The state of California is rife with spooky stories and dark myths, from ghosts atop the
Hollywood Sign, to monsters lurking deep in the state's lakes. Many of these legends have
been passed down from generation to generation, with many still being told around campfires
today. So saying that, this is the Top 5 Scary California Urban Legends You Won't Believe.
Before we begin though, be sure to stick around until the end of the video where I’ll be
responding to some of your comments, and with that, let’s jump in.
5 The Ghost of Stow Lake The history of Stow Lake, located in the Golden
Gate Park in San Francisco, is shrouded in mystery. Stow Lake is said to be haunted by
the spirit of a woman who, after attempting to save her child who fell in the water, drowned
in the lake. Now, legend goes that this woman, referred to as the White Lady, wanders the
edges of Stow Lake as she searches for her baby. It is said that she can even be summoned
by visitors, with the most active area surrounding the lake being near the Pioneer Women and
Children Statue. The legend states that the statue, depicting a woman with two children,
houses the spirit that haunts Stow Lake. People have noted that at night, the statue seems
to have three children surrounding her instead of two, two older ones, and one that is barely
a toddler. Anyone wishing to summon the White Lady can do so by calling out, “White Lady,
White Lady, I have your baby” three times. Which seems very cruel, if you ask me. Now,
if she believes you, the woman will appear before you and will ask for her baby back.
However, for doing this, the woman will haunt you for the rest of your life. However, if
you tell the woman you don’t have her baby, legend says she will drag you into Stow Lake
and give you the same death she suffered. It is also noted that the White Lady of Stow
Lake is not the only ghost to be found residing in San Francisco, of course, and if you wish
to explore the creepy haunted history you can do so with the Haunted San Fran ghost
tour.
4 The Dark Watchers The Dark Watchers is a name given to a group
of entities in California folklore purportedly seen observing travelers along the Santa Lucia
Mountains. The Dark Watchers are said to be tall, sometimes giant-sized featureless dark
silhouettes often adorned with brimmed hats or walking sticks. They are phantoms that
are said to lurk inside the eerie mountains. Legend has it that the Dark Watchers can only
be seen at twilight, as they stand at the Santa Lucia Mountains’ top. The Dark Watchers
have claimed to be seen staring out into the vast space below the mountains before completely
vanishing. Now, this legend may be attributed to the Chumash People who historically inhabited
the central and southern coastal regions of California, with the ghostly figures first
appearing in their Indian history and lore. The cave walls were donned with drawing by
the Chumash that depicted these phantoms. John Steinbeck also went on to write about
The Dark Watches in his story “Flight” where the creatures were described as “Dark
forms against the sky”. I quote: “Pepe looked suspiciously back every minute or so,
and his eyes sought the tops of the ridges ahead. Once, on a white barren spur, he saw
a black figure for a moment; but he looked quickly away, for it was one of the dark watchers.
No one knew who the watchers were, nor where they lived, but it was better to ignore them
and never to show interest in them. They did not bother one who stayed on the trail and
minded his own business.” Steinbeck’s son, Thomas Steinbeck, would also grow up
to report having seen The Dark Watchers during his childhood and later along with artist
Benjamin Brode collaborate on a book titled In Search of the Dark Watchers, where they
go into the history of the legend and interview locals who claim to have seen them, such as
famed Big Sur resident Billy Post. In more recent history, sightings occurred in the
1960s by a Monterey High School Principal.
3 The Monster of Elizabeth Lake Now, I should preface this point by saying
that there are at least ten different Elizabeth Lakes in California. But, the one we’re
talking about today is in LA County near Palmdale and is perhaps the oldest one in the state.
Now, it is said that Elizabeth Lake was created by the Devil himself for the keeping of his
hellish pets. The legend also goes on to state that if you swim deep enough you will stumble
across the passageway to Hell. Throughout the years, there have been countless sightings
of a monster that is said to have the neck of a giraffe, head of a bulldog, bat wings,
and is said to be 50 feet long with a rancid scent of decay. For over a century, sightings
have been reported, and strike fear into the local’s hearts. It is said that locals have
been so scared that landowners would actually sell or completely abandon their properties.
