By Kolin Kriner
Graphic by Kolin Kriner. Featured image taken by Sandra Mansi, estimated 1977.
Legend has it that hiding within the depths of Lake Champlain is a serpent with origins dating back to Iroquois and Abenaki folklore. Known as Champy, the lake monster has been sighted over 300 times — from the first European encounter in 1609 to reports as recent as 2024 — slithering between the lines of fact and fiction.
While Champy may be the most famous, it is one of many stories. From haunted historic homes to cryptic creatures said to roam the woods, the North Country is rich with legends that continue to intrigue residents and visitors alike.
Champy: The Monster of Lake Champlain
For generations, Champy has captured the imagination of locals and tourists. This legend traces back to Indigenous traditions, where serpent-like beings symbolized both danger and respect.
According to lakechamplainregion.com, the Abenaki referred to the creature as Gitaskog. As their folklore went, the horned serpent would warn the tribes about its presence to prevent the water from being disturbed. This went as far as telling French explorers that disturbing the water would anger it.
The first written account came from French explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1609, who described the creature “as thick as a barrel and up to 20 feet long.”
Since then, generations of locals and visitors have claimed to spot something unusual moving through the lake, its long neck breaking the surface of the water, gliding quickly then suddenly disappearing.
The most famous modern evidence came in 1977, when Sandra Mansi captured a now iconic photograph of a dark shape rising from the water, refueling debate that has continued for decades.
Whether sightings are dismissed as being a floating log or sturgeon, the legacy of Champy as a cultural emblem has remained strong.
Local lore keeps the legend alive, ensuring that Lake Champlain remains a place where the line between history, imagination and possibility remains as blurred as the photos capturing this beloved creature.
Creatures of the woods: Are they wolves?
Beyond the water, the Adirondacks have their share of reports about animals that appear to be wolves. But here’s the catch — according to discovernorthcountry.com, there haven’t been wolves in northern New York for over 120 years.
In accounts of sightings, these creatures range from large coyote or feral dogs seen at dusk to tall, wolf-like creatures behaving in ways that don’t align with the presumed species.
Reports of sightings made by hikers or drivers often crop up on local forums, cryptid pages and social media. One such account came from Cooper Cecot, a student at SUNY Plattsburgh, who shared his experience of claiming to see a massive wolf in the middle of a field while driving one night.
“I was out door dashing this summer in a heavily wooded area,” Cecot said. “I was driving back towards Plattsburgh when I suddenly slammed on my brakes. I was in disbelief. Across from me, still in my headlights, was what looked like a wolf. But not just a wolf, like a really big one. I stared it down until it leapt out of sight. It was one of the creepiest things I have ever experienced.”
Wildlife experts have chalked up sightings such as this to the region’s large coyote population, many of which are eastern coywolves. These are a hybrid that can reach impressive sizes.
Still, eyewitnesses, such as Cecot, remain convinced that what they encountered was far beyond the scope of a coyote.
These stories are passed along quietly, often shared at family gatherings or as camp stories; it is difficult to differentiate between the line of what experts claim and what locals perceive.
For some, the mystery adds to the Adirondacks’ rugged character, reminding all that despite how much is known about the region, there is still much that defies simple explanation.
The Adirondack Sasquatch
Across the Adirondacks there have been reports of big, hairy creatures wandering under the mist-draped canopy of the forest.
These aren’t just campfire stories. For decades, witnesses have described powerful silhouettes slipping between trees, the crack of heavy footsteps in the underbrush or the uncanny stillness of the woods making hair raise on the back of necks.
In Clinton County, one of the most talked about encounters occurred in 2005, when a driver on Chazy Lake Road reported seeing a massive, upright creature crossing in front of their headlights.
An alleged encounter was submitted to the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization in 2006 recounting the event, feeding local rumors, folklore and interest in the sasquatch. Whether one reads it as a misidentified human, a tall deer in poor light or a genuine cryptid, the story has become a part of Clinton County’s modern folklore.
