Haunted Catskill Mountains

HAUNTED CATSKILL MOUNTAINS
Paul Dale Roberts, HPI’s Esoteric Detective
Halo Paranormal Investigations
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SHADOW DART CREATURES
It almost seems that every mountain has a supernatural aura about it. Mountains throughout the world appear to be a magnet for ghost activity, cryptids, UFOs and UAPs. Catskill Mountains is no exception. I first heard stories from my uncle George Roberts who enjoyed hunting deer in the Catskill Mountains. Sitting around a campfire with my uncle, I would listen to his stories about Shadow Dart Creatures that he witnessed in the Catskill Mountains. Shadow Dart Creatures are similar to Shadow People, except they come in all shapes. George would describe them as being able to “dart” around from tree to tree and will peek at you from behind a tree. George says that they move very quickly, and you can catch them with your peripheral vision. Of all the places that George has hunted at, he has only experienced the Shadow Dart Creatures in the Catskill Mountains. George said he had his campfire all set up and it was dusk. George saw 3 Shadow Dart Creatures moving about in the trees. Darting from one tree to another. One shadow creature was in the shape of a spider with many legs, the other in the shape of a cat, while another was in the shape of a human with a hump on its back.
The shadowy creatures moved about through the trees and then would peek at him. George had enough and shot a round from his rifle into the air. The shadow creatures departed. George related it to his hunting buddy that joined him later in that evening. George’s hunting buddy Michael Tilhouse from Sullivan County, NY was very familiar with the shadow creatures and referred them as Shadow Dart Creatures because of the way they dart around. Michael believed they were ghosts. When I learned about the creatures from my uncle, I automatically thought they could be some kind of interdimensional creatures that go from their reality to our reality via a portal. Besides these shadow creatures, there are other things that I consider creepy and it’s all happening in the Catskill Mountains. Let’s look at the other paranormal phenomena happening at the Catskill Mountains.

NATIVE AMERICAN LEGENDS
The Esopus Tribe of the Lenape (Delaware) Native Americans of the Catskill Mountains have many stories and legends. There is the Catskill Witch. This figure was revered and feared. She was believed to be responsible for regulating the weather in the Hudson Valley, and would punish those who showed her disrespect with floods, lightning, and harsh storms. She was known to take on various forms, including a bear or deer, and lead hunters astray. Then you have the Giant Monster. Legend has it that the Catskill Mountains was once the home of a massive, human-eating monster until the Great Spirit intervened and turned it to stone. The petrified monster’s bones formed the new mountain, and its eyes became two lakes near the summit. Then we have the Big Indian. The hamlet of Big Indian in the Catskills is named after Winnisook, a Munsee man of the Lenape Nation known for his great height and strength. Winnisook was also involved in a love triangle and a livestock raid. Rip Van Winkle was not a story from Native Americans, but a story from author Washington Irving. It’s a story about a kind-hearted, but lazy man who lived in a Dutch town near the Catskill Mountains. He is known for his long nap in the mountains, waking up 20 years later to a drastically changed world. This story almost sounds like an alien abduction story from modern-day accounts of alleged UFO abductees. There are the “little men,” lost time, the thunder-sound (coming from the other side of the mountain) and then waking up 20 years later. Some historical biblical stories of possible abductions are similar to the Rip Van Winkle story. Abductees from ancient times recorded that many years have passed when they were returned to Earth. Was Washington Irving influenced by a real-life event that may have happened at the Catskill Mountains? You have to wonder.

DEVIL’S KITCHEN
This area, known for its hiking and climbing, also has a reputation for having haunted campgrounds and mysterious ghost lights. Ghost Lights are unexplained lights, sometimes described as “ghost lights” or “spook lights,” that have been reported in and around Devil’s Kitchen, particularly at night. Many people believe these ghost lights are victims that have lost their lives in the mountains. Some have reported hearing disembodied voices in the area. In addition to the voices, other strange and unexplained sounds have been reported. Some hikers have heard the sounds of a baby crying and when they went to investigate, there was no baby around. Some theorize that the paranormal activity is linked to the spirits of Native Americans who used the area for their family feasting or individuals who died there due to accidents or other unfortunate circumstances. The Devil’s Kitchen’s history of accidents and fatalities has contributed to its reputation as a haunted location, particularly for those who hike in the area.

OLD INNS AND HOTELS
Abandoned or historic inns and hotels in the Catskills are rumored to be haunted, with stories of former residents or guests lingering. Three haunted hotels at the Catskill Mountains are: Shandaken Inn, a guest witnessed a small native American girl wandering the hallway of the Inn. At Shanley Hotel a man in shorts and backpack was seen walking through a wall and vanishing. Then at the Pine Hill Arms Hotel an old lady in a rocking chair was seen in one of the rooms and then disappeared. A red-haired woman that was nude and in the fetal position was seen at an ancient cemetery. The forgotten ruins and ancient cemeteries have many restless spirits say locals. The region’s history, with tragic events and past residents, contributes to the sense of a haunting.

NOTABLE GHOSTS OF THE CATSKILL MOUNTAINS
In Hudson, Maggie Houghtaling, who was hanged for a crime she was later cleared of, is said to haunt the “Register-Star” building. Peter Hallenbeck’s ghost in Greenport, who was murdered in his home, is said to linger. At Claverack Creek the ghost of a young Native American girl is said to haunt this creek, where she drowned.

UFOS
Whitley Strieber is known for writing about his alien abduction experiences in a cabin in upstate New York, specifically in the Hudson Valley. The cabin is very near the Catskill Mountains. Hudson Valley is known for the 1984 Hudson Valley UFO Sightings. This 1984 event was investigated by Project Bluebook. UFOs or UAPs have been seen in the Hudson Valley and flying towards the Catskill Mountains. Many UFOlogists believe that Hudson Valley falls on a leyline.

CRYPTIDS
Catskill Mountains has its cryptids. You have the Numley, a creature described as a large, bipedal, hairless creature with a wide grinning mouth and large eyes, often linked to campfires in the Adirondack region. Then you have Devil Spiders that have been reported in the Catskills and Appalachian region, devil spiders are often described as large, hairy spiders, sometimes associated with malevolent supernatural forces. The Inbreds are not cryptids, but it is rumored that the Catskill Mountains has a hidden group of people that are inbreds or considered degenerate living in the forests. Catskill Mountains is also known for sightings of the Sasquatch. A notable Sasquatch in the Catskill Mountains is “Big Dave”. Big Dave is about 10 feet tall, very muscular and has reddish head hair, while the rest of his body is covered in brown fur.