The rolling hills and deep forests of Appalachia are home a wide array of natural flora and fauna, and perhaps unsurprisingly, are also a hotbed of monster or cryptid sightings. While Appalachia refers to a large area that covers parts of New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia, we'll be focusing on West Virginia.
This page will cover some of the most common or popular of these creatures in the region, but of course, it's up to you to decide if you believe in these stories or not. We have included sources for further reading, but must caution that all featured monsters, these sources, and the study of them, are questionable.
Monsters of West Virginia by 
No list of Appalachian cryptids would be complete without the most famous of them, Point Pleasant's own Mothman! On November 12th, 1966, a group of grave diggers in Clendenin claimed they saw a man like figure flying low through the trees near a cemetery. On November 15th, two young couples reported to police that they spotted a large, grey, flying man with red eyes near the TNT area north of Point Pleasant. Over the next year and one month, numerous sightings of a similar creature, called the Mothman, were reported in and around Point Pleasant. Finally, on December 15th, 1967, the Silver Bridge crossing the Ohio River in Point Pleasant suffered a sudden collapse, resulting in the death of 46 people.
Following the collapse, there were no more reported Mothman sightings in the area, and speculation arose that the events were connected. Author John Keel's 1975 book, The Mothman Prophecies, later made into a film in 2002 film starring Richard Gere, expanded on this connection, claiming that the Mothman was a warning of the collapse.
Local experts and authorities attribute the sightings to a large heron or crane, owls, or even pranks and hoaxes after the initial report made the news. Regardless, today, there is a statue of the Mothman in Point Pleasant, and a yearly festival celebrating the creature, and the town.
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her cryptid with ties to the Point Pleasant and Charleston areas of West Virginia is the Sheepsquatch. Various sightings across the region in the mid 1990s describe the Sheepsquatch as a large, furry or woolly white creature, usually a quadruped, although sometimes bipedal. Sightings report that the creature has a dog-like head, but with goat or ram like horns, and sharp teeth and claws. The Sheepsquatch's initial sightings state it ran from people, but it seems to have become more aggressive over time. Given the locations of sightings, there is speculation it is from the TNT Area, like the Mothman.
Perhaps related to the Sheepsquatch, are "White Things", or "Devil Dogs". These creatures are said to inhabit isolated wooded areas of Appalachia, and while usually have a dog-like appearance, have been said to resemble bears as well. They always have long, shaggy, white fur or hair, and are said to move quickly and aggressively towards other animals and people, while making terrifying noises. Victims of these creatures state that their attacks feel real and painful, but they are left with no visible wounds or injuries, and the creatures themselves disappear.
The only extraterrestrial creature in this list, is the Flatwoods Monster, naturally sighted in the small town of Flatwoods, WV. On September 12th, 1952, three children saw a bright object cross the sky, and land near a farmer's field. Gathering their friends and families, they returned to the sight of what they suspected to be a UFO crash, and encountered a strange red glowing light, and a strong smell. One of the group shined a light, and saw "man-like figure with a round, red face surrounded by a pointed, hood-like shape", while another member reported seeing a green outfit and claw like hands. The group ran from the figure, and contacted local authorities, who searched the area the next day and found nothing, although a local reporter claimed to have found evidence of a UFO landing.
Unfortunately, investigations into the Flatwoods Monster both at the time and over the years have thoroughly debunked its existence. That same night, a meteor was sighted across West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland, accounting for the trail of light. Numerous flashing red aircraft beacons can be seen from the area of the sighting, and the creature itself was probably a common barn owl, perched on a tree branch. The evidence of a UFO landing was consistent with a truck, leaking oil, also having investigated the meteor. Nevertheless, the Flatwoods Monster has persisted in local legend and popular culture.
Not to be outdone by Flatwoods, the town of Grafton in Taylor County, WV, has its own local monster. The appropriately named "Grafton Monster", was allegedly first sighted in 1964 by Grafton Sentinel reporter Robert Cockrell. In a possible conflict of interest, Cockrell published the story of his sighting, followed by numerous other articles and interviews detailing other sightings that same summer. Cockrell's initial sighting, and others not long after, describe the monster as a large, white or greyish bipedal creature with no visible head. Local authorities discredited the sightings, and there have been few if any since 1964.
