Skinwalker Ranch

Located in the eerie Uintah Basin of northeastern Utah and surrounded on three sides by mountains and cliffs, Skinwalker Ranch has been the source of thousands of UFO type sightings and strange encounters reported by intrepid journalists who have dared to trespass on this private property. The general consensus is that some kind of above top secret paranormal experimentation has been taking place there, but to truly understand how creepy and mysterious Skinwalker Ranch is you have to know the history and the context.

Some people have attributed the phenomena to the original Navajo legend of the Skinwalker.

The Navajo Origins of the Skinwalker

By definition, a Skinwalker is a person, usually of Native American origin, who has the ability to transform into an animal of their choice. In the Navajo culture, Skinwalkers can assume different forms, based on their need. If they want to fly, they can be a bird, then transform into a wolf when they reach their destination. Due to their inhuman bursts of speed, they are nearly impossible to catch and can only be killed if they are mortally injured in the neck region.

Skinwalkers are often lurkers, standing outside windows or approaching people on lonely highways. They can read minds to know what scares people and then use that information to instill fear and control their victims.

 

Skinwalkers in the Uintah Basin

The legend of the Skinwalker in the Uintah Basin area reportedly started in the 1800's, when European colonists began moving further west, pushing out the Native American tribes who had resided there for more than a thousand years. During the Civil War, some Ute members allegedly took orders from Kit Carson in the battle against the Navajo, resulting in a curse on the land. Some believe a Skinwalker was created in the process and that it still lives in the heart of the basin in a place called Shadow Canyon. Local tribe members avoid the area at all costs for fear of angering it.

An Interdimensional Doorway?

Shaman healer Michael Robishaw feels there's even more to the Uintah Basin area than the legends suggest. He believes the area might be an interdimensional doorway to another realm. "I think it's a portal but also has the spiritual basis of Native American rituals of an ancient origin that may be so old that even tribal elders don't even have the whole story of such an active place. It may be where the past meets the future," he said.