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Seagull flies across Utah Lake near Inlet Park in Saratoga Springs on April 22, 2024.

Carlene Coombs

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"Seagulls on Utah Lake" by Phillip H. Barkdull. Photo courtesy of Springville Museum of Art

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There is no way to “fact check” what I’m about to share. I mean, you can definitely ask AI or Google for evidence. In doing so you might find some trace amounts of truth or links to reputable websites. But if you’re looking for empirical, verifiable, peer-reviewed proof, I’m afraid I’m going to disappoint you.

If, however, you’re open to mysteries that science can’t explain, events that have been witnessed by hundreds (sometimes thousands), and tales so persistent they’re practically stitched into the fabric of Utah itself — have I got a story for you. Several, actually.

All of them have roots in our remarkable, religious, sometimes peculiar, often inspiring, and always entertaining state. These aren’t just fringe rumors passed between conspiracy theorists at soda shops in Payson. Many of them are documented by sworn testimonies, pioneer journals, local newspapers, accredited historians, and even government files.

Let’s take a look at Utah’s most supernatural legends that, despite sounding completely bananas, are backed by some surprisingly strong evidence.

The Seagull Miracle: Utah’s Feathered Avengers

Let’s start with the OG Utah miracle — the Miracle of the Gulls.

It’s 1848. Mormon pioneers have just barely carved a living out of an inhospitable desert when a biblical-sized plague of Mormon crickets (yes, that’s their actual name) descends from the hills and begins annihilating their crops. These are not cute little bugs. They are beefy, armored, crop-destroying arthropods.

Panic sets in. Pioneers pray, fast, and cry.

And then… seagulls. Hundreds of them — California gulls from the Great Salt Lake — swoop in, devour the crickets, regurgitate, and then feast again. Over and over, for days. Harvests are saved. The people rejoice.

Is it scientifically possible? Yes. Gulls eat insects. They vomit out indigestible parts. Totally normal bird stuff.

Was the timing miraculous? Also yes. Eyewitnesses like John Smith recorded the birds arriving precisely as the pioneers were about to lose everything. Today, the event is immortalized by a granite monument on Temple Square and the California gull is Utah’s official state bird.

True? Mostly. Birds do bird things. But ask any 19th-century Saint who lived through it, and they’ll tell you — those birds were heaven-sent.

Skinwalker Ranch: Stranger Than Fiction

Next, let’s head east to the Uintah Basin, home of perhaps the most paranormal plot of land in America: Skinwalker Ranch.

We’re talking full-on sci-fi madness here. For decades — centuries, even — locals have reported shapeshifting creatures, glowing orbs, UFOs, cattle mutilations, poltergeists, and interdimensional portals (yes, really).

Sounds ridiculous, right? Except it’s been investigated — seriously investigated — by everyone from government contractors (under a secret Pentagon program) to credentialed scientists and investigative journalists. There’s even an entire History Channel series dedicated to the ranch.

While skeptics say it’s all hype and hallucinations, the consistency of the reports (and their high-profile investigators) suggests something genuinely weird is going on out there.

True? There’s no smoking ray gun. But enough strange things have been seen, filmed, and recorded that Skinwalker Ranch has earned its spot as one of America’s most studied and baffling paranormal hotspots.

Missionaries and the “Men in White”

Here’s one you’ve probably heard at a church fireside once. Two young missionaries, walking in a sketchy part of town, are passed by a gang. Days later, they meet one of the gang members who says, “We were going to jump you, but those giant dudes walking beside you scared us off.” This confuses the missionaries since they were walking alone.

Variations of this story exist all over — from São Paulo to South Central LA to South Jordan. Some involve “men in white.” Others, shining beings. In many cases, the missionaries don’t even realize anything miraculous happened until later.

Are these urban legends? Sure, some probably are. But enough firsthand accounts from reliable returned missionaries exist to make you wonder: Is divine protection not only real but often routine?

True? Maybe not every retelling. But many claim to have experienced it firsthand. And in the world of miracles, that’s not nothing.

Utah Lake Monster: Nessie’s Mormon Cousin

Long before Provo was a college town with a tech startup in every basement, it was home to something far less explainable — a giant serpent in Utah Lake.

Reports go back to the 1860s. Native Americans and early settlers alike told of a long, dark creature with a head like a horse and a body like a snake. It swam fast, made big waves, and occasionally tried to eat things (or people).

The Deseret News even ran investigative articles about it.

Skeptics say it was probably a large sturgeon or exaggerated fish tale. But if so, it was one really convincing fish. Over a dozen documented sightings have surfaced, many by people with no relationship to one another.

True? There probably was something big in Utah Lake. Whether it was a prehistoric monster or just a misunderstood fish, no one really knows.

The Three Nephites or… Nah?

Let’s clear something up.

Yes, the Book of Mormon teaches that three disciples of Christ were allowed to tarry on the earth until His return. And yes, stories of mysterious strangers helping stranded motorists, fixing broken stoves, and disappearing into thin air are absolutely everywhere in Utah.

But here’s the deal: Almost none of these stories are firsthand. They’re always like that classic scene from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: “My best friend’s sister’s boyfriend’s brother’s girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who’s going with the girl who saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night.”

In the case of Three Nephite accounts, it’s more like, “My cousin’s seminary teacher’s wife’s uncle met one of them.” Folklorists call this a “friend-of-a-friend” legend. And while they’re deeply faith-promoting and fun to tell, they rarely come with names, dates, or places.

True? The doctrine, yes. The actual modern-day roadside Nephites? Probably not. But that doesn’t mean the stories don’t have power.

Utah: Where Faith and Fact Hold Hands

So what do we do with all this?

In the world of history, especially religious history, there’s a gap — a canyon, really — between academic fact and spiritual truth. One demands documentation. The other relies on belief, testimony, and personal experience.

But here in Utah, we don’t always choose between the two.

Whether you believe in guardian angels or just believe in being guarded… whether you think seagulls were doing God’s work or just doing what birds do… whether you believe there’s something lurking beneath Utah Lake or something divine guiding missionaries through danger… all of these stories hold a kind of truth.

Because in Utah, the supernatural isn’t just the stuff of spooky stories — it’s a reminder of something more. Something unseen but deeply felt. A belief that we’re not alone. That help comes in unexpected ways. That miracles (or at least meaningful mysteries) still happen.

And maybe, just maybe, that’s the truest thing of all.

Blake Snow contributes to fancy publications and Fortune 500 companies as a bodacious writer-for-hire and travel journalist to all seven continents. He lives in Provo, Utah with his wife, five children, and one ferocious chihuahua. Learn more at blakesnow.com.