Case file · Cryptid
The Bear Lake Monster
In 1868 Mormon settler Joseph C. Rich wrote in the Deseret News of a serpent-like monster seen in Bear Lake on the Utah–Idaho border, quoting second-hand witnesses.
1868 CE · 41.95, -111.33 · status: hoax
The account
The story spread through Utah newspapers for years. The last reported sighting was in 2002, and the monster is now a tourist mascot.
The sceptical view
Rich later admitted the reports were invented, though some sightings came from other people.