The author in search of Momo and Sasquatch at the Alley Spring Mill. Other monster hunters report paranormal activity inside the mill.
By Don Corrigan
Another “Haunting of the Hills” Festival has come and gone at Alley Spring Park, but the ghouls and monsters of this area of the Ozarks remain. They never leave. It’s best to visit and look for them on a moon-lit evening.
A full moon brings the dastardly creatures out, but a moon-lit evening also offers visitors a better chance to see them. And it’s best to be able to see them – before they can jump from behind a tree or a rock, causing shock and terror.
At the National Scenic Riverways, there are a number of beasts which you really don’t want to find. Among the monsters are:
• Ozark Howler – one of the most frightening figures of Ozark folklore, this creature is described as a large, shaggy animal resembling a mix between a panther and a bear. The Howler has glowing red eyes and sharp horns. It roams the dense forests and hills and is an omen of misfortune.
• Ozark Gowrow – is a lizard-like beast stretching as much as 20 feet in length. Its enormous tusks will instill terror in anyone who crosses its path. This large reptilian being embodies the untamed spirit of Ozark wilderness.
• Ozark Momo Monster – is described as a regional cryptid that roams the river areas. It’s a bipedal, seven-foot-tall humanoid covered in thick black or dark hair, featuring a large pumpkin-shaped head, obscured facial features, and glowing orange or red eyes.
• Ozark Bigfoot – is called a Sasquatch and involves centuries of reported sightings, folklore, and cryptid activity throughout the Ozark Plateau which spans southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. Sightings peaked in the 1970s when this large, hairy humanoid was scaring local families.
At night, monster shadows are sometimes cast on rocks and bluffs when the moon is full.
On the evening of Sunday, Oct. 25, this novice monster hunter searched the grounds of Alley Spring Park for signs of cryptid activity. Other hunters in the area spoke of paranormal activity inside Alley Spring Mill.
My search continued from Alley Spring to Round Spring to the moon-lit grounds of Echo Spring Lodge. My brood sat on the lodge deck and ordered a late dinner, while I climbed down to the bluff trails in search of a Sasquatch.
I did not find Big Foot or Sasquatch, but I did find a looming shadow of an Ozark GowRow lizard tail swinging back and forth. The moon-lit shadow covered the rock tower known as Echo Bluff, rising immediately above Sinking Creek.
Upon returning to the dinner deck at Echo Bluff Lodge, I learned the electricity had failed at the lodge. Some campers blamed the Gowrow Lizard for the electric failure. I confirmed that he was in the area.
Without electricity, the grill was closed for the evening and there would be no dinner. We had no choice, but to head back to St. Louis. My belly was empty, but my brain was full of images of Gowrow and Sasquatch.
Ozark beasts inhabit the woods and craggy cliffs of the Ozark Scenic River areas.
(For more information on Ozark monsters, check out “Six Creatures Of Ozark Legend That May Still Haunt These Hills” by Tad Moore on nwadaily.com; or the research by famed Ozark historian Vance Randolph, in his various titles, such as Ozark Superstitions and We Always Lie to Strangers: Tall Tales from the Ozarks. Or, attend next fall’s “2027 Haunting of the Hills” Festival at Alley Spring.)
