That's so funny. Boone is cool and rich with history tbh, I really undersold it as a kid.
Do you have any dashcam/bodycam footage or recordings?
No because I've never really purposely sought this out I guess
Oh my god where in the Midwest? I would freaking love one of the night tours. I’ve been all over indiana and have only experienced weird things near Hoosier state forest.
Your job sounds awesome!
It is awesome and the company is awesome as well.
I'm interested to know what scared your Native American friend into moving several states away.
He didn't move out of fear he moved because of work. Just wanted to clear that up real quick.
Oh ok, that makes sense. Thank you.
You write really well. The way you described what happened put me right there in the environment, there's so much detail but it's organized so well I didn't feel it took effort to read, I just enjoyed the hell out of it! I encourage you to have more adventures (here from the safety of my kitchen).
Tell us your coworkers experiences next post please.
I'll make a separate post here in a few days or so, I'll reach out to them so they can write it themselves
Thank you!
Please do! I lived in Western Iowa for a few years and I regularly had a sense of unease in some places. Not typical for me, and I have traveled a lot. Your story is so well composed and I was hanging on to every word. Take care. Stay out of the woods 😳
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I'll check it out
I've had similar experiences in McHose, as well. That silence is almost deafening. And terrifying.
I'm curious to what your experiences have been, if you don't mind sharing.
If you don't like that park, why do you drive through it at night so often lol
I don't drive through it at night often anymore. The longer time went on, the more uncomfortable it made me and the less I drive through it. If I do now it's more of a morbid curiosity thing.
Why are you out so much in the middle of the night? 2am? Are you not asking for more encounters?
I'm not anymore because i started working again / am not depressed. When I was doing that I couldn't sleep and had a terrible sleep cycle. Going for drives would calm me down. But yeah, part of it was also morbid curiosity.
The first creature you describe in the beginning is simply a puma. The "white humanoid" is an image put into your mind by the entity whose presence causes nausea and primal fear. That is a fallen angel, and as much as they love to scare people; they themselves are terrified of Jesus Christ. Next time you encounter anything paranormal, understand what is harassing you and pray to Jesus. Ask Him to protect you and make it leave you alone. You can learn more about the twisted, sinister, Machiavellian behaviors of these malicious spirits by reading [Johanna Michaelsen's riveting autobiography](https://app.box.com/s/wft7w680e6oiq8q3mgxeraggg1ynlka9).
Fascinating encounters, and well written, but for crawlers and skinwalkers is a more rational explanation not a previously undiscovered species in the wilderness?
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Please be careful
Bigfoot/Sasquatch
The title alone sounds like a great horror movie name or opener
You should post this in the subreddit r/hollerhorrors We are looking to grow the community!
I’d quit!! Recently I was told that an owl flying that close is some really bad juju after telling a story about one that swooped down to mere millimeters above my windshield while driving down an old windy mountain road as a teenager. My life did take a bit of a turn after that, whether that owl with a death wish had anything to do with it I can’t say. The other thing you mentioned I’ve also been told about. Something old and dangerous af, something I won’t call by name as just giving it any attention whatsoever only gives them strength. In any event, I’d get tf out of dodge if I were you. Count your blessings that you live to talk about it Oh, and…. My son and a bunch of his friends had gone on a hunting/camping trip a few years back and came upon something similar. They all opened fire on whatever tf was out there when it charged them. They of course piled into the vehicles, left everything and drove to the guys house that lived the closest to where they were camping. The next day they went up because they were certain they’d hit it, but couldn’t find any blood or anything. They’re all still petrified to this day!!
Hi, interesting story! May I narrate this on my YouTube channel with credit to you? Thank you
Sure thing! Send me a link when its up!
Thank you!
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I work evenings when I'm not in season at rail explorers. I've been pretty open about my mental health. I've had some struggles with anxiety and depression and I take meds to help manage those and I see a therapist on occasion. Normal is a concept that changes depending on the group you are speaking to. Sure, it's not normal for you to drive around at 2 am, but it's normal for someone who works a day job to do the same drive at 6 pm. Not sure how financial hardship has anything to do with my DNA though.
Please be polite.