Monsters of the Pacific Northwest: Stories About Bigfoot, Sea Serpents, and Other Legendary Creatures

by Jessica Freeburg, Natalie Fowler

Overview

Read 22 chilling stories, written by two paranormal investigators, about reportedly true encounters with monsters in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

A pastor’s afternoon hike takes a horrifying turn when a creature follows him home and terrorizes his family. A woman’s routine drive becomes a heart-pounding encounter when a Sasquatch chases a deer into the path of her car. A child’s innocent night games go from sporty to sinister when a Wendigo stalks him from the shadows. The Pacific Northwest’s history includes several unimaginable encounters with legendary creatures. This collection of “ghost stories” presents the creepiest, most surprising tales of monsters in the states of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

Authors Jessica Freeburg and Natalie Fowler are active paranormal investigators with a shared fascination for things that go bump in the night. The professional writers spent countless hours combing the region for the strangest and scariest run-ins with the unexplained.

Horror fans and history buffs will delight in these 22 terrifying tales. They’re based on reportedly true accounts, proving that the Pacific Northwest is the setting for some of the most unsettling monster tales ever told. The short stories are ideal for quick reading, and they are sure to captivate even the most reluctant of readers. Share them with friends around a campfire, or try them alone at home—if you dare.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781647554736
Publisher:	Adventure Publications, Incorporated
Publication date:	08/12/2025
Series:	Hauntings, Horrors & Scary Ghost Stories
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Jessica Freeburg is an internationally published author, history nerd, and researcher of the unexplained. She has written a variety of books, ranging from graphic novels to paranormal fiction and nonfiction, focused on creepy legends and dark moments from history.

As the founder of Ghost Stories Ink, Jessica has performed paranormal investigations at reportedly haunted locations across the US. She has appeared in documentaries and shows on such networks as the Travel Channel and Amazon Prime—talking about ghosts and haunted places—and she can often be heard cohosting the popular podcast Darkness Radio.

Natalie Fowler was once a practicing attorney. Now she is an award-winning author and ghostwriter. Her published works include nonfiction books on poignant—and sometimes dark—historical events and haunting legends.

She is the researcher and historian for Ghost Stories Ink and has led paranormal investigations at some of the most notoriously haunted locations in the country. Inspired by the concept of spirit rescue, she cofounded the Paranormal Services Cooperative and has published accounts of her work as a medium in this field.

Read an Excerpt

Flix, the Conser Lake Monster
Millersburg, Oregon
1959

The man driving the truck, filled with a haul of mint, was happy the day was almost over. It had been a long one. He drove through Millersburg, careful to maintain the speed limit.

As he cruised past Conser Lake, he thought about the local chatter. The town had been abuzz about a flying saucer that reportedly crashed into the lake. When he glanced into his rearview mirror, he got the shock of his life.

Running behind his truck was a large, white, ape-like creature, standing nine feet tall—and it was gaining on him. Soon, it caught up and peered through his window. The man glanced at his speedometer. He was going 35 miles per hour, yet the strange humanoid kept pace beside him. Horrified, the driver opted to kick up the speed, leaving the beast in his dust.

While this may have been the first reported sighting of a strange creature lingering near Conser Lake, it wouldn’t be the last.

***

July 1960

The teens were intrigued by the reports of flying saucers and rumors of the truck driver’s strange encounter. Such a creepy story already had the kids on edge, so the group’s two pranksters decided to use their friends’ fear—and the darkness of night—to their advantage.

They snuck away and hid, prepared to scare the pants off their pals. But as they waited in the darkness, a strange noise caused their hearts to race.

“What was that?” Franky asked.

“It was too loud to be human,” said Sam.

To their horror, a nine-foot-tall creature moved out of the shadows and began rushing toward them. Its webbed feet seemed to squish against the pathway.

The boys’ screams echoed into the night, as they ran away from the monster and back toward their friends. But the beast was on their trail. The pair dove into the bushes and held their breaths, praying the monster wouldn’t find them.

As the stoop-shouldered beast hurried past, the duo heard it let out a strange sound.

Fleep... fleep-weep... fleep.

Sam turned on his flashlight.

“What are you doing?” Franky asked, terrified.

“Look at it. It’s like a weird white bear running on two legs,” said Sam.

“More like a giant white gorilla,” Franky noted.

Whatever it was, the boys agreed: they needed to get home and call the police.

***

Sheriff George Miller wasn’t sure what the boys had seen, but it had spooked them, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it. He took a small crew out to investigate.

“What exactly are we looking for,” a deputy asked.

“Something tall and ghostly, I guess,” the sheriff replied.

While officers scoured the area, they found no sign of the creature.

In the days that followed, more people descended upon the lake, hunting for the beast. Some carried shotguns and, in some cases, opened fire into the brush, making the whole ordeal even more dangerous. Some of the curiosity-seekers claimed to have seen the monster. A psychic allegedly communicated with it and announced that the creature's name was Flix. The name stuck, but the cryptid remained elusive.

Before long, the fear turned into a memory, and the story became a myth associated with the small community. Reports of the monster ceased, and the lake, no longer known as Conser Lake, is as mysterious as the beast itself. While the lake was referenced in old newspaper articles, few seem certain which of the local ponds it was—and those who do know aren’t telling.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface

Creatures of the Land and Sky

• Bigfoot of the Cascades (Cascade Mountains, OR)
• Colville Sasquatch (Colville, WA)
• Ape Canyon Bigfoot (Mount St. Helens, WA)
• Idaho Bigfoot (Potlatch, ID)
• Batsquatch (Buckley, WA)
• The Gumberoo (Kingston, WA)
• Flix, the Conser Lake Monster (Millersburg, OR)
• Dogman (Twin Falls, ID)
• Wendigo (Ashton, ID)
• The Basket Ogress (Seattle, WA)
• The Wampus (Clark Fork, ID)
• Baxbakwalanuxsiwae (Port Angeles, WA)

Creatures of the Water

• Lake Chelan Dragon (Chelan, WA)
• Colossal Claude (Clatsop County, OR)
• Devil’s Lake Monster (Lincoln City, OR)
• Swan Valley Monster (Swan Valley, ID)
• Caddy (Oak Harbor, WA)
• Paddler (Bayview, ID)
• “Slimy Slim” Sharlie (McCall, ID)
• The Giant Octopus (Tacoma, WA)
• The Sea Monster of Wallowa Lake (Joseph, OR)
• Amhuluk (Forked Mountain, OR)

Bibliography

About the Authors