The Bear Lake Monster
In 1868, a newspaper reported a serpent-like monster in a mountain lake on the Utah–Idaho border. Its author later admitted making it up.
What was reported
In 1868, Joseph C. Rich, a settler in the Bear Lake valley, wrote an article for the Deseret News in Salt Lake City describing a huge, serpent-like creature seen by several people in Bear Lake, building on a local Shoshone legend.
The story caused a sensation, and more sightings followed as people came to look.
Explanations offered
Years later, Rich admitted he had invented or exaggerated the reports as a joke, partly to bring attention to the valley. Sightings continued anyway, and the monster is now a cheerful local mascot, with a monster-shaped boat taking tourists out on the lake.
- When
- 1868
- Where
- Bear Lake, Utah–Idaho, USA
- Witnesses
- A newspaper writer's account
- Status
- Hoax
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.