SALT LAKE CITY — Have you ever heard of the Great Salt Lake monster? Seen Saltair Sally? Heard the cries of "water babies"? Chilling tales that may keep you up at night are embedded into the history of Utah's iconic Great Salt Lake.
FOX 13 News anchor Bob Evans learned more about the spine-tingling stories with a special trip to learn about Utah's haunts.
On a Friday evening at the Great Salt Lake Marina, lead State Park Ranger Holly Minor shared the terrifying tales.
"There were a couple of hunters out on Stansbury Island, and they were chased into a small cave by something that was half crocodile half horse but this one had the wings of a bat." She said. "The wingspan was over 100 feet and it chased them into this cave and went out over Stansbury Island and when it came back, it was carrying an entire cow in his mouth. They hid in this cave all night and listened to this [monster] chomping on the entire cow."
You may think this kind of legend would eventually run its course but a constant stream of supposed sightings has kept the monster alive.
"So many people have reported something similar out here," Minor explained. "Half reptile half mammal, chasing things, taking entire cows into the lake, taking an entire horse. Could there be something to it?"
Then, there are the Native American stories of "water babies" crying near the lake.
"When people come to investigate why there's a baby crying out here, they will grab the person and drag them into the depths of the Great Salt Lake never to be seen again," Minor said.
Finally, there's the tale of Saltair Sally.
In 2000, Niki Bakoles disappeared after moving to Utah from Washington State to be with her boyfriend.
Duck hunters later recovered her remains near Saltair but police couldn't identify her immediately, which is when she dubbed the name "Saltair Sally."
"Saltair Sally is said to haunt the south shores of the lake," Minor said. "So right around here."
DNA later identified the remains as Bakoles but visitors have sworn to have seen her ghost in the area.
Are these tall tales true or just the stuff of the imagination? There's only one way to find out. Take a trip to the area and see for yourself if the haunts come to life.
