From the state's own Bigfoot to blood-sucking monsters to a lady who snatches up children, Arizona is a hotbed for strange notions. Here are 10 of our favorite imaginary things that Arizonans believe in:
10.) Jackalope
No, there's not really a horned rabbit running around the desert.
9.) The Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine
Several people have actually died looking for this stash of gold supposedly hidden in the Superstition Mountains. Since the story of this mine has been around for nearly 150 years, you'd think someone would have found it by now.
8.) The Curse of Petrified Wood
People apparently think the petrified wood from the Petrified Forest National Park is cursed. So much so that a park ranger there has collected a binder full of letters from people who have admitted to stealing rocks from the park, and sent them back to get rid of the curse.
7.) Skin-Walkers
Skin-walkers, people who can transform themselves into animals, have roots in Navajo lore.
6.) Thunderbird
It seems hard to believe that anyone would still believe in the existence of a bird that looks like a pterodactyl. However, a Google search shows people reporting spotting thunderbirds in Arizona.
5.) Ghosts
There are too many ghost stories in Arizona to count. A couple of the most notable alleged homes to ghosts are Phoenix's Hotel San Carlos, and the Jerome Grand Hotel in Jerome.
4.) The Mogollon Monster
Arizona's very own version of Bigfoot, which has websites, books, and movies dedicated to it.
3.) La Llorona
La Llorona is a Mexican folk tale about some lady who killed her kids. The only believers in La Llorona (we assume) would be kids, as the tale can be used by parents in a bid to keep their kids from staying out late (or else La Llorona will snatch them up), or as one of those figures who magically appears in mirrors, like Bloody Mary.
2.) Chupacabra
The chupacabra is supposedly a little monster that sucks the blood of wild animals. Local TV news station CBS 5 has often reported possible sightings of this imaginary beast.
1.) Aliens
If it wasn't for the infamous 1947 Roswell incident, the state of Arizona would easily be the extraterrestrial capital of the earth.
There was also an alleged UFO crash outside of Phoenix in 1947, and decades later, there were the infamous Phoenix Lights over the city.
One of the most famous alien-abduction stories ever came out of Arizona, and the International UFO Congress is held every year in the Phoenix area.
Follow Valley Fever on Twitter at @ValleyFeverPHX. Follow Matthew Hendley at @MatthewHendley.
