California is known for its conglomerate of people, everyone from different backgrounds and some from out of state. However, the Golden State isn’t just home to distinct people; there are many different and unique cryptids that lurk around the diverse cities.

One of the most famous cryptids is from this state: Bigfoot. The Sasquatch have been roaming the state for hundreds of years now, and there have been countless sightings of these creatures. Currently, it is believed that there’s one in Roseville, California, which is a bit too close to comfort for the sleepy town.

However, let’s not focus on one of the biggies; he gets enough coverage. There are many other cryptids residing in California, and one of these fascinating creatures is the Fresno Alien, or Fresno Nightcrawler.

This unique cryptid has been caught on camera before, and its appearance resembles two legs without a body attached. The Nightcrawler was first sighted in November 2007, and was caught on a security camera put up by a Fresno local to watch out for intruders. This unusual creature is about 3-4 feet tall, and its legs seem to stretch out great lengths when it walks. Many have tried to disprove the existence of this creature, such as the show “Fact or Faked”, which unsuccessfully tried to recreate the incident, attempting to demonstrate the occurrence was a hoax. All experiments conducted in videos and shows such as these have yet to disprove what was caught on video. Now, the Nightcrawler tape has been labelled simply as “unexplained.”

One of the more obscure cryptids to California is the Tahoe Tessie. Even though residents say she’s over 80 feet long, they don’t seem to be frightened of her. In most parts, she’s seen as Tahoe’s mascot. Sightings of Tessie have supposedly been happening since the mid-19th century by the Washoe and Paiute tribes. Tessie is said to have black scales, and the majority of sightings have transpired on the surface of the lake, rather than from the shore.

Tessie is said to live near Cave Rock, (located on the eastern shore of the lake) as many sightings have been nearby here. Some divers have said that when they approached the cave, something shot out of it, leaving fin marks on the walls outside the cave. Whether or not this mysterious water creature is real or not, is up to the public to decide now.

Opposite of the Tessie, the Lone Pine Mountain Devil is anything but kind to the surrounding residents. The creature is said to be velutinous and bat-like, its terrifying appearance accompanied by long sharp teeth and claws. They’re supposedly larger than humans and sightings date back to 1849.

The Mountain Devil has, in addition, been said to be very territorial and lashes out at humans that come near its territory. The small town of Lone Pine still believes that the creature is out there, and isn’t sure what to do about it.

One of the most unique creatures to California is the Ghost Deer, said to look like an elk in the woods by Mount Eddy. However, elk aren’t native here and, whenever a hunter tries to shoot it, it always evades the shot. Is the Ghost Deer paranormal, or is it just a displaced animal?

The Cadborosaurus is, arguably, one of the more peaceful cryptids out there, as the 5-15 meter long creature tends to stay away from boats and humans in the waters of the Pacific Northwest. Cryptozoologists have said that they believe it to be the cousin of the Loch Ness Monster, a famous cryptid supposed to live in Loch Ness of Scotland. It’s said that it can travel up to 40 knots, but the Cadborosaurus, while huge, doesn’t seem dangerous at all.

In Northern California, there resides a large creature dubbed the Hyampom Hog Bear, and was mentioned in the classic cryptid book written by lumberjacks “Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods”. The bear is said to look like a mix between a black bear and a brown bear, and has a diet that consists of pork. Much to farmers’ dismay, the bear attacks when pigs are at their fattest, usually only taking one huge bite out of each pig. In the 1800’s, someone reportedly found a cub, but proved to be a black bear.

Alongside the Hyampom Hog Bear, the Central American Whintosser was also mentioned in “Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods” and is described as having a short tail and ten legs. The limbs, however, are placed around all of the creature’s body and this is so it can run on any fast terrain. Lumberjacks have said that the creature travels in packs and is best avoided, as it is aggressive in nature.

If you’re ever near Big Sur, then it’s quite possible that you might see a dark, humanoid figure staring off into the distance, along sides of the mountains nearby. The Dark Watchers of California have been reportedly sighted by many people as being “impossibly tall” and humanoid. They have been sighted for many years, dating all the way back to when the Chumash Native Americans were most native to the area. They’re harmless and disappear silently into the night.

So, if you’re ever in California, there are many things you could do; you could go to Yosemite, maybe Monterey or you could look for these mysterious creatures lurking in the dark corners of California.