Yosemite National Park was established in 1890 and draws about 4 million visitors each year. Many of those people could tell you some creepy stories about Yosemite. Whether it was a creepy voice on the wind or a large rustle in the forest, the vast, open wilderness can cause some serious unease. According to some famous Yosemite legends, there really is more than just deer and bear scampering around its vast forests.
There are stories of encounters with Bigfoot, run-ins with the peculiar creatures known as Nightcrawlers, a large number of mysterious disappearances, and even sightings of UFOs in Yosemite. There have been shocking murders and a large number of mysterious disappearances. There are plenty of Yosemite urban legends and Yosemite creepy stories, but are any of them true? Read through this list of unsettling stories, vote up the tales that chill you to the bone and decide for yourself if there’s anything to fear in the California wilderness.
1. Grouse Lake Has Its Own Jason Voorhees

Many hikers have reported a wailing sound erupting from Grouse Lake. The first documented report of this phenomenon came from Galen Clark, Yosemite’s first park ranger in 1867. Clark heard the cries and thought perhaps it was a dog so he asked the local Native American tribe if they’d lost one. They told him it wasn’t a dog and not to go after it.
According to them, an indigenous boy drowned in the lake many years ago and now he haunts it, calling out to those who pass by. If anyone goes into the water after him, he’ll grab their feet and pull them down into the lake to drown.
2. The Norman Bates Of Yosemite
In February 1999, 43-year-old Carole Sund, her 15-year-old daughter, Juli, and Juli’s 16-year-old friend Silvina Pelosso checked into the Cedar Lodge and never checked out. A hiker found their red Pontiac torched deep in the mountains with Carole and Silvina in the trunk, and six days later, the FBI received a map leading them to Juli. Her throat had been slashed.
Then in July, a teacher at the Yosemite Institute, Joie Ruth Armstrong, went missing. Her body was found 27 feet away from her head in a drainage ditch. The deranged woman-hating lunatic responsible turned out to be Cedar Lodge’s handyman Cary Stayner. He would use his position to gain access to his victims. He confessed to everything, and also confessed he planned to kill his girlfriend and her daughter on Valentine’s Day but didn’t go through with it.
3. The Norman Bates Of Yosemite

In February 1999, 43-year-old Carole Sund, her 15-year-old daughter, Juli, and Juli’s 16-year-old friend Silvina Pelosso checked into the Cedar Lodge and never checked out. A hiker found their red Pontiac torched deep in the mountains with Carole and Silvina in the trunk, and six days later, the FBI received a map leading them to Juli. Her throat had been slashed.
Then in July, a teacher at the Yosemite Institute, Joie Ruth Armstrong, went missing. Her body was found 27 feet away from her head in a drainage ditch. The deranged woman-hating lunatic responsible turned out to be Cedar Lodge’s handyman Cary Stayner. He would use his position to gain access to his victims. He confessed to everything, and also confessed he planned to kill his girlfriend and her daughter on Valentine’s Day but didn’t go through with it.
4. Mysterious Disappearances Are A Regular Occurrence
Many children have gone missing in Yosemite with bizarre elements in common. They tend to disappear in locations rich with huckleberries, and many times, a storm follows, washing away tracks or clues. They are found very far away and are always missing clothing or shoes with no scrapes on their feet proving – almost like they teleported to a different part of the park.
Local lore tells of a few beasts that could be responsible, like the cannibalistic Wendigo or the mountain devils called Seeahtiks who possess hypnotic abilities and extraordinary strength.
5. Creatures Known As Nightcrawlers Lurk In The Woods

These mysterious creatures have been spotted and captured on film in Fresno and Yosemite.
The slow, awkward beings, which resemble a pair of white pants, have been given the nicknames “Nightcrawlers” and the “Fresno Alien.”
6. A Teenager’s Disappearance Sparked Conversations About Whether The National Parks Service Was Covering Up Such Incidents

Stacy Ann Arras was 14 in 1981 when she was camping with family and friends in Yosemite. Wanting to go capture some photos at a nearby lake, she and an older member of the group headed that way. The older man allegedly stopped to rest halfway there and let Stacy go on ahead. She never returned, and not a single trace of her was ever found despite intense search and rescue attempts. Her widely publicized disappearance garnered the attention of paranormal author David Paulides, who conducted an investigation into the Arras disappearance and ultimately claimed that corruption among national park officials was suspicious and that something sinister might have been purposefully covered up in regards to Arras’s strange disappearance.
This has never been proven but has stirred up controversy around an already fearful topic.
7. The Sierra Sky Ranch Is A Former Sanatorium And Is Now Home To Phantom Children

The Sierra Sky Ranch in Yosemite was originally built in 1875 as a cattle ranch then became a sanatorium for quarantining tuberculosis patients, many of whom were reportedly children. At some point in its history, it was also used to convalesce WWI veterans, and it is now a 29-room hotel.
The place is widely known to be haunted, mainly by “phantom children” who can be reportedly heard giggling and whispering as they run through the hotel’s halls. The main living room of the building is one of their favorite places, and light footsteps can often be heard tripping up and downstairs. They’re not the only specters of Sierra Sky Ranch: up to five regular spirits are said to be residents, embodying both earthly and abstract forms (a woman who smells of perfume and specifically haunts the library and a rageful man).
Written By: Lyra Radford
This article was originally published on Ranker.