Bear Lake monster

Bear Lake Monster

Data
First reported	19th Century
Country	United States
Region	Bear Lake on the Idaho-Utah Border

The Bear Lake Monster is a cryptid appearing in local folk-lore near Bear Lake, on the Utah–Idaho border.

The myth originally grew from articles written in the 19th century by Joseph C. Rich, a Mormon colonizer in the area, purporting to report second-hand accounts of sightings of the creature. However, he later recanted the stories.

In recent years the monster is considered to be a tourist attraction. The last reported sighting of the monster was in 2004.

The Bear Lake monster also appears in Animal Planet's "Lost Tapes," drama series, in which it is depicted as similar to a crocodile or a mosasaur. Lost Tapes also states that in one legend Pecos Bill fought the monster for days until he finally defeated the creature. The show also included a group of girls who were staying over in tents beside the lake being attacked.