Skinwalker Ranch
Encyclopedia
According to local legend, Skinwalker Ranch, also known as Sherman Ranch, is a property located on approximately 480 acres (1.9 km²) southeast of Ballard, Utah
that is allegedly the site of paranormal
and UFO-related activities. Its name is taken from the skin-walker
of Native American
legend.
Claims about the ranch first appeared in the Salt Lake City, Utah
Deseret News, and later in the alternative weekly Las Vegas Mercury
as a series of articles by journalist George Knapp
. Knapp and co-author Colm Kelleher
subsequently authored a book in which they describe the ranch being acquired by the National Institute for Discovery Science
(NIDSci) to study anecdotal sightings of UFOs, bigfoot
-like creatures, crop circles, glowing orbs and poltergeist
activity reported by its former owners.
The ranch, located in west Uintah County bordering the Ute Indian Reservation, was popularly dubbed the "UFO ranch" due to its ostensible 50-year history of odd events said to have taken place there. According to Kelleher and Knapp, they saw or investigated evidence of close to 100 incidents that include vanishing and mutilated cattle, sightings of unidentified flying objects or orbs, large animals with piercing yellow eyes that they say were not injured when struck by bullets, and invisible objects emitting destructive magnetic fields. Among those involved were retired Army Colonel John B. Alexander
who characterized the NIDSci effort as an attempt to get hard data using a "standard scientific approach". However, the investigators admitted to "difficulty obtaining evidence consistent with scientific publication." Cattle mutilation
s have been part of the folklore of the surrounding area for decades, but NIDSci founder Robert Bigelow
's purchase of the ranch and investigation funding was reportedly the result of his being convinced by stories of mutilations that included tales of strange lights and unusual impressions made in grass and soil told by the family of former ranch owner Terry Sherman.
In 1996, skeptic James Randi
awarded Bigelow a Pigasus Award
for funding purchase of the property for what he termed a "useless study" of "a 'haunted ranch' in Utah".
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
that is allegedly the site of paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
and UFO-related activities. Its name is taken from the skin-walker
Skin-walker
Skin-walker and Skinwalker may refer to:* Skin-walker, a human/animal shape-shifter from Native American legend.-Books and comics:* Skinwalkers , a 1986 mystery novel by Tony Hillerman....
of Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
legend.
Claims about the ranch first appeared in the Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
Deseret News, and later in the alternative weekly Las Vegas Mercury
Las Vegas Mercury
Las Vegas Mercury was an alternative newspaper published in Las Vegas, Nevada from January 2, 2003 to March 15, 2005. The paper folded when Stephens Media purchased Las Vegas CityLife and combined the two newspapers.- Columnists :* James Barrier...
as a series of articles by journalist George Knapp
George Knapp (journalist)
George Knapp is an award-winning American investigative journalist.A longtime fixture in Las Vegas media, he works at KLAS-TV and is also a frequent host of the Sunday night/Monday morning Coast To Coast AM syndicated radio show...
. Knapp and co-author Colm Kelleher
Colm Kelleher
Colm Kelleher is a research scientist and author. He received his PhD in biochemistry at Trinity College, Dublin and has 21 years of experience in the field of cell and molecular biology. In addition he was an adminisrator for a Nevada aerospace company, Space Sciences Inc., and was also Deputy...
subsequently authored a book in which they describe the ranch being acquired by the National Institute for Discovery Science
National Institute for Discovery Science
The National Institute for Discovery Science was a privately financed research organization based in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.It was founded in 1995 by real-estate developer Robert Bigelow, who set it up to research and advance serious study of various fringe science, and paranormal topics, most...
(NIDSci) to study anecdotal sightings of UFOs, bigfoot
Bigfoot
Bigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is an ape-like cryptid that purportedly inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid...
-like creatures, crop circles, glowing orbs and poltergeist
Poltergeist
A poltergeist is a paranormal phenomenon which consists of events alluding to the manifestation of an imperceptible entity. Such manifestation typically includes inanimate objects moving or being thrown about, sentient noises and, on some occasions, physical attacks on those witnessing the...
activity reported by its former owners.
The ranch, located in west Uintah County bordering the Ute Indian Reservation, was popularly dubbed the "UFO ranch" due to its ostensible 50-year history of odd events said to have taken place there. According to Kelleher and Knapp, they saw or investigated evidence of close to 100 incidents that include vanishing and mutilated cattle, sightings of unidentified flying objects or orbs, large animals with piercing yellow eyes that they say were not injured when struck by bullets, and invisible objects emitting destructive magnetic fields. Among those involved were retired Army Colonel John B. Alexander
John B. Alexander
John Alexander is a retired US Army Colonel and a leading advocate for the development of non-lethal weapons. He was born in New York in 1937, and obtained a PhD from Walden University in 1980. Col...
who characterized the NIDSci effort as an attempt to get hard data using a "standard scientific approach". However, the investigators admitted to "difficulty obtaining evidence consistent with scientific publication." Cattle mutilation
Cattle mutilation
Cattle mutilation is the apparent killing and mutilation of cattle under unusual or anomalous circumstances...
s have been part of the folklore of the surrounding area for decades, but NIDSci founder Robert Bigelow
Robert Bigelow
Robert T. Bigelow is a hotel and aerospace entrepreneur. He owns the hotel chain Budget Suites of America and is the founder of Bigelow Aerospace....
's purchase of the ranch and investigation funding was reportedly the result of his being convinced by stories of mutilations that included tales of strange lights and unusual impressions made in grass and soil told by the family of former ranch owner Terry Sherman.
In 1996, skeptic James Randi
James Randi
James Randi is a Canadian-American stage magician and scientific skeptic best known as a challenger of paranormal claims and pseudoscience. Randi is the founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation...
awarded Bigelow a Pigasus Award
Pigasus Award
The Pigasus Award is the name of an annual tongue-in-cheek honor recognized by noted skeptic James Randi. The awards seek to expose parapsychological, paranormal or psychic frauds that Randi has noted over the previous year...
for funding purchase of the property for what he termed a "useless study" of "a 'haunted ranch' in Utah".
External links
- Las Vegas Based Scientists Study "Skinwalker Ranch"
- Google Maps picture of the ranch
- Includes property maps and recent updates from local researchers investigating the ranch
- RealityUncovered.com - Article comparing the phenomenon to the region's Native American Ancestral heritage and religious practices.