Not to mention, any attempt to build on the lake’s land has come to no avail. At night,
residents could hear screams from the lake and would have horribly disturbing visions.
Farm animals would also disappear and sightings of flying winged creatures were also reported.
However, like all urban legends, any proof of the creature’s existence or death has
yet to be discovered.
2 Turnbull Canyon Hauntings Turnbull Canyon is a 4 mile loop trail located
near Whittier, California and is part of Puente Hills Preserve. Turnbull is known for the
view it provides of the Hsi Lai Temple and Rose Hills Memorial Park. However, it has
also been the source of rumors regarding paranormal activities. Death is said to reside within
the canyon, with the place itself once being referred to as “Hutukngna” which means
“The Place of the Devil.” The legend tells of the region being haunted by the Indians
who were murdered for not converting to Catholicism. Their spirits are now said to linger in unrest
in the canyon. Years later, Turbunll would also be the site of numerous satanic rituals
held by cults attempting to conjure demons or even satan himself, often by sacrificing
children from the nearby orphanages. However, one day one of the sinister cults suddenly
vanished, and what was left behind in their wake were paranormal sightings and occurrences
being reported by hikers and locals, who have claimed to have seen hooded figures, hellish
creatures, and mutilated children. Not to mention, more mysterious deaths have since
occurred, with one teenager being electrocuted while exploring the ruins of an old asylum
in the canyon. A plane also crashed there in 1978, taking the lives of 29 people.
1 The Hollywood Sign Spirit Probably one of the most infamous legends
to come out of California is the Hollywood Sign Spirit, which is said to be haunted by
early 1900s actress Peg Entwistle. Entwistle was a British stage and screen actress, who
began her career back in 1925, appearing in several broadway productions. By 1932, during
the height of the Great Depression, Entwistle was in Los Angeles with a role in the Romney
Brent play The Mad Hopes starring Billie Burke. Following that, Entwistle found her first
and only credited film role for Radio Pictures called Thirteen Women. However, on September
18th, 1932, a woman was hiking below the Hollywood Sign, when she found a woman’s shoe, purse
and jacket. She opened the purse and found a suicide note, after which she looked down
the mountain and saw the body below. Entwistle’s body remained unidentified until her uncle,
with whom she had been living with, identified her remains. The suicide note was eventually
published, and read as follows: “I am afraid, I am a coward. I am sorry for everything.
If I had done this a long time ago, it would have saved a lot of pain. P.E. Nowadays, Entwistle
is referred to as the Lady in White, who is said to appear to people hiking to the off-limits
part of the sign where she killed herself. However, as opposed to appearing as the beautiful
actress she was, she is often seen with a skeletal face and deep hollowed out eyes.
It is also said that if hikers are alone, the Lady in White will influence them to also
plumet off the Hollywood Sign.
Well, there we have it! Do you guys agree with our list? Were there any California Urban
Legends that we missed? Leave us all your thoughts and feelings in the comments down
below and perhaps we can do a part 2. Before I go though, I just want to respond to a few
comments from one of our last videos, Top 5 Scary Paranormal Hauntings In The White
House.
Strifegar said: “It does kind of sound like Lucy is losing that British accent.” ---
Alicia Guarascio said: “Hi Lucy, great video. Didn’t know the White House had all that
activity. Very interesting! How are you Lucy?” ---
Walter Green said: “Queen Lucy, Hi!” ---
D Reeder said: “I don’t know which is more frightening, seeing Abraham Lincoln’s
ghost or Winston Churchill naked getting out of the bath.” ---
Sam Sausedo said: “I think this is awesome but very scary.” ---
And on that note, if you haven’t already, be sure to give this video a big thumbs up,
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time, see ya later.