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Washington State Cryptids You’ve Never Heard Of

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Washington chapter.

You’ve heard of familiar creatures from WA like the sasquatch, Kraken, and maybe even the tree octopus (completely real, actually). But I bet you’ve never heard of these cryptids! This list of monsters comes from the first-hand encounters of Washington residents. Maybe you’ve seen one of them?

  1. The Forest Man

The Forest Man, or just Man, is a creature that lives in heavily wooded areas of Puget Sound. Many liken the Man to the shadow people, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. The Man can take a human form and will often approach rural homes during the day asking for money or a ride to Seattle. If they decline the requests, the Forest Man will become hostile, but won’t enter the home until nightfall. If the homeowner gives the Man money, he will return to the forest. If they give him a ride to Seattle, they will never reencounter the Forest Man, but their car will always smell like sulfur. 

If you are hiking through the forest and suddenly feel like you’re being watched, that’s him. 

  1. Grandpa

Homes built after the Great Seattle Fire may find a unique individual living in the crawlspace or dusty attic. This cryptid is only known through its actions – perhaps a broken teacup or a window left open. If this haunting happens to you, Grandpa can be appeased by the afflicted party leaving nickels, face up, on the threshold of every in-house bathroom. Remember to replenish any nickels that go missing. Grandpa is mainly benevolent, and will ensure your early spring flowers won’t freeze or grow before their time. 

  1. The Twins

The cutest cryptid award goes to these two black cats. It starts off with you feeding one black cat. The next day, you’ll see, seemingly, the same black cat. But they are, in fact, different cats, which one can tell based on their personalities. While the first will hiss and refuse to let you approach it, the other will have a calm, serene demeanor. 

The Twins will only appear in a certain area, like your doorstep or an alley. Many have tried watching where these cats go after they eat, but the Twins only need half a second to disappear until the next mealtime. Don’t waste your time with a camera. It’ll cut out for just a bit only to reveal an empty bowl, and no cat in sight. 

Keep your eyes peeled for these paranormal creatures. Or keep them shut tight.

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Beyza Cardakli

Washington '24

Student at the University of Washington in Seattle.