Crater Lake, Oregon is not only the deepest lake in the nation but also one of the most mysterious. The lake and its surrounding area have a long history of tragic and downright creepy occurrences.
In addition to the lore of the Klamath Indians, this national park has its fair share of disappearances, spontaneous suicides, a lake monster, and even sightings of the elusive Bigfoot (who apparently throws pinecones at humans that try to follow it).
The Klamath People Believe The Devil Dwells
In Crater Lake
The Klamath Indians believe Crater Lake is a sacred place and a crossroad between the Skell the “Spirit of Above” and their version of the devil “Spirit of Below” named Llao. According to lore, great battles between Skell and Llao occurred here. Skell dismembered Llao and threw his limbs in the lake. Monsters ate all but Llao’s head, so the lake still holds Llao’s evil spirit and he haunts Wizard Island – where souls of the wicked are banished to. The Klamath people say Llao snatches people off the rim of the crater and if one stares into the lake too long, they’ll be mesmerized into a deep sadness and lured to their death.
WW2 Hellcat Pilot Went Missing For 30 Years
Just after the end of WW2, in December of 1945, a Grumman F6F Hellcat fighter crashed just east of Skell Head in Crater Lake National Park. It was part of a larger group of 100 F-6-F Hell-Cats and they were flying in squadrons of 4 each, at 21,000 feet. The squad master saw Pilot Frank Lupo trying to switch his gas tanks but it failed, the engine quit and the Hell-Cat plummeted through the clouds and that was the last anyone saw of him for almost 30 years.
In 1970, a park ranger by the name of Dave Panebaker heard the tale of the missing WW2 plane and set out on a hike to try to find some of the wreckage and got lost in the process. He stopped hiking and sat down to clear his head before he wound up deeper in the wilderness. He later stated he began to feel like someone was watching him, he turned and was face-to-face with a human skull. The Navy identified the skull as the missing 22-year old Hellcat pilot, Frank Lupo with the dental records they had on file.
The Lake Belches
The volcanic Mount Mazama went from being the tallest mountain in Oregon to the deepest lake in the nation because of an immensely violent eruption. While the volcano has been still since it became the body of water is now, but some remnants of its past self still sleep in its depths. In 1945 the lake began “burping” up gas clouds of blue smoke. This phenomenon lasted from September to December, occurring several times per month which completely freaked everyone out. Then in the 1990s, a series of earthquakes rumbled fear of the area back into residents. Apparently, the volcano isn’t as dead as originally suspected, it’s just in hibernation.
Sasquatch Is Squatting In The Park
The ever elusive race of tall hairy beasts collectively referred to as “Bigfoot” have more sightings in Oregon than anywhere else in the U.S. and at least one member of their tribe living deep in the wood of Crater Lake National Park. A Sasquatch has been spotted by hikers and Park Rangers alike. Park Rangers reported spotting a large, putrid smelling creature that they followed into the woods. The beast allegedly threw pinecones at them so they stopped pursuing it.
Another sighting was from a man that claimed to have hit “Bigfoot” with his car, only to have government officials rush off with the beast. Another Sasquatch slaying was death by train, initially, the train conductor was scared to report it because he didn’t want anyone to think he was crazy or drinking on the job.
Crater Lake Has Seen Its Fair Share Of Suicides
Crater Lake has been the last thing many people have laid eyes on before taking their own lives. The strangest incident perhaps was the one that took place in 1947. Mr. Cornelius and his wife went out to Crater Lake to enjoy their seemingly happy existence when suddenly he handed his wallet to her and scooted over to the edge of a snow chute by old Lake Trail and threw himself over resulting in a broken leg. But that brief suicide failure didn’t stop him, he then dragged himself to the water to drown himself. His wife had no reason to think he was suicidal or depressed in any way. There was never a reason discovered but some believe the lake beckons people to their death like a siren’s call only certain individuals can here.
Wizard Island Has Spectral Campers
The lake’s “Wizard Island” is a “fire-free zone” yet mysterious campfires keep roaring to life without any actual campers. While patrolling, Park Ranger Jan Kirwin witnessed a group of campers crowded around a campfire. She called for backup and as she approached to confront them about the illegal fire she realized there were no campers. As she inched closer it dawned on her that there was no campfire either. There was literally no sign that anyone was there at all but she had just seen what looked like close to ten people there just moments before.
The Death of Charles McCullar Stumped Investigators
19-year old Charles McCullar packed up his camera equipment and ventured out to Crater Lake back in 1974, but he wasn’t found again until 1976. The circumstances his remains were found in suggest he was murdered. He was found 12 miles away from the trail which, considering that area had 102 inches of snow at the time he left, it was impossible that he made it that far out on his own.
His pants were open, his leg bones were missing from the knee down, but his feet were still inside his socks. He had no shoes, no coat, no shirt, and his camera gear was nowhere to be found. While animals clearly got to him through the winter, the location of his body and the missing valuables still raises questions. It doesn’t seem like a simple case of getting lost in the woods and dying from exposure. His family believes he was murdered, but they never found definitive evidence.
Crater Lake Is Home To A Dragon-Like Monster
What would Crater Lake be without a giant lake monster looming deep within its depths? A Loch Ness type creature was spotted by a tourist back in 1977. The woman claimed she looked out over her boat and much to her horror, saw a massive creature that “resembled a dragon”, swimming away from her boat.
Two Men Were Executed In The Park’s Woods
There was a gruesome double execution committed within these woods in 1952. Two United Motor Service business executives, 53-year old Charles Patrick Culhane, and 56-year old Albert Marston Jones were dragged out of their car and into the woods. Both men were found gagged with their own neckties, their hands bound behind them and both were shot their heads execution style.
The Old Man Of The Lake
An ancient hemlock tree has been floating in the upright position for over 100 years now. Known as “the Old Man of the Lake,” the first written account of the curious stump was in 1902, by, geologist Joseph S. Diller who noted he was sure he saw the stump six years ago over by Wizard Island, west of its location at the time of this record.
At first glance, he appears rooted but he’s a traveler, he cleared 62 miles in three months. The movements were tracked in 1938 by John Doerr. Doerr confirmed that not only does the old man move, sometimes he moves strikingly fast, clocking in 3.8 miles one windy day–completely upright. The Old Man floats four feet above the water and 30 feet below, chugging along vertically and defying physics. Now he’s a local celebrity, some say he can control the weather. Two Scientists tried to tie him up and the sky grew dark and rumbled. They got the heebee-jeebees and cut him loose-coincidently the skies suddenly cleared.
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