No Dude Ranch - A Place That Defies the Laws of Nature and Science

The world of the paranormal and supernatural has captured the imaginations of people around the world for centuries. There has been a volume of books written, movies, and TV programs. Unidentified Flying Objects, the Bermuda ‘Devil's’ Triangle, spirits, spectral visions, strange creatures, Bigfoot, and the Lock Ness Monster, to name just a few, have intrigued and mystified generations of followers. 

One of the strangest, and for many, mystifying of the paranormal genre of unnatural events, is located in the state of Utah, southeast of Ballard - known as “Skinwalker Ranch.” The name is derived from the Navajo Indian legend of vengeful shamans, which rests on 512 acres of land and borders the Uintah and Ouray Indian reservations. It has been the site of numerous UFO encounters and strange occurrences over the past 50-plus years. 

In the 1970s, UFO reports, especially one in particular known as Project Blue Book, of which this writer has a copy, described numerous sightings on Skinwalker Ranch. In 1996 in the Utah Desert News and Las Vegas Mercury, a series of articles by investigative journalist George Knapp appeared. They discussed what the family living on the Ranch at the time said were inexplicable and in some cases horrifying events. 

According to Knapp, he and another associate investigated allegations of unusual events, using a scientific approach. They looked into over 100 incidents of unexplained vanishings, including cattle that were mutilated; this is usually associated with UFO sightings. There were also reports of strange large animals with piercing red eyes, which when fired upon, bullets had no effect. Strange glowing orbs, recognized as small round illuminated objects, appear and then fade. The investigation could not find answers for scientific publication. At the time, it was the theory of the investigators that they were encumbered by unexplainable strange and destructive “magnetic fields.”

As an aside, several years back I was listening to AM radio talk show host Mike Gallagher, when he reported having encountered one such strange glowing orb in his home. It floated around the room and quickly approached him, coming only inches from his face, and then it moved around the room again and just disappeared. 

The encounter was unnerving and caused the host much angst, not knowing what this thing was. Gallagher is well respected in his field, and not given to flights of fancy and telling tall tales. Callers to the show informed him that this phenomenon is real and has been scientifically investigated, without any conclusive answers as to what they were.

Skinwalker Ranch has gone through several owners over the past 50 years. In 1996 Robert Bigelow, founder of the National Institute for Discovery Science, purchased the Ranch. Bigelow embarked on a study of anecdotal evidence of UFO sightings, bigfoot-like creatures, crop circles, glowing orbs, and poltergeist activity. 

In their book “Hunt For Skinwalker,” George Knapp and coauthor Colm Kelleher wrote about Bigelow’s purchase of the Ranch, and his efforts to find answers that have eluded other rigorous investigations. The book captured the attention of James Lacatski, a Defense Intelligence Agency official. He contacted Bigelow and asked for permission to visit the Ranch, which he received. While there, Lacatski experienced a supernatural event.

Following this, Bigelow contacted his friend Senator Harry Reid, who along with Ted Stevens, a UFO investigator, agreed that the Ranch deserved further attention. The outcome led to the inclusion of $22 million in the Department of Defense budget for the study of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena - UFOs.

As you might have guessed, I have over the years been intrigued and have indulged in the study of the supernatural and paranormal. Numerous books and reports have been in my purview and will continue to be. I understand there are some who will be skeptical of all of this, and Skinwalker Ranch is just too much to wrap their minds around. However, don’t be too quick to judge and disregard this as just whims of those who will believe in anything that defies reality of which they feel alienated, and that they seek something, anything, to add a sense of mystery to their lives. 

In 2016 Bigelow sold the Ranch to Adamantium Real Estate LLC.; access to the Ranch is now prohibited. Roads have been blocked, signs posted, and there are cameras and barbed wire fencing. There is a saying that goes, “If a tree falls in the forest, and there’s no one around, does it make a sound.” This begs the question, “Is there anyone living or visiting at Skinwalker Ranch, and if not, is there anything happening there?”

For those interested in pursuing this story further, the History Channel recently began a special series on Skinwalker Ranch.